Fuel and travel costs are pushing prices up again
Thursday 5 November 2026
Inflation has risen to 3.1%, meaning everyday spending is getting more expensive just as household budgets are already under pressure.
Claimant count
The number of people claiming specified benefits linked to looking for work.
What it means
The UK's Claimant Count uses benefit records rather than asking people about their job search in a survey. It includes people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance and certain Universal Credit claimants who are required to look for work under the benefit rules. It is not a count of everyone who is unemployed: some jobseekers do not claim, while some people counted may already have some work. Changes to benefit rules can also change who is included.
Example
One person loses their job and looks for another but does not claim a benefit. They can meet the unemployment definition without appearing in the Claimant Count. Another person might claim Universal Credit while working some hours and be required to look for more work.
Why it matters
A change in the Claimant Count is useful information, but it cannot be read as the same change in the number of unemployed people.
Related terms
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Economic inactivity rate
The share of people in a stated age group who are neither working nor classed as unemployed.
Read more -
Labour force participation rate
The share of people in a stated age group who are either working or classed as unemployed.
Read more -
Unemployment rate
The share of people in the labour force who have no job, are looking for one and are available to start.
Read more
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News
Highlights from about the UK economy, the UK government and the UK public sector.
Mortgage relief will have to wait a little longer
Wednesday 4 November 2026
Interest rates are staying at 3.75%, so households with mortgages and other borrowing may have to wait longer for costs to come down.
Energy bills are going up as winter approaches
Wednesday 4 November 2026
A higher energy price cap means many households will be paying more to heat and power their homes during the colder months.
Guides and insights
Analysis
Clear, accessible analysis of the economic issues shaping everyday life
Living standards
What does a day’s work buy?
Comparing the cost of everyday life across generations, from bread and beer to buying a home.
Food & prices
The journey behind your grocery bill
How farming, energy, transport and supermarket competition shape the price on the shelf.
Prices & inflation
Inflation is falling. What happens next?
What slower price rises mean for wages, purchasing power and economic recovery.
Shared prosperity
What would shared prosperity look like?
Beyond GDP: how we could measure economic success through security, opportunity and living standards.
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