COUNCIL pothole compensation claims have spiked by 90% in three years.
Up to 53,015 claims were submitted to 177 local authorities in 2024, compared with 27,731 claims in 2021, according to analysis by the RAC.
Of the councils which provided data, Derbyshire County Council saw the biggest increase in claims over that period, from 224 to 3,307.
That was followed by Glasgow City Council, which saw its annual total more than double from 1,140 to 2,794.
Oxfordshire County Council was ranked third, with 488 claims in 2021 and 1,941 in 2024.
The RAC described the overall increase since 2021 as “concerning”, but noted that the 2024 total represented a 6% decline from 56,655 in 2023.
The study also indicated that just 26% of claims made last year resulted in payouts.
Payments averaged £390 whereas the RAC estimated a typical repair bill for a family car suffering pothole damage beyond a puncture is £590.
Common vehicle problems caused by potholes include damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs and distorted wheels.
Local authorities for Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Medway, Carmarthenshire and Telford all turned down 99% of claims received last year, based on the data shared with the RAC.
Some 177 out of 207 councils in Britain responded to Freedom of Information requests by the motoring services company.
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.
“And with some councils not responding to our request for data, there’s every chance that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the claims that have been settled.
“We’re now hopeful the dial will really begin to shift as highways authorities in England were this year given a record £1.6 billion by the Government for road maintenance.”
A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: “We’re investing £7.3 billion over the next four years to help councils resurface roads and fix the pothole plague, giving them certainty to plan ahead and deliver safer, smoother journeys.
“This will turn the tide on years of underinvestment in our road network, allowing local authorities to move away from expensive, short-term repairs and invest in proactive maintenance and prevent potholes from forming in the first place.”
How YOU can claim compensation if your vehicle has been damaged by a pothole
A POTHOLE is a road defect that can cause immediate risk or hazard to your car and usually needs to be at least 4cm deep.
If your car or van has been damaged by a pothole and you think the local authority is at fault you can claim compensation to help cover the cost of repairs.
But you need to prove that it was the road defect that actually caused damage to your car.
You can ask your mechanic to put this in writing for you, if this is the case.
If your vehicle already had a problem, and the pothole made it worse, you can still claim but will likely not get the full repair costs back.
Before you make your claim you should also gather evidence of the damage and the pothole.
This can be done by taking pictures of the incident and your damaged vehicle.
When you are ready to make a claim you should also ensure you are reporting it to the correct council.
You can check out Money Saving Expert’s full list of who’s in charge of what or you can contact the National Highways for help.
The relevant council or other authority should have a document that you can fill in.
How much you can recieve in compensation can vary depending on the damage caused.
If you make a claim and you think it was unfairly rejected you can you can get legal advice or make a case through the courts.
Meanwhile, if you have comprehensive car insurance, you can claim for pothole damage on your insurance.
But it’s worth considering the cost of the damage, your excess payments and if the claim will affect your no claims bonus.
This is a benefit that rewards careful drivers with a discount on their car insurance for each year they don’t make a claim, building up to a significant saving on premiums.
However if can be lost if you make a claim.
A Local Government Association spokesperson said councils have a statutory duty to maintain roads but “ever-increasing pressure on budgets has impacted their ability to do so as much as they’d like”.
He went on: “New funding for roads will help turn the tide on the gradual decline of local roads, but this will take time to shift from simply filling potholes reactively – which pothole compensation laws require – towards a more proactive, sustainable approach.”
Derbyshire County Council said the rate of compensation claims it has received since May 2025 has decreased by 72%, while Glasgow City Council said it has seen a “substantial reduction” this year compared with 2024.
Oxfordshire County Council said since April 2024 it has invested nearly £14.5 million in the “largest surface dressing programmes we have carried out for at least 20 years”.
Surface dressing is a preservation treatment aimed at avoiding potholes forming.
Medway Council said it rejects claims when “it is considered that a court would not award compensation”.
