Local authority in Scotland
Orkney Islands
In Orkney Islands, spending on working-age benefits per person aged 16 to 64 was lower than in 84% of local authorities in 2024-25.
At a glance
How does Orkney Islands compare?
We divide each type of spending by the people it is for. A rank of 1 is the highest of the local authorities in Great Britain. Money is in 2026-27 prices2026-27 prices, using CPI inflationcash terms, not adjusted for inflation.
All benefits
£4,381£4,399£4,155
per resident, 2024-251-11
Not ranked: covers only some benefits
Great Britain: £4,441£4,460£4,212
EstimatedPensioner benefits
£11,866£11,916£11,255
per person aged 66 and over, 2024-251-3, 6, 8-11
Not ranked: covers only some benefits
Great Britain: £12,728£12,782£12,073
EstimatedWorking-age benefits
£1,374£1,380£1,304
per person aged 16 to 64, 2024-251-3, 7, 9-11
295th of 350, lower than in 84% of local authorities
Great Britain: £2,093£2,102£1,985
Estimated
Show the numbers
| Measure | Value | Rank | Great Britain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benefit spending, per resident, 2024-25 | £4,381£4,399£4,155 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £4,441£4,460£4,212 |
| Spending on pensioner benefits, per person aged 66 and over, 2024-25 | £11,866£11,916£11,255 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £12,728£12,782£12,073 |
| Spending on working-age benefits, per person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | £1,374£1,380£1,304 | 295th of 350 | £2,093£2,102£1,985 |
Spending by benefit, 2024-25
Where does Orkney Islands's benefit money go?
People here received £96.4 million£96.8 million£91.4 million in benefits in 2024-25, in 2026-27 prices2026-27 prices, using CPI inflationcash terms, not adjusted for inflation. Each square is £1 million.1-11
Dotted squares are estimates.
- State Pension£58.4m£58.6m£55.4m61%
- Pension Credit£1.7m£1.7m£1.6m2%
- Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment£3.4m£3.4m£3.2m4%Estimated
- Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment£0.09m£0.10m£0.09m0.1%Estimated
- Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Payment£9.4m£9.4m£8.9m10%Estimated
- Disability Living Allowance and Child Disability Payment£2.7m£2.7m£2.6m3%Estimated
- Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment£1.1m£1.1m£1.0m1%Estimated
- Universal Credit£12.3m£12.3m£11.7m13%
- Housing Benefit£2.8m£2.9m£2.7m3%
- Employment and Support Allowance£4.2m£4.2m£4.0m4%
- Jobseeker's Allowance£0.01m£0.01m£0.01m0.0%
- Income Support£0.05m£0.05m£0.05m0.1%
- Other benefits£0.18m£0.18m£0.17m0.2%Estimated
Show the numbers
| Benefit | Spending | Share | Figure type |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Pension | £58.4m£58.6m£55.4m | 61% | Published |
| Pension Credit | £1.7m£1.7m£1.6m | 2% | Published |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment | £3.4m£3.4m£3.2m | 4% | Estimated |
| Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment | £0.09m£0.10m£0.09m | 0.1% | Estimated |
| Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Payment | £9.4m£9.4m£8.9m | 10% | Estimated |
| Disability Living Allowance and Child Disability Payment | £2.7m£2.7m£2.6m | 3% | Estimated |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment | £1.1m£1.1m£1.0m | 1% | Estimated |
| Universal Credit | £12.3m£12.3m£11.7m | 13% | Published |
| Housing Benefit | £2.8m£2.9m£2.7m | 3% | Published |
| Employment and Support Allowance | £4.2m£4.2m£4.0m | 4% | Published |
| Jobseeker's Allowance | £0.01m£0.01m£0.01m | 0.0% | Published |
| Income Support | £0.05m£0.05m£0.05m | 0.1% | Published |
| Other benefits | £0.18m£0.18m£0.17m | 0.2% | Estimated |
| All benefits | £96.4m£96.8m£91.4m | 100% | Total |
More about Orkney Islands
How has it changed over time?
