Unemployment benefit claims in Reigate & Banstead hit 2,190 in June, the highest in over a year

2,190 people in Reigate & Banstead were claiming unemployment-related benefits in June, according to the Office for National Statistics claimant count, the highest monthly figure for the borough in at least 13 months. That is 2.2 per cent of residents aged 16 to 64, and 165 more people than in June 2025, a rise of about 8 per cent in a year. (ONS claimant count, published via Nomis)

The claimant count records people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance plus those on Universal Credit who are required to look for work. It is not the full unemployment measure, but it is the only jobs figure published every month at borough level, which makes it the best regular signal of how the local labour market is moving.

The trend: falling until November, rising since

The borough’s count fell through the second half of 2025, from 2,025 in June 2025 down to a low of 1,955 in November. It has climbed almost every month since: the monthly figures from June 2025 to June 2026 run 2,025; 1,960; 1,995; 1,995; 1,990; 1,955; 2,035; 2,050; 2,130; 2,165; 2,185; 2,180; and 2,190. That is 235 more claimants since the November low, a rise of 12 per cent in seven months. (Nomis, claimant count for Reigate and Banstead, retrieved 6 August 2026)

The pattern matches the national direction of travel, but the level here remains well below average. Reigate & Banstead’s 2.2 per cent claimant rate in June compares with 3.1 per cent across the South East and 3.9 per cent for the United Kingdom as a whole, on the same ONS measure.

What it means for you

If you have lost work or your hours have been cut, the main route into support is Universal Credit, claimed online, with the searching-for-work requirements agreed at the Jobcentre. Low-income households can also apply for Council Tax Reduction, which cuts the bill rather than paying cash and is administered by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council; our guide to council tax bands in Reigate & Banstead explains how the underlying bill is set.

For employers, a slowly rising claimant count locally still means a tight hiring market by national standards: fewer than one in 40 working-age residents is claiming, against nearly one in 25 nationally.

The July figures are due from the ONS in mid-August; we will report them, and whether the seven-month rise continues, when they are published.