5,150 people in Central Bedfordshire claimed unemployment benefits in September, the most since November 2021. Under-25 claims rose 12% in a year.
The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Central Bedfordshire has reached its highest level for almost five years.
There were 5,150 claimants in September 2026, according to figures the Office for National Statistics released on Tuesday. That is the most since November 2021, when the count was 5,160 and still falling after the pandemic. (ONS claimant count, via Nomis)
The rise is small in percentage terms. The count is up 70 on August and 145 on September 2025. Claimants still make up 2.6% of residents aged 16 to 64, the same rate as every month since March.
The figures
- September 2026: 5,150 claimants, 2.6% of 16 to 64-year-olds
- August 2026: 5,080
- September 2025: 5,005
- Low point of the last year: 4,890, in December 2025
Under-25s and over-50s account for the rise
The year’s increase is not spread evenly by age.
| Age | September 2025 | September 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 24 | 975 | 1,090 | +115 |
| 25 to 49 | 2,865 | 2,830 | -35 |
| 50 and over | 1,165 | 1,230 | +65 |
Claims by people aged 25 to 49 fell slightly. The whole of the rise came from the youngest and oldest groups. Claims by under-25s rose by 12% in a year. (ONS claimant count by age, via Nomis)
Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable
The ONS also publishes the count for each parliamentary constituency. The Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard seat had 2,430 claimants in September, 3.3% of its residents aged 16 to 64. That is up 60 on August and 115 on a year earlier. The rate is higher than the district’s 2.6%.
Nearly half of Central Bedfordshire’s claimants live in this one constituency. The figures do not separate Leighton Buzzard from Dunstable and Houghton Regis. (ONS claimant count, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, via Nomis)
Still one of the lowest rates in the region
Central Bedfordshire’s 2.6% is the second-lowest of the 11 county and unitary areas in the East of England. Only Cambridgeshire, at 2.4%, is lower.
| Area | Claimants as % of 16 to 64s, September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Cambridgeshire | 2.4% |
| Central Bedfordshire | 2.6% |
| Suffolk | 2.9% |
| Hertfordshire | 3.0% |
| Bedford | 4.5% |
| Luton | 6.6% |
| East of England | 3.3% |
| England | 4.1% |
(ONS claimant count, East of England areas, via Nomis)
What the claimant count measures
The claimant count is not the unemployment rate. It counts people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, or Universal Credit with a requirement to look for work. Because of how Universal Credit works, it also includes some people who are in work on low earnings and must look for more hours.
The ONS labels local authority claimant figures as official statistics in development. All counts are rounded to the nearest five, and the most recent month can be revised when the next figures come out.
What it means for you
- If you are out of work or on low hours, you may be able to claim Universal Credit. The government’s benefits calculator page lists free, independent calculators that show what you could get.
- If you are under 25, your age group saw the sharpest rise in claims this year. A work coach at your Jobcentre is the first stop for training and work placements.
- If you are hiring, more people in the district are claiming work-related benefits than at any point since 2021.
For the rest of the local economy, see our pages on Leighton Buzzard house prices and council tax bands.
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