Trends
Spending and claims over time
Each small chart starts at zero and has its own scale. Spending is in 2026-27 prices2026-27 prices, using CPI inflationcash terms, not adjusted for inflation. Dotted years are estimates. A dashed line marks a change to boundaries or methods.1-13
Spending per person in the age group
All benefits
per resident
£4,381£4,399£4,1552024-25
2010-112024-25
Pensioner benefits
per person aged 66 and over
£11,866£11,916£11,2552024-25
2010-112024-25
Working-age benefits
per person aged 16 to 64
£1,374£1,380£1,3042024-25
2010-112024-25
State Pension
per person aged 66 and over
£10,889£10,936£10,3292024-25
2010-112024-25
Pension Credit
per person aged 66 and over
£323£324£3062024-25
2010-112024-25
Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment
per person aged 66 and over
£636£639£6032024-25
2010-112024-25
Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
per person aged 66 and over
£18£18£172024-25
2010-112024-25
Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Payment
per resident
£426£428£4042024-25
2013-142024-25
Disability Living Allowance and Child Disability Payment
per resident
£123£124£1172024-25
2010-112024-25
Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment
per person aged 16 to 64
£84£85£802024-25
2010-112024-25
Universal Credit
per person aged 16 to 64
£956£960£9072024-25
2019-202024-25
Housing Benefit
per resident
£129£130£1232024-25
2010-112024-25
Employment and Support Allowance
per person aged 16 to 64
£329£330£3122024-25
2010-112024-25
Jobseeker's Allowance
per person aged 16 to 64
£0.97£0.97£0.922024-25
2010-112024-25
Income Support
per person aged 16 to 64
£4.01£4.02£3.802024-25
2010-112024-25
Other benefits
per resident
£8.00£8.04£7.592024-25
2010-112024-25
Show the numbers
| Measure | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All benefits, per resident | £3,008£3,124£1,978 | £3,057£3,106£2,051 | £3,165£3,185£2,158 | £3,189£3,198£2,218 | £3,276£3,294£2,308 | £3,357£3,391£2,378 | £3,395£3,460£2,453 | £3,485£3,496£2,549 | £3,504£3,514£2,620 | £3,627£3,671£2,785 | £3,751£3,966£3,027 | £3,806£3,887£3,084 | £3,841£3,814£3,331 | £4,155£4,110£3,792 | £4,381£4,399£4,155 |
| Pensioner benefits, per person aged 66 and over | £11,903£12,361£7,825 | £11,928£12,116£8,000 | £12,193£12,270£8,314 | £11,918£11,952£8,287 | £11,866£11,933£8,361 | £11,762£11,880£8,333 | £11,633£11,854£8,406 | £11,542£11,578£8,442 | £11,590£11,625£8,668 | £11,332£11,468£8,699 | £10,990£11,618£8,868 | £11,131£11,367£9,021 | £11,119£11,042£9,642 | £11,707£11,580£10,685 | £11,866£11,916£11,255 |
| Working-age benefits, per person aged 16 to 64 | £296£307£194 | £340£345£228 | £432£435£295 | £495£496£344 | £510£513£360 | £531£536£376 | £545£556£394 | £585£586£428 | £533£535£399 | £792£802£608 | £1,059£1,119£854 | £1,049£1,071£850 | £1,041£1,034£903 | £1,175£1,162£1,072 | £1,374£1,380£1,304 |
| State Pension, per person aged 66 and over | £9,733£10,107£6,398 | £9,963£10,120£6,682 | £10,375£10,441£7,075 | £10,241£10,270£7,121 | £10,304£10,362£7,260 | £10,306£10,409£7,301 | £10,281£10,476£7,429 | £10,287£10,319£7,524 | £10,343£10,374£7,735 | £10,140£10,262£7,784 | £9,872£10,436£7,966 | £10,059£10,272£8,152 | £9,851£9,783£8,542 | £10,400£10,287£9,492 | £10,889£10,936£10,329 |
| Pension Credit, per person aged 66 and over | £1,038£1,078£683 | £939£954£630 | £814£819£555 | £723£725£503 | £626£630£441 | £556£562£394 | £491£501£355 | £446£447£326 | £427£429£320 | £386£391£296 | £369£390£298 | £340£348£276 | £312£309£270 | £310£307£283 | £323£324£306 |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment, per person aged 66 and over | £709£736£466 | £706£717£473 | £697£701£475 | £666£667£463 | £661£665£466 | £636£642£450 | £610£622£441 | £567£568£414 | £586£587£438 | £586£593£450 | £543£574£438 | £525£536£426 | £515£512£447 | £576£570£526 | £636£639£603 |
| Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, per person aged 66 and over | £423£439£278 | £321£326£215 | £306£308£209 | £288£289£200 | £274£276£193 | £264£267£187 | £251£256£181 | £243£243£178 | £233£234£175 | £219£222£168 | £206£218£166 | £206£211£167 | £442£439£383 | £421£417£384 | £18£18£17 |
| Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Payment, per resident | £6.10£6.12£4.24 | £29£29£20 | £48£49£34 | £105£107£76 | £189£189£138 | £228£229£170 | £250£253£192 | £288£305£233 | £314£321£255 | £335£333£291 | £396£392£362 | £426£428£404 | |||
| Disability Living Allowance and Child Disability Payment, per resident | £259£269£170 | £266£270£178 | £277£278£189 | £277£278£193 | £275£277£194 | £268£271£190 | £234£238£169 | £182£183£133 | £161£162£121 | £141£143£108 | £118£125£96 | £113£116£92 | £106£106£92 | £115£114£105 | £123£124£117 |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment, per person aged 16 to 64 | £44£46£29 | £45£46£30 | £51£51£35 | £56£56£39 | £62£62£44 | £65£66£46 | £65£67£47 | £70£70£51 | £30£30£22 | £76£77£59 | £75£79£61 | £75£77£61 | £74£73£64 | £81£80£74 | £84£85£80 |
| Universal Credit, per person aged 16 to 64 | £260£264£200 | £565£597£456 | £581£593£471 | £605£601£525 | £744£736£679 | £956£960£907 | |||||||||
| Housing Benefit, per resident | £220£228£144 | £222£225£149 | £234£235£159 | £223£224£155 | £226£227£159 | £235£238£167 | £232£236£167 | £230£231£168 | £224£224£167 | £198£200£152 | £182£192£147 | £170£174£138 | £151£150£131 | £139£138£127 | £129£130£123 |
| Employment and Support Allowance, per person aged 16 to 64 | £47£49£31 | £99£100£66 | £244£246£167 | £351£352£244 | £379£381£267 | £411£415£291 | £424£432£306 | £457£459£335 | £458£460£343 | £426£432£327 | £393£415£317 | £378£386£307 | £348£345£302 | £339£336£310 | £329£330£312 |
| Jobseeker's Allowance, per person aged 16 to 64 | £59£62£39 | £77£79£52 | £67£67£46 | £54£54£37 | £40£40£28 | £23£23£16 | £28£29£20 | £27£27£20 | £17£17£13 | £7.22£7.30£5.54 | £9.15£9.67£7.38 | £3.18£3.25£2.58 | £1.37£1.36£1.19 | £2.08£2.06£1.90 | £0.97£0.97£0.92 |
| Income Support, per person aged 16 to 64 | £145£150£95 | £118£120£79 | £70£71£48 | £34£34£24 | £30£30£21 | £32£32£22 | £28£28£20 | £31£31£22 | £28£28£21 | £22£22£17 | £17£17£13 | £11£11£9.07 | £13£13£11 | £7.91£7.82£7.22 | £4.01£4.02£3.80 |
| Other benefits, per resident | £157£163£103 | £129£131£86 | £66£67£45 | £24£24£17 | £16£16£11 | £17£17£12 | £16£16£11 | £16£16£12 | £13£13£9.50 | £15£15£11 | £12£13£9.85 | £7.81£7.98£6.33 | £8.67£8.61£7.52 | £10£10£9.24 | £8.00£8.04£7.59 |
People receiving benefits, per 1,000
State Pension
per 1,000 people aged 66 and over
995.3March 2026
May 2025March 2026
Pension Credit
per 1,000 people aged 66 and over
74.3March 2026
May 2025March 2026
Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment
per 1,000 people aged 66 and over
142.7March 2026
March 2026March 2026
Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Payment
per 1,000 residents
63.6July 2026
July 2026July 2026
Universal Credit
per 1,000 people aged 16 to 64
128.7May 2026
May 2025May 2026
Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment
per 1,000 people aged 16 to 64
19.0March 2026
March 2026March 2026
Benefits and income tax
for each £1 of income tax
£1.412023-24
2010-112023-24
Show the numbers
| Measure | 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | May 2025 | July 2025 | August 2025 | October 2025 | November 2025 | January 2026 | February 2026 | March 2026 | April 2026 | May 2026 | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Pension, per 1,000 people aged 66 and over | 983.6 | 990.1 | 998.7 | 995.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Pension Credit, per 1,000 people aged 66 and over | 79.5 | 78.0 | 77.2 | 74.3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment, per 1,000 people aged 66 and over | No value | No value | No value | 142.7 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Payment, per 1,000 residents | No value | No value | No value | No value | 63.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Universal Credit, per 1,000 people aged 16 to 64 | 120.5 | 125.5 | 129.1 | 131.0 | 128.7 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment, per 1,000 people aged 16 to 64 | No value | No value | No value | 19.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Benefits and income tax, for each £1 of income tax | £1.00 | £1.13 | £1.13 | £1.33 | £1.21 | £1.35 | £1.36 | £1.85 | £1.43 | £1.65 | £1.62 | £1.36 | £1.50 | £1.41 |
