How does my area compare?

Enfield is furthest above the expected level of spending on working-age benefits per person aged 16 to 64 in 2024-25.

Actual spending per person aged 16 to 64 minus the level we would expect from the area's ages, deprivation, typical pay and nation. A figure above zero is above the expected level, and a figure below zero is below it. Shown in cash terms, not adjusted for inflation.

Spending on working-age benefits, compared with the expected level, per person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25, by local authority

Below the expected level, then above it

  1. Under −£374
  2. −£374 to −£267
  3. −£267 to −£160
  4. −£160 to −£53
  5. −£53 to £53
  6. £53 to £160
  7. £160 to £267
  8. £267 to £374
  9. £374 and over
  • Estimated value
  • No value
Spending on working-age benefits, compared with the expected level, per person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25, by local authority. Boundaries are simplified. London is also shown larger, in a separate box. Northern Ireland is not covered. Every value is in the table below.
More ways to look at itHow ranks change, why spending changed, and spending compared with the expected level

What changed

More people, more claims or bigger payments?

Great Britain, Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment: yearly spending at the rate in February 2023 and in March 2026. The chart splits the change into three parts: the number of people in the age group, the share of them claiming, and the average payment. Cash terms, not adjusted for inflation.

Benefit
£3.1bnFebruary 2023+£37.8mPopulation+£535.5mShare claiming+£649.6mPayment size£4.3bnMarch 2026
What changed: Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment
February 2023£3.1bn
Population+£37.8m
Share claiming+£535.5m
Payment size+£649.6m
March 2026£4.3bn
The share claiming is the number of people claiming per person aged 16 to 64. Yearly spending here is the number claiming, times the average weekly payment, times 52. It is not the amount paid out over the year. Population after mid-2024 stays at the mid-2024 figure, so later growth shows in the share claiming. Scottish areas are left out because Social Security Scotland pays this benefit.

Compared with similar areas

Is spending higher or lower than expected?

Spending on working-age benefits per person aged 16 to 64, 2024-25. We compare it with the level we would expect from each area's share of children and of people aged 66 and over, how deprived it is compared with the rest of its nation, and the typical pay of people who live there. Cash terms, not adjusted for inflation.

Chart step
This chart needs JavaScript. Each area's expected level is on its area page.
Expected level = −£567 + £3,670 × share aged 0 to 15 − £115 × share aged 66 and over − £170 × deprivation decile + £257 × ln(median pay) + £432 × Wales + £94 × Scotland. Fitted by ordinary least squares across 348 local authorities. R² = 0.85. Gold dots are above the expected level and grey dots are below it.

Every local authority

Spending on working-age benefits, compared with the expected level, 2024-25. Rank is for per person aged 16 to 64, and 1 is the highest. Areas with fewer than 1,000 people in the age group have no rank. The first 50 of 350 rows are shown.

Spending on working-age benefits, compared with the expected level for every local authority, 2024-25
RankNotes
1Enfield£1,197Estimated
2Blackpool£861Estimated
3Hartlepool£729Estimated
4Thanet£620Estimated
5Swansea£559Estimated
6Redcar and Cleveland£534Estimated
7Hackney£505Estimated
8Haringey£479Estimated
9Vale of Glamorgan£468Estimated
10Eastbourne£464Estimated
11Wirral£436Estimated
12Brent£431Estimated
13Barnet£423Estimated
14Wrexham£401Estimated
15Knowsley£376Estimated
16Bridgend£353Estimated
17Conwy£351Estimated
18New Forest£351Estimated
19Hastings£345Estimated
20South Tyneside£343Estimated
21Hertsmere£337Estimated
22Great Yarmouth£334Estimated
23North East Lincolnshire£330Estimated
24Middlesbrough£311Estimated
25Sefton£302Estimated
26Gedling£291Estimated
27Croydon£285Estimated
28Bromley£283Estimated
29Lewes£275Estimated
30Perth and Kinross£274Estimated, Includes Scottish benefits
31Liverpool£270Estimated
32North Somerset£268Estimated
33Havant£268Estimated
34Inverclyde£254Estimated, Includes Scottish benefits
35Broxbourne£248Estimated
36Wyre£245Estimated
37Torbay£243Estimated
38Angus£242Estimated, Includes Scottish benefits
39Denbighshire£237Estimated
40North Ayrshire£236Estimated, Includes Scottish benefits
41Flintshire£234Estimated
42St. Helens£222Estimated
43Aberdeen City£222Estimated, Includes Scottish benefits
44Halton£211Estimated
45Sutton£211Estimated
46Worthing£209Estimated
47Southend-on-Sea£208Estimated
48West Dunbartonshire£207Estimated, Includes Scottish benefits
49Kingston upon Thames£198Estimated
50Wealden£194Estimated

League table of every local authority for the latest period

Values are per person aged 16 to 64 unless a column says otherwise. Sources: Department for Work and Pensions, Social Security Scotland, Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Welsh Government, Scottish Government.

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