Basildon's claimant count rose 40 in September to 4,610, still the most in Essex. August was revised down to 4,570. St Martin's ward is on 6.3 per cent.
The number of people in Basildon borough claiming benefits principally because they are out of work rose to 4,610 in September. That is up 40 on August and up 95 on September last year.
It is 3.8 per cent of residents aged 16 to 64, and it is still the largest claimant count of any district in Essex. The Office for National Statistics published the figures at 7am on Tuesday 20 October (ONS claimant count via nomis).
August has been revised down by 70
Last month we reported that the count rose by 95 in August to 4,640. That was the figure the ONS published on 15 September. In this month’s release the ONS has revised August to 4,570, so the August rise was 25, not 95. The rate for August moves from 3.9 to 3.8 per cent.
Revisions like this are normal. The ONS updates earlier months each time it publishes, as late claims are processed. It is why a single month’s movement is a weak signal, and why the year-on-year comparison is the steadier one to watch.
On that measure the borough is up 95 on September 2025, when the count was 4,515. The last year has been flat rather than rising sharply:
- September 2025: 4,515
- December 2025: 4,410, the lowest point of the year
- March 2026: 4,610
- June 2026: 4,560
- September 2026: 4,610
The ward gap: St Martin’s on 6.3 per cent, Billericay East on 1.6
The borough figure hides how unevenly claims are spread. St Martin’s, which covers the town centre, is on 6.3 per cent. Billericay East is on 1.6 per cent, the lowest of the 14 wards.
| Ward | Claimants | Share of 16 to 64s | Change on August | Change since January |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Martin's | 605 | 6.3% | 0 | +30 |
| Lee Chapel North | 570 | 5.6% | +10 | +30 |
| Pitsea North West | 450 | 5.5% | +10 | +5 |
| Nethermayne | 560 | 5.3% | +10 | +45 |
| Pitsea South East | 435 | 5.1% | -5 | +5 |
| Fryerns | 460 | 4.7% | +25 | -5 |
| Laindon Park | 370 | 4.3% | 0 | +15 |
| Wickford Park | 230 | 2.9% | +5 | +5 |
| Langdon Hills | 210 | 2.3% | -10 | +30 |
| Castledon and Crouch | 150 | 2.1% | +10 | +25 |
| Wickford North | 170 | 2.1% | +5 | +15 |
| Billericay West | 140 | 2.0% | 0 | +10 |
| Burstead | 150 | 1.8% | +5 | -10 |
| Billericay East | 120 | 1.6% | -10 | +5 |
The “change on August” column uses the revised August ward figures, not the ones we printed last month. Every figure is rounded to the nearest five, which is why the wards add up to 4,620 rather than 4,610.
Fryerns had the biggest rise of the month, up 25 to 460. Nethermayne has risen most since January, up 45 to 560. The seven wards above the borough average are all in the new town. The seven below it are Billericay, Wickford, Burstead, Langdon Hills and Castledon and Crouch.
Most claimants in Essex, third highest rate
Basildon has more people on the claimant count than any of the other 11 Essex districts. Colchester is next with 4,010 and Tendring third with 3,455 (ONS claimant count by Essex district).
On the rate, Basildon is third. Harlow is on 4.6 per cent and Tendring on 4.0, then Basildon on 3.8. Uttlesford is lowest on 2.1 per cent, with Rochford on 2.3 and neighbouring Brentwood on 2.5 (ONS claimant rate by Essex district).
For context:
| Area | Rate, September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Basildon borough | 3.8% |
| Essex | 3.1% |
| East of England | 3.3% |
| England | 4.1% |
| United Kingdom | 3.9% |
Basildon sits just below the national rate, and well above its own county.
The yearly rise is among the under 25s and over 50s
Set September 2026 against September 2025, by age:
- Aged 16 to 24: 1,040, up from 960. An increase of 80.
- Aged 25 to 49: 2,595, down from 2,620. A fall of 25.
- Aged 50 and over: 970, up from 930. An increase of 40.
Under 25s now make up nearly 23 per cent of everyone on the count in the borough. The ONS does not publish a rate for single age bands at district level, so these are counts, not percentages (ONS claimant count by age, Basildon).
By sex, 2,450 of September’s claimants were men and 2,160 were women.
What it means for you
- Look at the ward figure, not the borough one. In St Martin’s about one working-age resident in 16 is on the count. In Billericay East it is about one in 60.
- Treat a single month with care. August’s rise of 95 became 25 once late claims were counted. September’s figure may move again when October’s is published next month.
- This is not the unemployment rate. See below.
- Basildon Council runs its employment, training and skills help through Pathways.
What the claimant count measures
The ONS says the claimant count “is a measure of the number of people claiming benefits principally for the reason of being unemployed, based on administrative data from the benefits system”. It “does not attempt to measure unemployment”, which is defined separately by the International Labour Organisation (ONS, Claimant Count Quality and Methodology Information).
Since November 2016 it has also included people on Universal Credit who must look for work as a condition of their claim. Some of them already work part time on very low earnings. So the 4,610 is not 4,610 people with no job at all.
Sources
- ONS claimant count, Basildon borough, 26-month series, table NM_162_1 on nomis, including the revised August figure.
- ONS claimant count rate, Basildon borough.
- ONS claimant count by Basildon ward, wards as of May 2025.
- ONS claimant rate for Essex, the East of England, England and the UK.
- nomis dataset overview for NM_162_1, which records the data as last updated at 07:00 on 20 October 2026.
Related
- Basildon claimant count, August 2026: last month’s figures, before revision.
- Basildon house prices: what homes in the borough sell for, by type and area.
- Basildon council tax bands: what each band costs this year.
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