Is spending what you would expect?
Compared with similar areas
Spending compared with the expected level
We work out an expected level of spending from the share of children and of people aged 66 and over, how deprived the area is, typical pay and which nation it is in. This compares the area with similar areas. It does not measure need.
Each bar starts at the expected level. A bar reaches the edge when the difference is larger than in 98% of local authorities.
All benefits, per resident1-11, 14-17
Actual £4,381£4,399£4,155Expected £4,716£4,736£4,473Difference −£335−£336−£318
Benefit spending per resident was £335 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay.Benefit spending per resident was £336 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay.Benefit spending per resident was £318 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay. Across all local authorities, these factors explain 87% of the differences in this measure.
Pensioner benefits, per person aged 66 and over1-3, 6, 8-11, 14-17
Actual £11,866£11,916£11,255Expected £12,535£12,589£11,890Difference −£670−£673−£635
Spending on pensioner benefits per person aged 66 and over was £670 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay.Spending on pensioner benefits per person aged 66 and over was £673 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay.Spending on pensioner benefits per person aged 66 and over was £635 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay. Across all local authorities, these factors explain 35% of the differences in this measure.
Working-age benefits, per person aged 16 to 641-3, 7, 9-11, 14-17
Actual £1,374£1,380£1,304Expected £1,530£1,536£1,451Difference −£155−£156−£147
Spending on working-age benefits per person aged 16 to 64 was £155 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay.Spending on working-age benefits per person aged 16 to 64 was £156 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay.Spending on working-age benefits per person aged 16 to 64 was £147 below the level we would expect from age, deprivation and pay. Across all local authorities, these factors explain 85% of the differences in this measure.
The expected level comes from one statistical model across all areas of the same type. It uses ages, deprivation within each nation, typical pay and nation, and the methods page lists its figures. The difference compares an area only with areas that are similar on these measures. Rents, disability, household make-up and how many eligible people claim are not in the model, so the difference does not measure need.
How we work out the expected level
Show the numbers
| Measure | Actual | Expected | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| All benefits, per resident | £4,381£4,399£4,155 | £4,716£4,736£4,473 | −£335−£336−£318 |
| Pensioner benefits, per person aged 66 and over | £11,866£11,916£11,255 | £12,535£12,589£11,890 | −£670−£673−£635 |
| Working-age benefits, per person aged 16 to 64 | £1,374£1,380£1,304 | £1,530£1,536£1,451 | −£155−£156−£147 |
How much income tax do residents pay?
Income tax only
Benefit spending and income tax paid by residents
In 2023-24, people in Orkney Islands received £1.41 in benefits for each £1 of income tax that residents paid. Both figures are per resident, for the same tax year, 2023-24. Income tax is only one tax. There are no area figures for National Insurance, VAT or council tax.
