THE number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Brighton and Hove at the end of last year was more than double that seen at the start of the pandemic.

Office for National Statistics data shows 14,000 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of December 10, compared to just 5,880 in early March – an increase of 8,120.

That is 6.8 per cent of the area's working-age population.

The figures include those aged 16 to 64 on Jobseeker’s Allowance and some Universal Credit claimants, who are unemployed and seeking work or employed but with low earnings.

In December 2019, there were 5,500 claimants in Brighton and Hove.

Those on benefits at the end of 2020 were among roughly 291,000 across the South East.

It comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that every job lost during the pandemic was a "tragedy"

He said: “This crisis has gone on far longer than any of us hoped – and every job lost is a tragedy.

“Whilst the NHS is working hard to protect people with the vaccine, we’re throwing everything we’ve got at supporting businesses, individuals and families.”

National figures, which are adjusted to account for seasonal changes, show around 2.64 million people across the UK were seeking help at the start of December – up from 1.24 million in March and 1.23 million a year earlier.

The ONS cautioned that changes to Universal Credit in response to the virus mean more people can get the benefits while still being employed, which could affect the figures.

It also said a small number of people who can claim both JSA and UC could be counted twice.