Cumbria Community Foundation - Furness: Opportunities and Challenges 2021

F U R N E S S – O P P O R T U N I T I E S & C H A L L E N G E S 14 Deprivation The Index of Multiple Deprivation 3 measures the number of people in an area who experience deprivation as a result of: · low incomes · exclusion from employment · lack of educational attainment and skills · poor physical or mental health · being a victim of crime · difficulty accessing finance and housing · the quality of their local environment The score is expressed as a percentage, showing the proportion of the population living in localities deemed to be among the 20% most deprived in the country. Furness scores badly overall, with 29.3% of the population living in areas classed as among the 20% most deprived in England. The only areas where Furness scores relatively well are crime and access to finance and housing. The health deprivation score of 53.3% is particularly shocking and in Barrow this figure is an eye- watering 71.9%. The Child Wellbeing Index 1 measures similar metrics. Here, Furness is average overall and scores relatively well on crime, education and environment but badly on housing and health. Across Furness, 14.8% of children are living in poverty (England average: 17%) but there are pockets where the proportion is much higher. In Barrow’s Central ward, for example, 35.6% of children are in poverty. The percentage of lone-parent families with dependent children is slightly above the national average. Some 14.2% of Furness households are in fuel poverty, where energy costs account for more than 10% of household income. The national average is 10.3%. 1 Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government Deprivation of all types is less prevalent in rural High Furness and highest in Barrow with Central the most deprived ward followed by Hindpool and Barrow Island. Where deprivation is found in rural areas, the impacts are exacerbated by the increased distances to access services. Levels of personal debt are slightly above the national average at £733 per head but levels of mortgage debt are half the national figure reflecting the relative affordability of housing.