Latest news with #deprivation
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Children in most deprived areas more likely to visit A&E and be obese
Children living in England's most deprived areas are more likely to visit A&E, be overweight or obese and suffer from tooth decay, a new report by aid agency Unicef UK has found. The organisation has called on the Government to lift its two-child benefit cap after its findings showed that where children grow up until the age of five has 'a significant impact' on their early outcomes and future potential. In the report published on Monday, every local authority in England was analysed against its level of deprivation and a range of early childhood health and educational outcomes. It found that, when considering early years development, the most deprived authorities were more than twice as far away from achieving the Government's 'good level' target of 75% than the most affluent areas. Only four of the 151 upper tier local authorities in England are currently meeting that target. Nearly twice as many children suffer from late-stage, untreated tooth decay in the most deprived areas (29%) compared to the least deprived (15%), while five-year-old children living in the poorest communities are three times more likely to have had teeth removed due to decay, the report found. Almost a quarter of reception-age children in the most deprived areas (24%) are overweight or obese, while general obesity levels in those areas are more than double those of children in the most affluent areas (12.9%, compared to 6%). There is also an average of 1,020 A&E visits per 1,000 babies and young children in the most deprived areas, an increase of 55% on rates in the most affluent areas, the report found. The five local authorities with the highest levels of deprivation – Blackpool, Knowsley, Liverpool, Kingston upon Hull, and Middlesbrough – were each in the lowest 20% for five of the six child wellbeing measures used in the analysis. Some 1.2 million babies and children under the age of five – 35% of the age group's total population – now live in poverty across England, the report said. It added that child poverty has increased more in the UK then in any of the 38 OECD and EU countries. Among the report's recommendations are long-term, sustainable funding and expanding provision for Family Hubs, recruiting an additional 1,000 health visitors a year and making access to Government-funded childcare hours equal for all children aged two or older, regardless of their location or parental employment. Unicef UK, joined by BBC presenter Dr Chris Van Tulleken, will present a petition calling for investments in early childhood, which has more than 105,000 signatures, to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Chief executive Dr Philip Goodwin warned the consequences of growing up in poverty can be lifelong and said the report's findings were 'not acceptable'. He said: 'There must be immediate, decisive, and ambitious action by the government. Any further delays will entrench inequality and condemn hundreds of thousands of children to poverty and its effects, as child poverty rates continue to rise. 'The Government must act urgently to lift the two-child limit and the benefit cap and commit to investing in the vital health and education services that support children during their crucial early years.' Introduced in 2015 by then-Conservative chancellor George Osborne, the cap restricts child welfare payments to the first two children born to most families. Sir Keir Starmer said he was 'absolutely determined' to 'drive down' child poverty when he was pressed on the two-child benefit cap in Parliament last week, ahead of the publication of the Government's strategy on the issue.
BreakingNews.ie
27-05-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Health inequalities worsening despite improvements in economic measures, report finds
A new report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has revealed 'clear evidence' of a widening health gap between the most and least disadvantaged communities. The ESRI study, commissioned by Pobal, examines socioeconomic conditions across communities in Ireland. Advertisement Using Census data, the study examines how potential barriers to social inclusion have changed over time and if disadvantaged communities are particularly adversely affected. The report highlights both progress and challenges in Ireland's efforts to promote social inclusion, showing a mixed picture of improving economic conditions alongside worsening health inequalities. Findings from the new research report, published on Tuesday, were collated using the Pobal HP Deprivation Index and two waves of Census data from 2016 and 2022. It found that between 2016 and 2022, some of the potential barriers examined have decreased, while others became more prevalent in certain communities. Advertisement Rates of unemployment and low educational attainment have declined, with the most significant falls occurring in more deprived areas, narrowing the disadvantage gap between affluent and deprived areas. However, the study found a rise in poor health, with increases most pronounced in the most deprived areas, which has exacerbated pre-existing health inequalities. It said that such trends are likely influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic and reflect worsening health outcomes for people living in disadvantaged communities. The report stated that it raises 'important considerations' for healthcare resourcing and allocation across the country in the coming years. Advertisement It also found that some factors are more common in urban or rural areas, further reinforcing the value of examining these barriers spatially. Decline in unemployment was found to be most pronounced in 'independent urban towns', meaning towns which tend to be further from cities and more likely to lack economic opportunities. It also found that the prevalence of ethnic minority populations at the area-level increased across most area types, with largest increases in the more urban areas. According to Pobal, a social inclusion agency working on behalf of Government, barriers to social inclusion are multifaceted and can overlap. Advertisement The ESRI examined at an area-level a range of factors that can act as potential barriers to social inclusion, including unemployment, economic inactivity, low educational attainment, lone parenthood, being a carer, ethnic minority status, having a disability and poor health. It found that while the presence of these characteristics do not always limit individuals' participation in society, they can be associated with a greater risk of social exclusion or marginalisation, particularly when co-occurring. Author of the report, Dr Anne Devlin, said: 'The findings of this report highlight differences in how potential barriers to social inclusion have changed between 2016 and 2022 and how they manifest spatially across Ireland. 'Our findings around a reduced prevalence of economic barriers, such as unemployment, are welcome. Advertisement 'However, questions remain about the quality of the employment. Despite these economic improvements, their resilience in the face of current and future challenges is uncertain.' Ireland Migrants more likely to be in work than Irish-born... Read More Anna Shakespeare, chief executive of Pobal, who commissioned this research, said: 'Understanding the prevalence and patterns of potential barriers to social inclusion is crucial for enabling evidence-based policymaking. 'The publication of this research is particularly timely in the context of the update to Ireland's national public health strategy, 'Healthy Ireland', as well as the re-development of the cross-Government Roadmap to Social Inclusion. 'As an agency working to promote social inclusion and community development, we are committed to bringing forward robust and reliable research which can support Government policy development at this critical juncture.'