- Benefit spending, per resident
- £4,155£4,110£3,792
Income tax only. There are no area figures for National Insurance, VAT, council tax or other taxes.
HMRC estimates income tax by area from a sample survey, the Survey of Personal Incomes, based on where taxpayers live. Figures for small areas are less certain, and HMRC does not publish some of them.
Spending and income tax are for the same year. Constituency income tax on the 2024 boundaries is only published for 2023-24.
Who lives here?
Profile
Deprivation and age
England, Wales and Scotland each measure deprivation in their own way. So we compare Orkney Islands only with other areas in Scotland.
Residents by age, mid-2024
- Aged 0 to 153,45916%
- Aged 16 to 6412,85058%
- Aged 653312%
- Aged 66 and over5,36024%
- All residents22,000100%
Figures by disability condition are published for Scotland as a whole, not for areas in Scotland.
Which areas are most like this one?
Similar areas
The 15 local authorities most like Orkney Islands
We match areas anywhere in Great Britain on age, deprivation, pay and how many people live in each square kilometre. We do not match on place or spending. A smaller score means more alike. Bars show all benefits per resident, 2024-25.
- Orkney IslandsThis area£4,381£4,399£4,155
- Perth and Kinross0.54£4,646£4,665£4,407Compare
- Cotswold1.02£4,376£4,394£4,150Compare
- Highland1.09£4,697£4,717£4,456Compare
- Stirling1.09£4,206£4,224£3,990Compare
- Westmorland and Furness1.11£4,624£4,644£4,386Compare
- Shetland Islands1.15£2,838£2,850£2,692Compare
- Rutland1.31£4,159£4,177£3,945Compare
- Ribble Valley1.34£4,010£4,027£3,803Compare
- Mid Suffolk1.37£4,282£4,300£4,061Compare
- Scottish Borders1.48£4,986£5,007£4,729Compare
- Derbyshire Dales1.48£4,756£4,776£4,511Compare
- Malvern Hills1.49£4,898£4,918£4,646Compare
- Stratford-on-Avon1.50£4,339£4,357£4,115Compare
- Aberdeenshire1.51£3,877£3,894£3,678Compare
- Monmouthshire1.52£4,830£4,851£4,582Compare
Show the numbers
| Area | Score | All benefits, per resident |
|---|---|---|
| Orkney Islands | £4,381£4,399£4,155 | |
| Perth and Kinross | 0.54 | £4,646£4,665£4,407 |
| Cotswold | 1.02 | £4,376£4,394£4,150 |
| Highland | 1.09 | £4,697£4,717£4,456 |
| Stirling | 1.09 | £4,206£4,224£3,990 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 1.11 | £4,624£4,644£4,386 |
| Shetland Islands | 1.15 | £2,838£2,850£2,692 |
| Rutland | 1.31 | £4,159£4,177£3,945 |
| Ribble Valley | 1.34 | £4,010£4,027£3,803 |
| Mid Suffolk | 1.37 | £4,282£4,300£4,061 |
| Scottish Borders | 1.48 | £4,986£5,007£4,729 |
| Derbyshire Dales | 1.48 | £4,756£4,776£4,511 |
| Malvern Hills | 1.49 | £4,898£4,918£4,646 |
| Stratford-on-Avon | 1.50 | £4,339£4,357£4,115 |
| Aberdeenshire | 1.51 | £3,877£3,894£3,678 |
| Monmouthshire | 1.52 | £4,830£4,851£4,582 |
Which other areas overlap it?
Overlapping areas
The constituencies that overlap Orkney Islands
Each share is the part of Orkney Islands's residents who live in that area.
