The recession has hit residents in St Helier and Wandle Valley more than other wards in Sutton borough, figures have revealed.
The two wards now have more than 300 people claiming unemployment benefits while The Wrythe, Beddington South and Sutton Central have more than 200 people claiming.
All wards in Sutton now have more than 100 people claiming.
Across the borough, the number of residents claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) has more than doubled since March 2008.
The impact of the recession has also hit the property market as house prices fell by 16.8 per cent between March 2009 and March 2008 and house sale volumes fell 55 per cent.
Sutton town centre has seen a decrease in footfall of more than 3.5 per cent compared with April 2008.
During the executive meeting on Tuesday Councillor John Drage said house prices may have fallen in the borough, but this was less than the country as a whole.
However deputy leader councillor Ruth Dombey said: “There may be a bigger impact elsewhere, but we need to recognise that people are feeling the pinch here.”
Councillor Lyn Gleeson said the council’s ten point plan to counter the recession had achieved some “quick wins”, but that the council was also prusuing further ways to mitigate the long-term impact of the recession.
She said an active approach to promoting housing benefit take-up was refelected in increases in the number of claimants.
She said: “Those claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit is around 10 per cent higher than at the same time last year.
“The borough now has 14,088 active claimants of housing benefit/ council tax benefits, compared with 12,780 a year ago.”
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