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Inside UK benefits capital where jobless locals live off ‘PIP trips' and vodka-swigging teens torch bins
ITS rolling valleys and picturesque countryside attract more than half a million tourists a year. But despite its rich heritage as a coal and steel-mining area, pockets of deprivation have earned this borough the title of the most anxious place in the UK. 10 The dubious accolade comes as new figures reveal Blaenau Gwent in south Wales is home to the highest number of people who claim the state's disability benefit, PIP (Personal Independence Payment), due to anxiety or depression. One in 30 people in the local government district in the county of Caerphilly claim PIP due to mental health problems, the statistics show. In the small town of Rhymney, residents say they are overwhelmed by the sheer number of social residents being moved there, as the High Street's shops close their shutters and buildings are developed into HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) where at least three individuals are housed, sharing a bathroom and kitchen. Rhymney's residents say drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and high levels of deprivation have transformed the town into a no-go area at night which is "doomed". Walking through woods on the sunny day The Sun visited, a lone woman sat on a step in the woods guzzling beer from a can and smoking cannabis, while on the main road out of town, free roaming sheep dodged traffic. On the High Street many of the shops are shut down, although a newsagents, fish and chip shop, barber and two Helping Hands charity shops remain open. Many of the people on the main social housing estate next to the town centre admit they have lost hope and don't see a future for themselves. Kirstie Cavender, 38, suffers with her mental health and collects the benefits, dubbed "going on a PIP trip". She said: 'I never used to suffer from anxiety but had a bad time in a past relationship and it's been the same since then. 'I've claimed Universal Credit since I was 21, and have been claiming disability for three years because of my mental health. Our town is so depraved it has the same life expectancy in war-torn Syria "It's hard but I've become good at budgeting because I have to budget really carefully. 'I've got a 14-year-old and a seven-year-old and even if I could work there's no employment round here unless you can drive, and I don't drive. 'Rhymney used to be nice, but it's not like it used to be. There's a lot of drug abuse and drug dealing going on, so you can't go out on the streets at night, and I don't let my kids out on their own, it's just not safe. 'We need more parks and places for the kids, but we just get forgotten about, nobody who lives here has any hope. Most of the shops are shut. It's depressing.' Rhymney used to be nice, but it's not like it used to be. There's a lot of drug abuse and drug dealing going on, so you can't go out on the streets at night, and I don't let my kids out on their own, it's just not safe Kirstie Cavender Another resident who wished to remain anonymous said: 'I'm on benefits for anxiety and have been for three years since I left prison. 'I also have ADHD so my mental health is not good, and I don't leave the house unless I really have to. I know loads of people here, but I just prefer to be left alone and there's not anything here to go out for.' 'We're doomed' A total of 2,289 people in the constituency are in the same position. Pub landlord Andrew Roberts of the Royal Arms Hotel in the High Street has just one customer cradling a pint of beer when we pay a visit. He says the only reason he's able to stay open is because he has other pubs outside of Rhymney which keep the business afloat. 'Everywhere was thriving until the coal mining and steelworks were shut down by Maggie Thatcher. 10 10 'Now it's a very, very poor area and there's no money about here. I can understand why everyone is depressed and down. 'They turn to drink and drugs to cope. Somewhere the bubble's going to burst. "There's not a great deal of industry around here, with job losses in the area too there'll only be more people in the same boat. 'The only reason I keep this pub open is for the few people who come in here in the summer. 'I close most nights. The country is a mess and Wales has been forgotten. "Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine in Merthyr Tydfil was the last in the UK and it closed in 2023 with nothing to replace the jobs that were lost. 'The Government brought in an emergency bill to save Scunthorpe steelworks – but nobody lifted a finger to help Port Talbot's Tata Steelworks last year. I feel like we're doomed.' What is PIP? Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a welfare benefit that can help with extra living costs. A person can claim it if they have either a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, or if they have a difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition. PIP payouts to people who suffer from anxiety or mental health disorders have more than doubled over the past five years. In 2020 it cost the economy £1.2billion, while today that figure is £2.6billion. Each person gets a standard rate of £73.90 per week, with a further mobility support payment of £29.20. 'Overwhelmed' Of the residents we spoke to in Rhymney town centre, many were fiercely protective of their heritage and community spirit, but agreed there are too many people in social housing in the town. Local resident and former charity worker Kathy Rist, 69, said: 'Rhymney is an ex heavy-mining town, but it also had Rhymney Brewery, established in 1856, that kept the whole of south Wales and beyond in good quality beer. 'It was a thriving, working class town where everybody knew each other, and that is still the case. Families go back for generations. 