- Orkney and Shetlandconstituency100%
Every figure, in one table
Every figure
Every figure, with its rank
Every figure we publish for Orkney Islands, in total and per person. Each has its rank among the local authorities of Great Britain and the figure for Great Britain. Money is in 2026-27 prices2026-27 prices, using CPI inflationcash terms, not adjusted for inflation.
| Measure | Value | Rank | Great Britain | Figure type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All benefitstotal, 2024-25 | £96.4m£96.8m£91.4m | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £299.0bn£300.3bn£283.6bn | Estimated |
| All benefitsper resident, 2024-25 | £4,381£4,399£4,155 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £4,441£4,460£4,212 | Estimated |
| Pensioner benefitstotal, 2024-25 | £63.6m£63.9m£60.3m | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £154.0bn£154.6bn£146.1bn | Estimated |
| Pensioner benefitsper resident, 2024-25 | £2,891£2,903£2,742 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £2,287£2,297£2,170 | Estimated |
| Pensioner benefitsper person aged 66 and over, 2024-25 | £11,866£11,916£11,255 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £12,728£12,782£12,073 | Estimated |
| Working-age benefitstotal, 2024-25 | £17.7m£17.7m£16.8m | 348th of 350 | £88.8bn£89.1bn£84.2bn | Estimated |
| Working-age benefitsper resident, 2024-25 | £803£806£761 | 306th of 350 | £1,318£1,324£1,250 | Estimated |
| Working-age benefitsper person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | £1,374£1,380£1,304 | 295th of 350 | £2,093£2,102£1,985 | Estimated |
| State Pensiontotal, 2024-25 | £58.4m£58.6m£55.4m | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £138.4bn£138.9bn£131.2bn | Published |
| State Pensionper resident, 2024-25 | £2,653£2,664£2,516 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £2,055£2,064£1,949 | Published |
| State Pensionper person aged 66 and over, 2024-25 | £10,889£10,936£10,329 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £11,435£11,484£10,847 | Published |
| Pension Credittotal, 2024-25 | £1.7m£1.7m£1.6m | 347th of 350 | £6.3bn£6.4bn£6.0bn | Published |
| Pension Creditper resident, 2024-25 | £79£79£75 | 195th of 350 | £94£94£89 | Published |
| Pension Creditper person aged 66 and over, 2024-25 | £323£324£306 | 248th of 349 | £523£525£496 | Published |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Paymenttotal, 2024-25 | £3.4m£3.4m£3.2m | 347th of 350 | £9.0bn£9.0bn£8.5bn | Estimated |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Paymentper resident, 2024-25 | £155£156£147 | 124th of 350 | £133£134£126 | Estimated |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Paymentper person aged 66 and over, 2024-25 | £636£639£603 | 268th of 349 | £741£744£703 | Estimated |
| Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Paymenttotal, 2024-25 | £0.09m£0.10m£0.09m | 347th of 350 | £346.1m£347.6m£328.3m | Estimated |
| Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Paymentper resident, 2024-25 | £4.30£4.32£4.08 | 226th of 350 | £5.14£5.17£4.88 | Estimated |
| Winter Fuel Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Paymentper person aged 66 and over, 2024-25 | £18£18£17 | 285th of 349 | £29£29£27 | Estimated |
| Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Paymenttotal, 2024-25 | £9.4m£9.4m£8.9m | 347th of 350 | £30.4bn£30.5bn£28.9bn | Estimated |
| Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Paymentper resident, 2024-25 | £426£428£404 | 172nd of 350 | £452£454£429 | Estimated |
| Disability Living Allowance and Child Disability Paymenttotal, 2024-25 | £2.7m£2.7m£2.6m | 348th of 350 | £9.1bn£9.2bn£8.6bn | Estimated |
| Disability Living Allowance and Child Disability Paymentper resident, 2024-25 | £123£124£117 | 197th of 350 | £135£136£128 | Estimated |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Paymenttotal, 2024-25 | £1.1m£1.1m£1.0m | 347th of 350 | £4.9bn£4.9bn£4.6bn | Estimated |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Paymentper resident, 2024-25 | £49£49£47 | 266th of 350 | £72£73£69 | Estimated |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Paymentper person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | £84£85£80 | 253rd of 350 | £115£115£109 | Estimated |
| Universal Credittotal, 2024-25 | £12.3m£12.3m£11.7m | 348th of 350 | £70.3bn£70.6bn£66.7bn | Published |
| Universal Creditper resident, 2024-25 | £559£561£530 | 331st of 350 | £1,044£1,048£990 | Published |
| Universal Creditper person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | £956£960£907 | 325th of 350 | £1,657£1,664£1,572 | Published |
| Housing Benefittotal, 2024-25 | £2.8m£2.9m£2.7m | 348th of 350 | £16.3bn£16.4bn£15.5bn | Published |
