Article New figures reveal devastating financial impact of Covid-19 amid unprecedented increase in Universal Credit take-up in the Highlands By Val Sweeney | Updated: 13:05, 04 February 2021 Get the Inverness Courier sent to your inbox every week and swipe through an exact replica of the day's newspaper Cllr Alsadair Christie says the figures showing an uptake in Universal Credit paint a sobering picture. New figures have highlighted the devastating financial impact the Covid-19 pandemic is having on residents, communities and businesses in the Highlands. Universal Credit statistics, published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), reveal there was almost a 75 per cent increase in the number of Universal Credit claimants throughout the Highlands when comparing take-up at March 2020 with the position in December 2020.