Hundreds more Cotswold residents are claiming unemployment benefits compared to a month ago, as the effects of the coronavirus crisis on the economy begin to bite.

Office for National Statistics data shows 1,570 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in Cotswold as of April 9, compared to just 710 a month earlier.

It means the share of the population signing on rose from 1.4 percent to 3.0 percent.

The statistics capture the early weeks of restrictions after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the country into lockdown on March 23, meaning the numbers are likely to have risen since.

But Cotswold's claimant rate was still lower than the 4.3 percent across the South West as a whole.

The ONS figures count those aged 16 to 64 who are on Jobseekers Allowance and some Universal Credit claimants, with numbers rounded to the nearest five.

Across the UK, the claimant count rocketed to 2.1 million on April 9 – a 66% rise from March, although the ONS put the increase at 69% if the figures were adjusted to take seasonal variations into account.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “These are challenging times, but Universal Credit is providing a vital safety net to those affected by the pandemic and we’ve taken action by injecting over £6.5 billion to support people using the welfare system.”