As the cost of living crisis continues to bite new research is set to show 'alarming' levels of poverty across Greater Manchester are deepening. Greater Manchester Poverty Action's (GMPA) 'Poverty Monitor' will be released on Wednesday (May25) and outline how the government's so called 'Levelling Up' agenda is failing the city.
The research outlines that more than one in four children are living in poverty across the region, with the number of foodbanks and other low income support providers meeting people's basic food needs doubling over the last five years. This is from data from key areas including child poverty, health, fuel and food insecurity, and education.
With these troubling figures, the GMPA is calling for urgent action to be taken, otherwise these inequalities will only worsen. Recent drivers of these inequalities that need to be addressed, according to the group, include the cut to the £20 Universal Credit Uplift, and the sharp rise in inflation driving the cost of living crisis.
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Some boroughs are seeing child poverty rates above 30 per cent while nearly all boroughs have more than one in 10 households struggling with food insecurity. Concerningly, the research also reveals specific wards across GM with the highest levels of child poverty. This includes Cheetham ward in Manchester at 51.2 per cent and Coldhurst in Oldham at 64 per cent.
While the average rate of child poverty across the region stands at a lower 25 per cent, GMPA describes these levels as 'shocking', and likely to increase. This is paired with an increase of 'in-work poverty' due to rising inflation and the removal of the £20 UC uplift, where many are having to turn to foodbanks, despite being in paid, full-time work.
This data has been gathered from a variety of sources, including the government and service user data from organisations operating in Greater Manchester. The research to be fully released on Wednesday was gathered between January and May of this year, reflecting the growing cost of living crisis that has gripped the nation.
CEO of Greater Manchester Poverty Action, Graham Whitham, says: "At GMPA we work to prevent and reduce poverty by campaigning for a real living wage, advising local authorities and the combined authority on anti-poverty strategies and offering practical help to people through our money advice referral tool. Our vision is of a Greater Manchester free from poverty, and while we do all we can locally we are seeing more and more people, and children struggling.
"Our data shows we have a growing Greater Manchester and nationwide poverty emergency. We urgently need a national anti-poverty strategy to help people in poverty.
"Locally across Greater Manchester councils are making strides to provide advice and support to people in poverty but the main drivers lie with central government. Unless their efforts are backed up by national action from Westminster, then the current levelling up agenda will do little to help people struggling on low incomes in our city region.”
The last poverty monitor was created in 2020, with the Covid pandemic meaning a report could not be created in 2021. More households are now experiencing fuel poverty, the updated research indicates, which is set to get worse as energy bills increase further later this year.
The poverty monitor furthers calls for the 'Real Living Wage' to be adopted across the city-region and to raise the profile of poverty and inequality in Greater Manchester among local authorities and businesses. The group also continue to advocate a cash first approach to local welfare to boost household wellbeing.
