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The Norfolk town where the benefits bill is growing 10 times quicker than wages

17 0
19.10.2026

Welfare spending in Great Yarmouth rose by 17.4pc in two years, while average wages crept up by just 1.8pc.

The town's annual benefits bill stood at £293.5m between 2025-2026, equivalent to £2,920 for every resident, the highest in Norfolk.

The figures, from the TaxPayers' Alliance, also reveal that one in 10 working-age adults in the borough has been assessed as unfit for work, the highest rate in the county.

It comes after it was also revealed that nearly one in three working-age adults in Yarmouth are claiming Universal Credit, while almost one in 20 of the town’s 16 and 17-year-olds receive disability benefits for ADHD or autism.

The soaring benefits bill has caused experts and politicians to warn that Yarmouth risks being "left behind" amid fears that many are choosing benefits over employment.

The figures - which are broken down by........

© Eastern Daily Press