Pothole compensation claims submitted to 177 local authorities have jumped by 91% in just three years – soaring from 27,731 in 2021 to 53,015 in 2024, new data analysed by the RAC reveals.*
A Freedom of Information request to 207 councils across England, Scotland and Wales representing nearly a quarter of a million (246,510) miles of local roads – showed that of the 177 that responded, Derbyshire County Council reported the sharpest rise in claims, increasing from 224 in 2021 to 3,307 (up 3,083) in 2024.** Glasgow City Council took second place, where claims more than doubled from 1,140 in 2021 to 2,794 in 2024 (up 1,654), with Oxfordshire County Council third with claims jumping from 488 in 2021 to 1,941 in 2024 (up 1,453).
While the comparison to 2021 is concerning, the number of claims has thankfully come down slightly year-on-year. The local authorities that responded to the RAC’s request for data received a total of 56,655 claims in 2023, meaning compensation requests have dropped by six per cent to 2024’s number (53,015).
Only a quarter of claims settled in the space of a year
Although the data indicates a substantial increase in claims over a three-year period, 173 councils settled only a quarter (26%) in 2024, paying 13,832 of the 53,015 submitted by drivers.*** The RAC estimates this amounts to around £3,564,824 being paid out by councils in just a single year, at an average of £390 per claim. But this is less than the £590 average repair bill drivers of family cars can expect if their vehicle suffers any damage more serious than a puncture after hitting a pothole.****
Of all the councils that paid out to drivers in 2024, Merton Borough Council paid the highest average sum per claim – £2,267 for each of the five claims it paid, leading to an estimated total of £11,335 paid to drivers in claims.***** Meanwhile it’s estimated that Derbyshire paid out the highest amount of total compensation – based on an average of £257 for each of the 2,355 claims it paid out, the council is thought to have spent around £605,235 compensating drivers for pothole-related vehicle damage in 2024.
In Scotland, the authority that paid the most per claim was Glasgow with an average of £253 paid for each of the 611 claims it paid, leading to an estimated £154,724 paid out to drivers in total. In Wales, Wrexham paid the most at £2,026 for each of its 38 claims, amounting to an estimated £76,991 in total.
Earlier this year, almost four-in-10 drivers (39%) surveyed by the RAC said they’d struggle to pay an unexpected repair bill of up to £500 – less than the cost of repairing a vehicle due to pothole damage.******
45% of councils refused more than nine-in-10 pothole claims in 2024
Across England, Scotland and Wales, the data suggests drivers have a slim chance of making a successful claim for pothole compensation. Of the 172 councils that shared data for the pothole compensation claims they paid in 2024, 45% (77) refused more than nine-in-10 (90%) of the claims they received.
Based on the FOI data shared with the RAC, Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Medway and Carmarthenshire and Telford all turned down 99% of claims received in 2024, equating to 534; 146; 142, 113 and 76 requests refused.
Bridgend was the only council to pay out 100% of a much smaller number of compensation claims last year at 52 claims.
Claims per mile of road
When it comes to the number of claims per mile of road, Glasgow City received 2,794 last year – more than double the size of its 1,203-mile network.
Four local authorities – Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Edinburgh and Bury Metropolitan –received the equivalent of one pothole claim for every single mile of their road network.
Meanwhile Surrey – which topped the list for the highest number of claims per mile in 2023 – had a pothole claim for every two miles of its 3,415-mile network, at 1,513 claims in total.
RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:
“The massive three-year rise in pothole compensation claims made by drivers shows what a huge task it is returning the roads to a respectable standard. But it’s far from an even picture across the country, with just a handful of councils receiving the lion’s share of claims from beleaguered motorists.
“Drivers are still suffering the consequences of years of neglect to Britain’s local road network. But even if you submit a compensation claim the odds aren’t good, with around 40,000 requests for reimbursement turned down in 2024 alone.
“And with some councils not responding to our request for data, there’s every chance that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the claims that have been settled. But positively, councils received slightly fewer pothole compensation claims in 2024 than they did they year before.
“We’re now hopeful the dial will really begin to shift as highways authorities in England were this year given a record £1.6bn by the Government for road maintenance. And for the first time they’ve been required to show how much vital preventative maintenance they’ll be carrying out to stop potholes forming in the first place.
“On top of this, the Government has now announced multi-year settlements which will give councils the certainty they need to plan and deliver better maintenance programmes. This can only be a good thing.
“So, while the figures we’ve analysed are a cause for concern, we hope pothole compensation claims will begin to decline as local authorities increase the amount of preventative surface dressing work on their roads.”
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