UK councils pay record pothole compensation as backlog grows
Reliability
Based on 3 sources
Publications (3)
Sources (3)Fact-Checking
25 claimsOpen Questions
5 questionsCouncils across Britain paid out nearly £20 million in pothole compensation last year (2024).
According to Daily Mail - NewsLocal authorities paid out a total of more than £11 million between 2022 and 2025, with £1.1 million in 2025.
According to Daily Mirror - MainContext: The Daily Mail reports a much higher annual payout (£20m) than the Daily Mirror's data suggests (which would be roughly £3-4m per year based on the total). This discrepancy may be due to different data sources or time periods (e.g., Daily Mail may include all payouts including insurance, while Daily Mirror focuses on council payouts only).
Successful claimants received £242 on average.
According to Daily Mirror - MainPayouts in Manchester averaged £14,000; in Kent and Surrey, £690 on average.
According to Daily Mail - NewsContext: The Daily Mirror's average of £242 is much lower than the Daily Mail's regional averages, suggesting that the Daily Mirror's figure may be a national average across all claims, while the Daily Mail's figures are for specific high- and low-paying areas. This highlights the postcode lottery.
There's a record £18 billion pothole repair backlog (MSE).
According to Daily Express - FinanceThe cost of repairing all potholes in England and Wales has soared to nearly £18.6 billion (Asphalt Industry Alliance).
According to Daily Mail - NewsContext: The figures are very close (£18bn vs £18.6bn) but not identical. This may be due to rounding or different geographic coverage (UK vs England and Wales).