New analysis has uncovered that over a million individuals in England are residing in areas where poverty is not easily noticeable. This could result in them not receiving necessary assistance due to the fact that their financial struggles are concealed by more affluent neighbors.
Minority groups are disproportionately affected by concentrated pockets of deprivation, which are not accounted for in the current methods utilized by local and national authorities for distributing funding to combat deprivation.
The hidden hardship affects an estimated 1.3 million people, according to a government-funded research programme by geographers at Queen’s University in Belfast. The most acute examples include pockets of Aylesbury, London, Oxford and Manchester, analysis for the Guardian shows.
In response to the results, a representative from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities stated: “We are dedicated to changing our strategy for data in order to have accurate information for improved decision-making and to allocate funds to areas with the greatest need.”
Approximately 220,000 individuals from Pakistan and close to 200,000 individuals from Bangladesh make up the top 10% most disadvantaged population, but reside in areas that are not currently classified as such.
Gentrification has caused a trend in various regions, where the arrival of affluent individuals has hidden the truth of overcrowded living conditions, poor health, limited education, and high joblessness among others.
The team of scientists developed a fresh measure, known as the Ethnic Group Deprivation Index (EGDI), by analyzing large amounts of data gathered from the 2021 census. They revealed significant disparities in living conditions among different ethnic groups living in close proximity.
According to Professor Christopher Lloyd from Queen’s University, not having this evidence could result in some communities not receiving necessary support to better their future opportunities. He was part of a team of international academics who conducted a £1m project and received requests from local authorities to share the data. They plan to assist in utilizing the data to create effective policies that target the most vulnerable individuals and areas.
For instance, in Tower Hamlets’ Leamouth peninsula, which is classified in the top 10% of least deprived neighborhoods in the country, there exists a Chinese community that falls within the bottom 10% of deprivation.
In the Finham neighborhood of Coventry, there are households of African descent living in an area that is considered one of the least deprived in England. However, their level of deprivation is among the highest in the country.
For years, government employees have relied on the index of multiple deprivation (IMD) to determine how to allocate resources towards combating poverty. The IMD divides the country into numerous neighborhoods and assigns each one to a category based on their level of deprivation, ranging from most to least deprived. This tool has been utilized by the central government to allocate school funding and support for the troubled families program, as well as by local councils for funding requests.
Lloyd and his colleague, Professor Gemma Catney, noted that individuals from these ethnic groups are at a greater risk of not receiving neighborhood interventions due to residing in areas that are not considered highly deprived.
These locations conceal deprivation for at least one specific group. Utilizing a measure that encompasses the entire population would result in these groups not receiving interventions targeted towards the most deprived 10%.
The index could potentially aid local and national governments as well as charities in addressing persistent racial disparities in British society. According to the 2021 census, nearly half of Bangladeshi individuals were either unemployed or not participating in the economy, while only a little over a quarter of white English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish, or British individuals fell into this category. Additionally, African individuals reported significantly better health at a rate of 64% compared to only 42% for their black Caribbean counterparts.
John Pritchard, a member of the Oldham council and an analyst in the field of intelligence, expressed his approval for the index. He stated that it was a unique and valuable approach to analyzing data on ethnicity and poverty.
“He mentioned that new viewpoints can stimulate fresh inquiries and discussions, potentially leading to innovative solutions,” he continued. “It is still early on, so we must collaborate with the researchers to gain a deeper understanding of what the index is revealing to us.”
The borough of Tower Hamlets, located in east London, is currently looking into the index. This area is home to both the wealthy Canary Wharf and some of the most underprivileged communities in Britain. In one specific neighborhood (around Cambridge Heath), the Bangladeshi population ranks 19th out of 69,000 in England for deprivation, while those who identify as “other white” rank at 58,254th place.
Dr Shabna Begum, the interim co-chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, a think tank focused on race equality, stated that this detailed analysis can shed light on the significant disparities that can negatively impact neighborhoods. She explained that while different communities may appear to coexist, their experiences with housing, health, education, and employment can be vastly different. If we fail to acknowledge these complexities, our policies and solutions may not effectively address the underlying issues.
The team at Queen’s University identified the current IMD as an essential resource that displays various types of disadvantage, but does not capture the unequal circumstances of diverse ethnic populations. As a result, they conducted a more detailed analysis to evaluate the deprivation levels within each ethnic group in a given region.
The EGDI provides data on deprivation at the neighborhood and ethnic group level, both for overall deprivation and for its four main categories: employment, housing, education, and health.
Source: theguardian.com
