Millions of drivers are facing rejection for pothole damage claims, with new figures showing that a staggering nine in 10 claims are turned down by local councils. The data, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, reveals that drivers received close to £20 million in payouts during 2025, a 30 percent increase compared to 2024.
Half of Authorities Reject Over 70% of Claims
Despite the rise in payouts, half of the authorities surveyed rejected more than seven out of every 10 applications. Councillors in Netherton and Holly Hall have identified around 120 carriageway craters on their streets and are calling for a permanent solution to the problem. Councillors Qasim Mughal and Shaneila Mughal stated that their survey proves the council is failing to address the pothole issue effectively. They have submitted a map of the craters to council leaders as evidence of the scale of the problem.
Labour councillors Qasim Mughal and Shaneila Mughal said: "We are fed up of reporting potholes only to see them ignored or patched up badly. Dudley Council has the funding, but not the will to fix our roads properly. Residents deserve safe streets, not endless excuses."
Cycling Deterred by Poor Road Conditions
Stephen Price, a Green Party candidate for a Dudley Council seat in the local elections, believes potholes are just one symptom of high traffic volumes on borough roads. He said: "I was a cyclist when I came here but the way the roads are sometimes – that's potholes at the side of the road – it's not a great place to cycle. My children were both cyclists when we came here but they never get on a bike any more. Potholes are not good regardless of the vehicle you are in but we are not managing traffic here – there seems to be no strategy in the long-term to deal with the volume of vehicles moving around; no suitable alternatives."
Council Response and Repair Efforts
Dudley Council has defended its record, stating that it repaired more than 25,000 square metres of road in 2025 and faced tough conditions at the start of 2026 following prolonged heavy rain. In March, Councillor Simon Phipps, Dudley cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said: "This is a national issue that councils up and down the country are having to deal with, not just here in Dudley, but that hasn't stopped our team getting out there to carry out repairs. They are working in all weathers and even overnight to prioritise and repair the most dangerous potholes. We also have a long-term programme to try and improve the overall state of the roads right across the borough that we have put more money into over the last few years, moving away from short-term fixes that were the only thing the council did ten years ago."
