by Joe Walker

At least one in 10 people in the Canterbury district is claiming benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Figures released this week show 9,020 people are getting handouts for jobseeker’s allowance, incapacity benefit and income support.

The district – comprising Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable and the rural villages – has a working age population of little more than 90,000.

More than half of those claiming are on incapacity benefit – given to those judged unable to work because of health reasons.

A further 2,495 workless claimers receive weekly payments of £65 for jobseeker’s allowance, with 1,145 single parents claiming income support.

Other handouts are given to 440 people classified as 'out of work’. The statistics show people living in Herne Bay town centre are top of the pile in all areas of benefit claiming.

Almost 300 are on jobseeker’s allowance, with 145 single parent claimants and 465 people on disability benefit.

Northgate in Canterbury is close behind with 795 people receiving handouts.
The figures reveal only 10 people in the whole of Harbledown are claiming jobseeker’s allowance.

Herne Bay councillor Ron Flaherty said its town centre is one of the most diverse in the district.

He said: “On the one hand it has many properties within the £400,000 to £550,000 range, yet, being a town centre ward, it has properties, many rented, which house single people and single parents.

“In addition, there are many properties housing our senior citizens, many of whom are on very limited budgets.

“So it’s no great surprise to me that the ward rates high on all the various benefits which are available to our residents in such circumstances.”

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