Shocking figures from the 2021 Census have revealed the level of Household Deprivation in Herefordshire, with a significant number of residents in Herefordshire now finding their household deprived in at least one dimension.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show that in Herefordshire, 34.6% of households are deprived by at least one dimension. This is significantly worse than many parts of the United Kingdom, with only parts of London and some other large cities showing higher levels. Parts of Wales, Lincolnshire, East Anglia and North Devon also posted figures similar, or slightly higher than Herefordshire.
It’s not all bad news though, with just 0.2% of households in Herefordshire being deprived in all four dimensions. That is significantly better than parts of London, Merseyside, Manchester and the West Midlands.
The level of deprivation is detailed by taking the following factors into consideration:
The dimensions of deprivation used to classify households are indicators based on four selected household characteristics.
Education
A household is classified as deprived in the education dimension if no one has at least level 2 education and no one aged 16 to 18 years is a full-time student.
Employment
A household is classified as deprived in the employment dimension if any member, not a full-time student, is either unemployed or disabled.
Health
A household is classified as deprived in the health dimension if any member is disabled.
Housing
A household is classified as deprived in the housing dimension if the household’s accommodation is either overcrowded, in a shared dwelling, or has no central heating.
What will likely concern Herefordshire Council, is that 13% of local households are now classed as deprived, based on the above data. This means likely extra strain on local food banks and other resources. The figures are only likely to have got significantly worse, with the cost-of-living crisis coming into effect following the collection of the Census data in 2021.
All in all, thousands of households across Herefordshire and the United Kingdom face tough decisions over the coming months. The rising cost of food and energy bills has already pushed many household finances to the brink. The added increase in mortgage rates and interest rates will only tighten belts further.