'We are a town where our basic ethos is looking after people who are in a bit of trouble or down at heel. "Because of that we have people placed here who are vulnerable in the type of housing where they are not looked after. 'They may have drug and drink issues, and we're not against people who are vulnerable living our communities, but the town is overwhelmed by the amount of people. Youngsters sometimes like to congregate here, which is fine... But then they've got bottles of vodka, which they're smashing on the ground, and then they set fire to the bins because they're cold. There's nothing else for them to do Kathy Rist "The bank, two of the chapels, the old doctor's surgery and several large houses have been turned into HMOs, which are basic. 'Youngsters sometimes like to congregate here, which is fine. They get off the train and hang around in the park. 'But then they've got bottles of vodka, which they're smashing on the ground, and then they set fire to the bins because they're cold. There's nothing else for them to do. 'Rhymney is a nice town full of good, honest, hard-working people. But there's nothing here for entertainment, activity, enrichment or going out with friends in an evening. That's what it's lacking. 'Thatcher tore the guts out of this town by the closure of the pits, which was followed by the closure of the brewery. 'The brewery building was turned into a gym which was the heart of the community; everyone went to the gym whether you were fit or not. It was gut-wrenching to lose that when it shut in 2024. 'The council in their wisdom are putting council-owned housing there, but also a vulnerable children's home next to a railway which is becoming a metro system and will have four trains an hour when it's upgraded. It's a recipe for disaster because of county lines." 'Lack of purpose' The Rhymney line is undergoing a major upgrade as part of the South Wales Metro project, with an eight-month engineering programme currently underway to electrify the line, meaning more frequent trains. Yvonne Pugh, 80, said: 'Although on some parts you'd think life was harder during the mining years, it was also easier. "We had things on our doorstep like socials; I think that's the kind of thing which enriches the little valleys. 'Anxiety comes from a lack of purpose in your life. You can have bouts of anxiety because of bereavement, or awful things happening to you. But it doesn't have to be permanent, if there are things around you to helping you out of that. The council in their wisdom are putting council-owned housing there, but also a vulnerable children's home next to a railway which is becoming a metro system and will have four trains an hour when it's upgraded. It's a recipe for disaster because of county lines Yvonne Pugh 'When the bigger industries have gone from the valley, we haven't had enough replacements or training. 'If you're on a low income there's nothing to help you out anymore. It's not that people haven't got the incentive, there's just not enough round here to help them. 'The town needs a facelift, but there are a few littles groups trying to help, but we need our share of redevelopment and that would help us. "It needs to have a little bit back of what it had before, more groups and things made easier for youngsters to do. 'The lack of employment here now is difficult, not everyone has the luxury of jumping in a car to get to work.' No hope Lyndsey Thomas, 51, an EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) tutor supporting children who aren't in mainstream education, said: 'It's systemic. We can be quick to see anxiety as an internal thing, but it's systemic. "It's ok providing housing and shelter, but that's the bottom of the pyramid. 'To allow people to thrive it needs to be about food and warmth, but on top of that we need to look at how to address the problem. 'Young people are making their own entertainment around here because there's nothing for them to do. We've never had a leisure centre here, I remember kids asking if we'd ever have a swimming pool. 'Hope is what is lacking here. When you ask young people, 'What are your aspirations?' a lot of young people, particularly in an area of deprivation, their only experience is of going to the local Asda on a weekly shop, you might know of a hairdresser, a nail bar. Hope is what is lacking here. When you ask young people, 'What are your aspirations?' a lot of young people, particularly in an area of deprivation, their only experience is of going to the local Asda on a weekly shop Lyndsey Thomas 'Even though they might learn of Neil Armstrong at school, or hear, 'My dad's a doctor', there's a real sense of people thinking, 'I'm not good enough for that'. 'It's very easy to see 'scroungers', but they've all got a story. There's no investment for a future. They can't tell you want they want to do because they can't see a future for themselves.' Alison Jones, 77, spearheaded a campaign to save the old brewery building in a bid to improve the town's wellbeing and economic future. "With imagination it could be a place for training, especially in the growth industries like hospitality," she said. "It's in a prime position next to the train line, it could have been used as a heritage destination or lots of different things to bring money into Rhymney, which could stay in Rhymney. 'But instead, the council have decided to use that for further social housing. We're not against social housing at all, but we want to make sure the town has places people can go to, to help everyone. 'The local authority is inundating Rhymney and the local community with the people that need help, and yet they're taking away the structures that could help them.' The Sun has reached out to the local council for comment.
