Charity launches report on cost of living crisis in Brighton
A study by Citizens Advice Brighton and Hove has found that poverty in the city has worsened considerably during the pandemic, with disabled people particularly affected.
Brighton has seen an 84% rise in households depending on Universal Credit who are unemployed – an additional 4,135 households. Child poverty figures were 24% in Hove and Pavilion and at 32% in Kemptown, based on figures from 2020. The charity said these figures will have worsened since then as children entitled to free school meals in the city had risen by 17% by 2021.
The households most likely to be in the deepest poverty are:
- Single parent households
- Households where someone has a disability
- Households where the head of household is from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic community
Meanwhile, rents rose by between 9 and 25% since the start of the pandemic, depending on the type of property being rented – one-bed rents have risen by a quarter. Private renting accounts for 28% of households in Brighton.
The report found that disabled people suffered worst on every measure during the pandemic, and that the decision-making process to access benefits is completely broken with 74% of PIP claims that were turned down in the first instance being overturned and 67% of ESA claims also overturned on appeal.
The mental health of all groups but particularly young people and disabled people were significantly affected by the pandemic and rates remain higher than before the pandemic. People with mental health issues have more complex needs and need more support.
There are many universal cost of living pressures but the most serious in terms of rate of price increase is the cost of utilities at 54% and potentially a further 20% percent in October. For those in the deepest poverty the outlook for winter 2022/2023 is incredibly bleak. Already clients who most need to take care of their health are turning off power in their homes. In winter, when utilities costs are expected to rise again, both the health impacts and the safety concerns will become critical.
For the first time in working memory the local Citizens Advice has a cohort of clients who, no matter what CAB do or what they do for themselves, will not be able to heat or eat on an ongoing basis rather than in a crisis or where an unexpected expense arises.
Emma Daniel, Partnership Manager at Citizens Advice Brighton and Hove, said: ‘Services which normally provide limited crisis help will need to consider changing our models and providing ongoing support such as food or fuel vouchers in order to prevent serious health impacts.
‘It will be important for services to distinguish carefully the difference between extreme poverty and neglect and not penalise people for being poor but provide emergency relief where that is the issue. Schools and charities will find themselves on the front line of a poverty bomb next winter that we have never experienced before and find hard to contemplate.’
Photo by Darren Coleshill