THE rate of unemployed people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in Waverley has dropped 12 per cent since the beginning of the year, according to new figures by the Job Centre.

A total of 399 people in the borough were dependent on the benefit - which pays between £57.90 and £73.10 per week depending on age and circumstances - in June 2015.

This compares to 455 claimants in January 2015 and 486 a year earlier in June 2014, marking a decrease of 18 per cent year on year and a massive 63 per cent drop since 2010.

Job Centre account manager Hazel Prior believes the dip is a sign the local economy is recovering as well as the result of new Job Centre initiatives.

She said: “The economy is definitely looking up and we wouldn’t have seen such positive trends if things were not getting better. It’s looking good for Waverley at the moment and we’re doing really well.

“Since the recession, the Job Centre has focussed on offering a much more personal, constructive service. We now provide more courses to improve peoples’ employability and are much more switched on in terms of IT skills, for instance offering computer courses to help over-50s get back into work.

“We are also working closer with younger ‘work-ready’ people - offering traineeships with companies such as Halfords, Waitrose, Argos and Glendale Services in Farnham that have resulted in as high as a 75 per cent employment rate after the traineeship ends.”

Hazel added Universal Credit, a new all-encompassing benefits system set to replace Job Seeker’s Allowance, is expected to arrive in Waverley early next year.

According to the Job Centre, areas which have already adopted the new benefits system have seen a further five per cent drop in their unemployment rate as more people are incentivised to seek work.