| Housing Benefitper resident, 2024-25 | £129£130£123 | 309th of 350 | £242£243£230 | Published |
| Employment and Support Allowancetotal, 2024-25 | £4.2m£4.2m£4.0m | 347th of 350 | £13.0bn£13.0bn£12.3bn | Published |
| Employment and Support Allowanceper resident, 2024-25 | £192£193£182 | 150th of 350 | £193£193£183 | Published |
| Employment and Support Allowanceper person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | £329£330£312 | 129th of 350 | £306£307£290 | Published |
| Jobseeker's Allowancetotal, 2024-25 | £0.01m | 349th of 350 | £329.6m£331.0m£312.7m | Published |
| Jobseeker's Allowanceper resident, 2024-25 | £0.57£0.57£0.54 | 349th of 350 | £4.89£4.91£4.64 | Published |
| Jobseeker's Allowanceper person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | £0.97£0.97£0.92 | 349th of 350 | £7.77£7.80£7.37 | Published |
| Income Supporttotal, 2024-25 | £0.05m | 347th of 350 | £294.9m£296.2m£279.7m | Published |
| Income Supportper resident, 2024-25 | £2.34£2.35£2.22 | 272nd of 350 | £4.38£4.39£4.15 | Published |
| Income Supportper person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | £4.01£4.02£3.80 | 263rd of 350 | £6.96£6.99£6.60 | Published |
| Other benefitstotal, 2024-25 | £0.18m£0.18m£0.17m | 348th of 350 | £414.2m£415.9m£392.9m | Estimated |
| Other benefitsper resident, 2024-25 | £8.00£8.04£7.59 | 58th of 350 | £6.15£6.17£5.83 | Estimated |
| Benefits and income taxfor each £1 of income tax, 2023-24 | £1.41 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £0.95 | EstimatedSurvey estimate |
| Measure | Value | Rank | Great Britain | Figure type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Pensiontotal, March 2026 | 5,335 | 347th of 350 | 12,207,279 | Published |
| State Pensionper 1,000 residents, March 2026 | 242.5 | 61st of 350 | 181.3 | Published |
| State Pensionper 1,000 people aged 66 and over, March 2026 | 995.3 | 293rd of 349 | 1,009.0 | Published |
| Pension Credittotal, March 2026 | 398 | 347th of 350 | 1,380,853 | Published |
| Pension Creditper 1,000 residents, March 2026 | 18.1 | 208th of 350 | 20.5 | Published |
| Pension Creditper 1,000 people aged 66 and over, March 2026 | 74.3 | 272nd of 349 | 114.1 | Published |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Paymenttotal, March 2026 | 765 | 348th of 350 | 1,881,995 | Published |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Paymentper 1,000 residents, March 2026 | 34.8 | 97th of 350 | 28.0 | Published |
| Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Paymentper 1,000 people aged 66 and over, March 2026 | 142.7 | 226th of 349 | 155.6 | Published |
| Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Paymenttotal, July 2026 | 1,400 | 347th of 350 | 4,594,229 | Published |
| Personal Independence Payment and Adult Disability Paymentper 1,000 residents, July 2026 | 63.6 | 176th of 350 | 68.2 | Published |
| Universal Credittotal, May 2026 | 1,654 | 347th of 350 | 8,145,172 | Published |
| Universal Creditper 1,000 residents, May 2026 | 75.2 | 296th of 350 | 121.0 | Published |
| Universal Creditper 1,000 people aged 16 to 64, May 2026 | 128.7 | 288th of 350 | 192.1 | Published |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Paymenttotal, March 2026 | 244 | 347th of 350 | 1,090,721 | Estimated |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Paymentper 1,000 residents, March 2026 | 11.1 | 268th of 350 | 16.2 | Estimated |
| Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Paymentper 1,000 people aged 16 to 64, March 2026 | 19.0 | 249th of 350 | 25.7 | Estimated |
| Measure | Value | Rank | Great Britain | Figure type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income taxtotal, 2023-24 | £64.6m£63.9m£59.0m | 348th of 348 | £293.3bn£290.1bn£267.7bn | Survey estimate |
| Income taxper resident, 2023-24 | £2,937£2,905£2,681 | 232nd of 348 | £4,409£4,361£4,024 | Survey estimate |
| Benefits and income taxfor each £1 of income tax, 2023-24 | £1.41 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £0.95 | EstimatedSurvey estimate |
| Measure | Value | Rank | Great Britain | Figure type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All benefits against expectedper resident, 2024-25 | −£335−£336−£318 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | £4.74£4.76£4.50 | Estimated |
| Pensioner benefits against expectedper person aged 66 and over, 2024-25 | −£670−£673−£635 | Not ranked: covers only some benefits | −£11−£11−£10 | Estimated |
| Working-age benefits against expectedper person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25 | −£155−£156−£147 | 280th of 348 | £8.64£8.68£8.20 | Estimated |
Where do the numbers come from?
