Four in 10 families in inner London are dependent on housing benefit.
The recession has triggered a rise in claims and now 42% of homes in Hackney and 38% in Tower Hamlets rely on payments.
In Greater London as a whole, a quarter of households rely on the benefit to meet their rent.
London far exceeds the national rate, which stands at 18%.
The second highest region after the capital is the North-East, where 22% of families claim housing benefit.
These figures were revealed by Conservative work and pensions secretary Theresa May.
She said: "These are truly shocking figures and once again provide more damning evidence of Labour's complete failure to tackle welfare reform.
"Housing benefit can provide valuable help to people in work or pensioners, but the reality is that for too many people it
represents part of a broader picture of benefit dependency."
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