2,215 people in Reigate & Banstead claimed in August, the most since February 2022. Claims are up 11% in a year, with over-50s up 24% and under-25s up 23%.

The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Reigate & Banstead rose to 2,215 in August 2026. That is the highest monthly figure since February 2022, when the borough was still coming down from the pandemic peak.

It is 2.2% of residents aged 16 to 64. A year earlier, in August 2025, the count was 1,995. That is 220 more people, a rise of 11.0%.

The figures come from the ONS claimant count, published through Nomis on 15 September.

Bar chart of the Reigate and Banstead claimant count each month from August 2024 to August 2026. It dips to 1,955 in November 2025, climbs to 2,185 in April 2026, eases to 2,150 in July and jumps to 2,215 in August 2026.

A flat summer, then a jump

Through the spring and summer the count sat in a narrow band. It peaked at 2,185 in April, then eased to 2,150 by July.

August broke that pattern. The count rose by 65 in a single month, and all of the rise came from people under 50:

  • Aged 16 to 24: 400 to 435, up 35
  • Aged 25 to 49: 1,175 to 1,220, up 45
  • Aged 50 and over: 570 to 565, down 5

One month is not a trend, and the local series moves around. But this is the first time since the spring that the borough has set a new high.

Over the year, it is still the over-50s

Over twelve months the picture is the one we reported for July: the growth sits at both ends of the working-age range.

Age band August 2025 August 2026 Change
16 to 24 355 435 +80, up 22.5%
25 to 49 1,190 1,220 +30, up 2.5%
50 and over 455 565 +110, up 24.2%

Compare the same age groups across Surrey and the UK:

Age band Reigate & Banstead Surrey United Kingdom
16 to 24 up 22.5% up 19.8% up 10.0%
25 to 49 up 2.5% up 1.0% down 1.0%
50 and over up 24.2% up 13.3% up 3.6%

The under-25 rise is close to Surrey’s. The over-50 rise is not. Claims among the borough’s over-50s have grown almost twice as fast as the county’s, and nearly seven times as fast as the UK’s.

The data cannot tell us why. The claimant count records how many people claim, not which employer they left.

How the borough compares in Surrey

Across all ages, Reigate & Banstead’s 11.0% rise over the year is the third fastest of Surrey’s eleven districts. Only Waverley (up 13.8%) and Runnymede (up 11.2%) rose faster. Surrey as a whole rose 7.2% and the UK 2.1%.

The rate is still below the county’s. Four Surrey districts have a lower rate.

Area Claimants, August 2026 Rate, 16 to 64 Change in a year
Spelthorne 2,400 3.6% up 6.2%
Woking 1,810 2.7% up 7.4%
Runnymede 1,540 2.6% up 11.2%
Elmbridge 2,110 2.5% up 6.6%
Tandridge 1,375 2.5% up 3.4%
Surrey Heath 1,345 2.3% up 5.9%
Reigate and Banstead 2,215 2.2% up 11.0%
Epsom and Ewell 1,080 2.1% up 3.3%
Guildford 1,965 2.0% up 6.2%
Waverley 1,570 2.0% up 13.8%
Mole Valley 985 1.9% up 2.6%

For context, the rate is 2.4% across Surrey, 3.1% across the South East and 3.9% across the UK.

A correction to our July figures

When we reported July on 20 August, the published count was 2,180. The ONS has since revised July down to 2,150. The age bands moved too: under-25s from 410 to 400 and 25 to 49 year olds from 1,200 to 1,175. The over-50s figure of 570 was unchanged.

Revisions like this are routine in this series. They do not change the story of the year, but they do mean August’s jump is larger than it would look against the figure we first printed.

What it means for you

If you are over 50 and out of work, you are in the group that has grown fastest here over the year. The government’s free Midlife MOT is designed for people in their 50s and 60s reviewing work, skills and money.

If you are under 25, claims in your age group rose by 35 in August alone, and by 22.5% over the year. Our local jobs board carries vacancies placed by employers in the borough.

If you claim Universal Credit and are looking for more work, you may be counted here even if you have a job. The ONS says the measure counts “the number of people claiming benefits principally for the reason of being unemployed”. It also says plainly that it “does not attempt to measure unemployment”. Some Universal Credit claimants on low earnings are required to look for more work, and they are included.

Borough figures are rounded to the nearest five, so age bands may not add up exactly to the total. The September figures are due next month.

Sources