NEW YORK, December 29, 2025, 07:18 ET
- Pothole compensation claims to 177 British local authorities rose to 53,015 in 2024 from 27,731 in 2021, the RAC said.
- Only 26% of claims were paid last year, with average compensation of £390, according to the RAC’s analysis.
- Britain’s transport ministry said it will invest £7.3 billion over four years to help councils resurface roads and tackle potholes.
Pothole compensation claims made to councils in Britain jumped 91% over three years, as motorists sought reimbursement for damage blamed on deteriorating road surfaces, the RAC said on Monday.
The figures land as the government presses local authorities to move from short-term patching to longer-term maintenance, after announcing multi-year funding settlements for councils, the motoring organisation said.
The RAC data also shows how slim the odds are for drivers trying to recover repair costs, with councils rejecting the vast majority of claims even as the number filed has climbed.
A pothole compensation claim is a request by a motorist to a local authority for repayment of costs after a vehicle is damaged by a road defect.
The RAC said it analysed responses to Freedom of Information requests sent to 207 councils across England, Scotland and Wales, covering 246,510 miles of local roads. Of those, 177 provided data used in the three-year comparison.
Claims rose to 53,015 in 2024 from 27,731 in 2021, the RAC said.
Derbyshire County Council recorded the sharpest rise, with claims increasing to 3,307 in 2024 from 224 in 2021, the RAC said. Glasgow City Council was second, and Oxfordshire County Council third, with Oxfordshire claims jumping to 1,941 from 488.
Even with the three-year surge, the total fell 6% from 56,655 claims in 2023, the RAC said.
Only 13,832 claims — 26% of those filed — resulted in a payout in 2024 across 173 councils, the RAC said. Average compensation was £390, below the group’s estimate of a typical £590 repair bill for pothole damage more serious than a puncture.
“The massive rise shows the huge task of returning the roads to a respectable standard,” said Simon Williams, the RAC’s head of policy. RAC Media Centre+1
The RAC said 97% of councils that shared data refused more than nine in 10 claims in 2024. Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Medway, Carmarthenshire and Telford all turned down 99% of claims received last year, it said.
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said the government was investing £7.3 billion over the next four years to help councils resurface roads and fix potholes, giving them certainty to plan ahead.
The Local Government Association said councils had a statutory duty to maintain roads but rising budget pressure had limited their ability to do so as much as they would like.
Some councils said claims were already easing. Derbyshire said the rate of compensation claims it has received since May 2025 has fallen 72%, while Glasgow said it has seen a “substantial reduction” this year compared with 2024. STV News
Oxfordshire said it has invested nearly £14.5 million in surface dressing since April 2024, describing it as its largest programme in at least 20 years. Surface dressing is a preservation treatment aimed at avoiding potholes forming.
The RAC said earlier this year 39% of drivers surveyed would struggle to pay an unexpected repair bill of up to £500, underscoring the pressure that pothole-related damage can put on household budgets.
