3,665 Warrington residents claimed out-of-work benefits in September, the most since June 2022. Under-25 claimants hit 875, the highest in five years.
3,665 people in Warrington borough were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September. That is the highest count since June 2022, when it stood at 3,700.
Young people account for much of the rise. 875 claimants were aged 16 to 24, the most since September 2021.
The figures come from the ONS claimant count, published through nomis on 20 October. It counts people claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance mainly because they are out of work.
- 3,665 claimants in September, up 65 on August and up 255 on September 2025
- a rise of 7.5% in a year, against 4.1% across the North West and 2.6% in England
- 2.8% of residents aged 16 to 64, against 4.2% in the North West and 4.1% in England
- 875 claimants aged 16 to 24, up 125 on a year ago
August was revised down
Last month we reported an August count of 3,655. This release revises it to 3,600, and the under-25 figure from 865 to 850. The ONS allows the Universal Credit part of the count to be revised for one previous month, and August’s was.
The revision changes the shape of the year. August was in fact 5 lower than July, so the run of monthly rises we described ended in August. September’s 3,665 is now the highest figure since June 2022, which our August headline can no longer claim. We have added a correction to that story.
Under-25s: the highest in five years
The under-25 count has risen every September since 2022. This year’s rise was the biggest.
| September | Aged 16 to 24 | All ages |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 915 | 5,090 |
| 2022 | 600 | 3,500 |
| 2023 | 610 | 3,225 |
| 2024 | 645 | 3,590 |
| 2025 | 750 | 3,410 |
| 2026 | 875 | 3,665 |
Warrington’s under-25 count is up 16.7% on a year ago. Across the North West it is up 11.1%, from 40,305 to 44,785. In England it is up 10.3%.
Some of the autumn rise is seasonal. School and college leavers enter the count for the first time in late summer, and the under-25 figure has gone up between August and September in each of the last four years, by between 20 and 45. This year it rose by 25, so September itself was ordinary. The difference is the level it started from.
The ONS quality report says people in full-time education are not generally eligible for unemployment benefits, which particularly affects 18 to 21 year olds. So these 875 are mostly young people who have left education.
Older age groups rose too, but less sharply:
- 25 to 49: 2,030, up 90 on a year ago (4.6%)
- 50 and over: 760, up 40 (5.6%)
Low rate, fast rise
Warrington’s rate of 2.8% is still low for the North West. Eight of the 35 areas in the region are lower, and West Lancashire is level. Westmorland and Furness and Ribble Valley are lowest at 1.8%. Oldham is highest at 6.6%.
Among the neighbours:
| Area | Rate, September 2026 | Change on a year |
|---|---|---|
| Cheshire East | 2.4% | +10.2% |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 2.7% | +7.0% |
| Warrington | 2.8% | +7.5% |
| Trafford | 3.1% | +5.0% |
| Wigan | 3.6% | +3.5% |
| St Helens | 3.7% | +0.6% |
| Halton | 4.3% | +3.4% |
Warrington’s 7.5% rise is the sixth largest of the 35 North West areas. Ribble Valley (15.6%), Wyre (12.9%), Cheshire East (10.2%), Salford (8.4%) and South Ribble (7.9%) rose faster. Pendle was the only area in the region where the count fell.
What this figure is, and what it is not
The claimant count is not the unemployment rate. The ONS says it “does not attempt to measure unemployment”. It counts people claiming benefits mainly because they are unemployed. Under Universal Credit that includes some people in low-paid work who are still required to look for more.
Local figures are rounded to the nearest five. The most recent month in each release can be revised once, as August’s was this time. We will say so here if September’s figure moves when the October count is published next month.
What it means for you
If you are out of work, or working and still short of money, there is local help before things reach a crisis.
- The council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund can make crisis payments and housing payments. We have written about who runs it and what you can apply for.
- Citizens Advice Warrington runs a drop-in at The Gateway, 89 Sankey Street, listed on its own website.
- The council is consulting until 19 November on a new Council Tax Support scheme from April 2027, which changes how much help households on low incomes get.
Our Warrington council tax bands page sets out what each band costs.
Sources: ONS claimant count, September 2026 release, via nomis (dataset NM_162_1: Warrington E06000007, North West E12000002, England E92000001, and the 35 North West local authorities); ONS Claimant Count Quality and Methodology Information.
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