Birmingham, Leeds and Sheffield have the highest combined numbers of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims among 16 and 17-year-olds, according to an analysis of Department for Work and Pensions figures for December 2025.
Birmingham tops the list with 1,993 claims, followed by Leeds with 1,286 and Sheffield with 1,212. Liverpool recorded 1,197, while County Durham had 1,145.
How the benefits work
Universal Credit is a means-tested payment intended to help eligible people with living costs. Entitlement depends on individual circumstances and can include people on low incomes as well as those who are out of work.
Personal Independence Payment helps eligible people meet some of the extra costs associated with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability. It is not means-tested and can be paid to people who are employed.
What the figures show
A high number of claims does not, on its own, establish that an area has more unemployed teenagers or that young people there are not participating in education or training.
The figures arrive amid wider concerns about the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training, often referred to as NEET. Official labour-market figures have shown that hundreds of thousands of people aged 16 to 24 fall into this category, prompting calls for more support to help young people access jobs, apprenticeships and training.
But benefit claims and NEET figures measure different things. Some young people receiving PIP may be studying or working, while Universal Credit claims can reflect a range of financial circumstances.
Top 12 areas with teenagers on benefits
- Birmingham: 1,993 claims — 156 Universal Credit and 1,837 PIP
- Leeds: 1,286 claims — 143 Universal Credit and 1,143 PIP
- Sheffield: 1,212 claims — 100 Universal Credit and 1,112 PIP
- Liverpool: 1,197 claims — 71 Universal Credit and 1,126 PIP
- County Durham: 1,145 claims — 104 Universal Credit and 1,041 PIP
- Manchester: 1,127 claims
- Bradford: 1,112 claims
- Buckinghamshire: 928 claims — 29 Universal Credit and 899 PIP
- Wirral: 899 claims — 56 Universal Credit and 843 PIP
- Cornwall: 895 claims — 92 Universal Credit and 803 PIP
- Wiltshire: 845 claims — 44 Universal Credit and 801 PIP
- Somerset: 841 claims — 73 Universal Credit and 768 PIP
North Yorkshire recorded 832 claims, with 74 Universal Credit and 758 PIP.