Sky News
14-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Plans to spend millions on 'forgotten neighbourhoods' - could yours be one of them?
Proposals have been drawn up to spend millions in deprived neighbourhoods which are most at risk of failing to meet the government's missions, Sky News understands. Approving the money will ultimately be a decision for the Treasury in the upcoming spending review, but it has wide support among backbench MPs who have urged the government to do for towns "what Blair and Brown did for cities" and regenerate them. Labour MPs told Sky News austerity is the main driver of voters turning to Reform UK and investment is "absolutely critical". The plan is based on the findings of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON), which identified 613 "mission-critical" areas that most need progress on Sir Keir Starmer's "five missions": the economy, crime, the NHS, clean energy and education. The list of neighbourhoods has not been published but are largely concentrated around northern cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Sunderland and Newcastle, a report said. Some of the most acute need is in coastal towns such as Blackpool, Clacton, and Great Yarmouth, while pockets of high deprivation have been identified in the Midlands and the south. Clacton is the seat of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who is hoping to be Sir Keir's main challenger at the next general election following a meteoric rise in the polls. 3:20 However, Labour MP for Blackpool South Chris Webb said this wasn't about Reform - but investing in places that have been forgotten. He told Sky News: "Coastal towns like my hometown of Blackpool have been overlooked by successive governments for too long, and it's time to change that narrative. "The findings of the ICON report are a wake-up call, highlighting the urgent need for investment in our communities to address the alarming levels of crime, antisocial behaviour, poverty, and the stark disparities in life expectancy." He said he'd be lobbying for at least £1m in funding. His residents are "understandably frustrated and angry" and "deserve better". 'Investment essential to beat Reform' The spending review, which sets all departments' budgets for future years, will happen on 11 June. It will be Rachel Reeves' first as chancellor and the first by a Labour government in over a decade. Southport MP Patrick Hurley told Sky News the last Labour government "massively invested in our big cities" after the dereliction of the 1980s, "but what Blair and Brown did for our cities, it's now on the new government to do for our towns". He added: "Investment in our places to restore pride, and improve the look and feel of where people live, is essential." Another Labour backbencher in support of the report, Jake Richards, said seats like his Rother Valley constituency had been "battered by deindustrialisation and austerity". "Governments of different colours have not done enough, and now social and economic decay is driving voters to Farage," he said. "We need a major investment programme in deprived neighbourhoods to get tough on the causes of Reform." 1:39 ICON is chaired by former Labour minister Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top. The report said focusing on neighbourhoods is the most efficient route to mission delivery and is likely to have more support among voters "than grandiose national visions of transformation" - pointing to the Tories' "failed levelling up agenda". The last major neighbourhood policy initiative was New Labour's "New Deal for Communities", which funded the regeneration of 39 of England's poorest areas. Research suggests it narrowed inequalities on its targeted outcomes and had a cost-ratio benefit. It was scrapped by the coalition government. Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner has already announced £1.5bn "Plan for Neighbourhoods" to invest in 75 areas over the next decade, with up to £20m available for each. A government source told Sky News expanding the programme "would be a decision for the upcoming spending review".
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Sixth formers missing out on French and Spanish
Sixth formers are missing out on French and Spanish at A-level because there are not enough teachers, a poll has revealed. The survey, by the education charity Teach First, found that nearly a quarter of schools in the poorest areas of Britain do not offer French A-level, while 17 per cent do not offer Spanish or music. The charity said a shortage of trained teachers has locked pupils out of many opportunities. Teacher vacancies in England have been at their highest level since records began, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). The findings followed union claims that the Government remains on track to miss its manifesto commitment to recruit 6,500 new teachers, funded by a VAT raid on private schools. The poll also found almost a third of schools in deprived communities do not offer computer science A-level because of a lack of teachers trained in the subject.
