# Claimant rate: highest and lowest councils in East of England (August 2026) Luton had the highest claimant rate of East of England’s 45 councils in August 2026, at 6.6%. 4 councils had the joint lowest, at 2.0%. The middle council, Braintree, had 2.7%. | Rank | Area | Claimant rate | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [Luton](https://openindex.co.uk/luton) | 6.6% | | 2 | [Peterborough](https://openindex.co.uk/peterborough) | 5.4% | | 3 | [Great Yarmouth](https://openindex.co.uk/great-yarmouth) | 4.8% | | =4 | [Harlow](https://openindex.co.uk/harlow) | 4.6% | | =4 | [Watford](https://openindex.co.uk/watford) | 4.6% | | =6 | [Bedford](https://openindex.co.uk/bedford) | 4.5% | | =6 | [Ipswich](https://openindex.co.uk/ipswich) | 4.5% | | 8 | [Thurrock](https://openindex.co.uk/thurrock) | 4.3% | | 9 | [Southend-on-Sea](https://openindex.co.uk/southend-on-sea) | 4.2% | | =10 | [Norwich](https://openindex.co.uk/norwich) | 4.1% | | =10 | [Tendring](https://openindex.co.uk/tendring) | 4.1% | | =12 | [Basildon](https://openindex.co.uk/basildon) | 3.9% | | =12 | [Fenland](https://openindex.co.uk/fenland) | 3.9% | | =14 | [Hertsmere](https://openindex.co.uk/hertsmere) | 3.6% | | =14 | [Stevenage](https://openindex.co.uk/stevenage) | 3.6% | | 16 | [Broxbourne](https://openindex.co.uk/broxbourne) | 3.3% | | =17 | [Colchester](https://openindex.co.uk/colchester) | 3.2% | | =17 | [Dacorum](https://openindex.co.uk/dacorum) | 3.2% | | =17 | [Epping Forest](https://openindex.co.uk/epping-forest) | 3.2% | | =17 | [Welwyn Hatfield](https://openindex.co.uk/welwyn-hatfield) | 3.2% | | 21 | [King's Lynn and West Norfolk](https://openindex.co.uk/kings-lynn-and-west-norfolk) | 3.0% | | 22 | [East Suffolk](https://openindex.co.uk/east-suffolk) | 2.8% | | =23 | [Braintree](https://openindex.co.uk/braintree) | 2.7% | | =23 | [Chelmsford](https://openindex.co.uk/chelmsford) | 2.7% | | =23 | [North Norfolk](https://openindex.co.uk/north-norfolk) | 2.7% | | =23 | [Three Rivers](https://openindex.co.uk/three-rivers) | 2.7% | | =27 | [Breckland](https://openindex.co.uk/breckland) | 2.6% | | =27 | [Castle Point](https://openindex.co.uk/castle-point) | 2.6% | | =27 | [Central Bedfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/central-bedfordshire) | 2.6% | | =27 | [Maldon](https://openindex.co.uk/maldon) | 2.6% | | =31 | [Brentwood](https://openindex.co.uk/brentwood) | 2.5% | | =31 | [West Suffolk](https://openindex.co.uk/west-suffolk) | 2.5% | | =33 | [Babergh](https://openindex.co.uk/babergh) | 2.4% | | =33 | [North Hertfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/north-hertfordshire) | 2.4% | | =33 | [St Albans](https://openindex.co.uk/st-albans) | 2.4% | | =36 | [Huntingdonshire](https://openindex.co.uk/huntingdonshire) | 2.3% | | =36 | [Rochford](https://openindex.co.uk/rochford) | 2.3% | | =36 | [South Norfolk](https://openindex.co.uk/south-norfolk) | 2.3% | | 39 | [East Cambridgeshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-cambridgeshire) | 2.2% | | =40 | [Broadland](https://openindex.co.uk/broadland) | 2.1% | | =40 | [Mid Suffolk](https://openindex.co.uk/mid-suffolk) | 2.1% | | =42 | [Cambridge](https://openindex.co.uk/cambridge) | 2.0% | | =42 | [East Hertfordshire](https://openindex.co.uk/east-hertfordshire) | 2.0% | | =42 | [South Cambridgeshire](https://openindex.co.uk/south-cambridgeshire) | 2.0% | | =42 | [Uttlesford](https://openindex.co.uk/uttlesford) | 2.0% | Source: Claimant count (Nomis), ONS via Nomis. Period: August 2026. Period: August 2026. ## Other rankings of this measure - [UK](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/uk) - [England](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/england) - [Northern Ireland](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/northern-ireland) - [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/scotland) - [Wales](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/wales) - [North East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/north-east) - [North West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/north-west) - [Yorkshire and The Humber](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/yorkshire-and-the-humber) - [East Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/east-midlands) - [West Midlands](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/west-midlands) - [London](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/london) - [South East](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/south-east) - [South West](https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/south-west) - [The map](https://openindex.co.uk/map/claimant-rate) - [Source and method](https://openindex.co.uk/sources/claimant-rate) ## How to cite Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/east-of-england. Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it. Snapshot 2026.10.11. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/rankings/claimant-rate/east-of-england