The number of people in work and claiming housing benefit in Pendle has rocketed by almost 800 percent in the last four years, new research has revealed.
The figures, commissioned by the Labour Party from the House of Commons library, show the number of claimants in Pendle has soared by 777 per cent – one of the highest increases in the country.
News of the increase was condemned by the leader of the Labour group on Pendle Council, Coun. Mohammed Iqbal.
He said: “it is an absolute scandal that one of the highest increases in the country of hard-working people being forced to claim help with their rent is in Pendle.
“We have a Tory and Lib Dem council who returned over £50,000 back to the Government of money to help families who are struggling to make ends meet due to the cost of living crisis.
“We have a Tory leader of the council whose has no control on this matter and should apologise to Pendle residents for his failure on this.”
He was joined in his condemnation by Labour’s candidate in Pendle for next year’s general election, Azhar Ali, who added: “An increase of 777% in people who are in work being forced to make claims for housing benefit is a damning indictment of this Tory-led government.
“I am meeting people from across Pendle who are suffering at their hands.
“We have a MP who is not prepared to stand up and fight for hard-working families but instead supports every cut and every attack against people in Pendle”.