DEBT AND GAMBLING Many people who access support from Citizens Advice Carlisle and Eden have debt issues. In 2024 it supported 593 clients with 3,072 debt issues. The top two debt issues were fuel debts, followed by council tax arrears. CACE also had debts of £956,178 written off for clients.23 Gambling is another significant issue and across the UK there are an estimated 300,000 individuals affected by problem gambling. Gambling doesn't just affect the individual gambler; it has a ripple effect, impacting an estimated 6 to 10 people around each gambler, including family, friends, and the community. People with gambling and/or other addictions can be much harder to engage than other clients. The issues these clients have are often complex, consisting of five or six problems. The majority of our clients are also living with mental and physical ill health. Many of these have financial issues as mental and physical problems can also impact a person’s education and work opportunities. Voluntary Sector Representative UNCLAIMED BENEFITS Despite pressures upon household income, there are concerns that approximately 30,000 people across Cumberland are not claiming the support that they are entitled to. Data suggests that of the c£98m of unclaimed benefits, c£60m relates to Universal Credit, c£9m relates to Carers Allowance, c£7.5m relates to Pension Credit and c£6.5m relates to Child Benefit.24 Public Safety Although many people value the sense of community, friendliness and warmth of people, Carlisle still experiences issues that negatively affect their daily lives. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE In Cumberland, during April to June 2024, 90 out of 334 households identified their needs for accommodation as being a result of or threat of domestic abuse. Data from The Freedom Project Cumbria indicates that referrals to the charity have increased by 22.7% since 2022/2023, with a total of 356 new people referred between April 2023 and March 2024 who had never previously accessed the service.25 CRIME The overall crime rate in Cumbria, in September 2024, stood at 72 crimes per 1,000 people compared to 84 for England.26 The table overleaf presents a selection of figures that show the percentage change in reported crimes over 12 months (from December 2023 to November 2024) and the last three years (from January 2022 to November 2024) in five police area boundaries.27 It can be seen that there are some positive improvements in Carlisle, notably in relation to anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. However, of note are the overall rises in drug offences and shoplifting as well as the high rates of violence and sexual offences. 11National Energy Action: https://www.nea.org.uk/what-is-fuel-poverty/ 12Sub-regional fuel poverty data 2024, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 2022 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2024-2022-data 13Fuel Poverty Factsheet: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 2023 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65cca78e13054900118679c1/fuel-poverty-factsheet-2024.pdf 14Energy efficiency of housing in England and Wales, Office for National Statistics, 2024 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/ energyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2024 15Energy efficiency of housing in England and Wales, Office for National Statistics, 2024 https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/ energyefficiencyofhousinginenglandandwales/2024 Issues28 Anti-Social Behaviour Criminal Damage/ Arson Drugs Violence/ Sexual Offences Shoplifting Timeline 12m 3y 12m 3y 12m 3y 12m 3y 12m 3y Brampton & East Rural 9.0% 9.4% 11.6% 13.9% 4.6% 2.9% 41.4.% 41.4% 3.4% 3.4% Carlisle Central 13.2% 15.1% 6.1% 7.2% 5.1% 4% 35.4% 36.8% 15.4% 13.2% Carlisle East 7.4% 9.8% 10.6% 12.2% 4.4% 3.1% 48.1% 46% 4.9% 3.8% Carlisle West 10.8% 10.2% 11.5% 15% 3.6% 3% 42% 40% 8.6% 6.4% Carlisle West Rural 6.5% 7% 8.9% 11.4% 4.9% 3.4% 53.8% 50.2% 1.7% 1.1% Our survey found that when asked “Which three things would you like to see improve in Carlisle district?” 17.8% of people said, “feeling safe in my neighbourhood”.29 We also asked, “What is good about living in Carlisle district?” and 5.6% of responses highlighted that Carlisle was a safe area.30 Town and Country Population density in Carlisle was 106 residents per square kilometre on Census Day, 21 March 202131 significantly lower than the population density of 394.632 in England and Wales. However, this number masks huge variation between the city and the rural areas. Carlisle has some of the most sparsely populated and remote communities in the UK, particularly in the communities situated between Brampton and Longtown and the Scottish and Northumberland borders. Carlisle is well connected to the rest of the country by the West Coast Mainline, the M6 motorway and the A69. There are also aspirational calls for a ‘Borders Rail’ and a train station in Longtown that would further improve connectivity between Carlisle and the Scottish Borders.33 However, there are challenges relating to local transport which affects people’s access to services such as GPs, hospitals, places of work and education. For example, some places like Irthington and Hethersgill have no scheduled services and are dependent upon community bus services provided by the Border Rambler which operates four days per week.34 For those residents living in Houghton, the last bus home from Carlisle city centre departs at 18:27 and involves a journey time of 39 minutes, 20 stops, a change at Harker – all to cover 2.6 miles. Carlisle: Opportunities & Challenges 2025 34 35
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