Notes
Limits and sources
Limits of the figures for Orkney Islands
England, Wales and Scotland each measure deprivation in their own way, so we compare areas only with others in the same nation. Areas are split into 10 equal groups, from 1, the most deprived tenth, to 10, the least deprived.
Income tax only. There are no area figures for National Insurance, VAT, council tax or other taxes.
Scottish figures include the Social Security Scotland benefits that replace DWP benefits: Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment, Carer Support Payment and Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
DWP's area tables leave out Scotland once a benefit moves to the Scottish Government. While cases moved to Social Security Scotland, DWP kept paying some of them. We estimate those payments from Stat-Xplore counts of people and their payments, scale them to DWP's national totals, and share them between councils as before the move. We work out Carer Support Payment and Pension Age Disability Payment from Scotland's totals and each council's share.
Scottish counts for these benefits are Social Security Scotland's latest figures, which can be up to four months apart from the DWP month. Earlier months have no Scottish figure.
State Pension spending in Orkney and Shetland is too low in 2023-24 and 2024-25. From August 2023 to August 2024, DWP recorded some people in Shetland with no known area.
There is no breakdown by condition for Scottish areas. Adult Disability Payment has replaced Personal Independence Payment in Scotland, and Social Security Scotland publishes conditions for Scotland as a whole only.
Sources
- 1Department for Work and Pensions. Benefit expenditure by local authority, 2024-25. Published 15 December 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 2Department for Work and Pensions. Benefit expenditure by parliamentary constituency, 2024-25. Published 15 December 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 3Department for Work and Pensions. Stat-Xplore benefit caseloads and awards. Published 6 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 4Social Security Scotland. Adult Disability Payment statistics to 31 July 2026. Published 14 September 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 5Social Security Scotland. Child Disability Payment statistics to 30 June 2026. Published 17 August 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 6Social Security Scotland. Pension Age Disability Payment statistics to 31 July 2026. Published 14 September 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 7Social Security Scotland. Carer Support Payment statistics to 30 June 2026. Published 10 August 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 8Social Security Scotland. Winter heating benefits statistics for winter 2025/26. Published 18 May 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 9Office for National Statistics. Population estimates by local authority (Nomis NM_2002_1). Published 5 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 10Office for National Statistics. Population estimates by 2024 parliamentary constituency (Nomis NM_2014_1). Published 5 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 11National Records of Scotland. Population estimates for other geographies, mid-2011 to mid-2024. Published 31 August 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 12HM Revenue and Customs. Income and tax by borough and district or unitary authority (Table 3.14). Published 29 April 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 13HM Revenue and Customs. Income and tax by parliamentary constituency (Table 3.15). Published 29 April 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 14Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. English indices of deprivation 2025. Published 19 November 2025. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 15Welsh Government. Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025. Published 5 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 16Scottish Government. Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020. Published 28 January 2020. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
- 17Office for National Statistics. Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, resident analysis, 2024 (Nomis NM_30_1). Published 6 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data release 2026-10-08.2.
Northern Ireland is not included. How we worked out the figures · Download all the data