Potholes Claims Rise by 90% in Three Years

Pothole compensation claims submitted to local authorities have climbed 91% in three years.

The steep jump is based on analysis from the RAC, which indicated that 177 local authorities received 53,015 claims in 2024, up from 27,731 in 2021.

Of those councils that responded to the freedom of information request, 97% refused more than nine-in-10 of the claims they received, with 173 councils settling just 26% of claims within a year.

Speaking about the findings, 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.

“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.”

A positive trend from the results showed the number of claims coming down slightly year-on-year from 2023 to 2024, a six percent drop demonstrating hope for the future for motorists.

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