Claimant rate: every council in North West
Oldham had the highest claimant rate of North West’s 35 councils in August 2026, at 6.5%.
Westmorland and Furness had the lowest, at 1.8%. The middle council, Sefton, had 3.8%.
| Rank | Council | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oldham | 6.5% |
| =2 | Manchester | 6.0% |
| =2 | Rochdale | 6.0% |
| 4 | Blackpool | 5.8% |
| 5 | Blackburn with Darwen | 5.7% |
| =6 | Burnley | 5.6% |
| =6 | Hyndburn | 5.6% |
| =6 | Pendle | 5.6% |
| 9 | Liverpool | 5.5% |
| 10 | Bolton | 5.3% |
| 11 | Salford | 5.1% |
| 12 | Tameside | 4.9% |
| 13 | Preston | 4.6% |
| 14 | Bury | 4.4% |
| =15 | Halton | 4.3% |
| =15 | Knowsley | 4.3% |
| 17 | Rossendale | 3.9% |
| 18 | Sefton | 3.8% |
| 19 | St. Helens | 3.7% |
| 20 | Wigan | 3.6% |
| 21 | Wirral | 3.5% |
| =22 | Stockport | 3.0% |
| =22 | Trafford | 3.0% |
| =22 | Wyre | 3.0% |
| 25 | Lancaster | 2.9% |
| 26 | West Lancashire | 2.8% |
| =27 | Fylde | 2.7% |
| =27 | Warrington | 2.7% |
| 29 | Cheshire West and Chester | 2.6% |
| =30 | Chorley | 2.5% |
| =30 | Cumberland | 2.5% |
| =30 | South Ribble | 2.5% |
| 33 | Cheshire East | 2.4% |
| =34 | Ribble Valley | 1.8% |
| =34 | Westmorland and Furness | 1.8% |