1,400 Wandsworth residents aged 16 to 24 claimed jobless benefits in September, the most since 2021. The total rose 270 in a month to 10,150, or 4.0%.
1,400 Wandsworth residents aged 16 to 24 were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026. That is the highest figure for the age group since September 2021, when the count was still falling after the pandemic.
The Office for National Statistics published the figures on 21 October. Across all ages, the borough’s claimant count rose by 270 in a month, to 10,150. That is 4.0% of residents aged 16 to 64.
The total is still 125 lower than a year ago. Young people are the exception: their count is 75 higher than in September 2025, a rise of 5.7%.
Young claimants: up three months running
The 16 to 24 count bottomed out at 1,270 in January 2026. It has risen in each of the last three months:
- July: 1,320
- August: 1,360
- September: 1,400
The rise is not only a Wandsworth story. Across London, claimants aged 16 to 24 went up from 51,790 to 54,385 over the same year, a rise of 5.0%.
A London-wide jump in September
September’s rise of 270 is the borough’s largest monthly increase since February 2025. It came in a month when the count rose almost everywhere:
| Area | August 2026 | September 2026 | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wandsworth | 9,880 | 10,150 | 4.0% |
| London | 340,095 | 350,280 | 5.6% |
| England | 1,459,205 | 1,493,875 | 4.1% |
Wandsworth’s rate stays well below London’s and close to England’s. Among the neighbours, Richmond upon Thames is at 2.6%, Kensington and Chelsea 3.4%, Merton 4.6%, Hammersmith and Fulham 4.8% and Lambeth 6.2%.
Ward by ward
The borough figure hides a wide spread. Roehampton has the highest rate, 8.3%, with 1,115 claimants. Northcote has the lowest, 1.4%, with 115.
Seven wards are above 5%:
| Ward | Claimants | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Roehampton | 1,115 | 8.3% |
| Furzedown | 765 | 5.9% |
| Falconbrook | 565 | 5.9% |
| Shaftesbury and Queenstown | 670 | 5.7% |
| West Hill | 655 | 5.5% |
| Tooting Broadway | 745 | 5.3% |
| Battersea Park | 745 | 5.1% |
Furzedown saw the biggest monthly rise, 40 more claimants than in August. Balham added 30, and Tooting Broadway and Battersea Park 25 each. After Northcote, the lowest rates are in Southfields (2.0%) and Nine Elms (2.1%).
The ward figures add up to 10,155, five more than the borough total. That is because ONS rounds every figure to the nearest five.
What the number is, and is not
The claimant count is not the unemployment rate. It counts people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, plus people on Universal Credit who must look for work as a condition of their claim. That means some people in low-paid work are included. Some unemployed people who do not claim are left out.
The rate is the count divided by all residents aged 16 to 64, not just those in the labour market. ONS explains the measure in its claimant count methodology.
What it means for you
If you are young and out of work, you are part of a group that has grown for three months running, in Wandsworth and across London. The figures do not say why. October’s release will show whether the rise is continuing.
If you claim Universal Credit and use Access for All, the council is closing the scheme on 31 December, and most Universal Credit members will not qualify for its replacement. What changes and when.
If you get help with council tax, the council plans to consult on changes to its Council Tax Reduction Scheme from April 2027. What is proposed.
The next figures, for October, are due from ONS in November. For the borough’s housing costs, see this month’s house prices and rents.
Sources
- ONS Claimant Count via Nomis, published 21 October 2026: Wandsworth, London and England by month
- ONS Claimant Count via Nomis: Wandsworth and London claimants aged 16 to 24
- ONS Claimant Count via Nomis: Wandsworth wards, September 2026
- ONS Claimant Count via Nomis: neighbouring boroughs, September 2026
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