Sheffield Council set up the specially convened Fairness Commission after some of its members voiced concern over the “unique” patterns of poverty and affluence which mean some citizens suffer much more. Prof Alan Walker, an expert in social policy at Sheffield University was appointed as the commission’s chairman and yesterday he and it showed Sheffield was a “divided city”. It drew attention to a “geographical split”, with the south and west enjoying living standards far above the national average, while neighbourhoods in the north and east fall well below. One way to demonstrate the problem is to get on the city’s number 83 bus which runs between the affluent south-west, where life expectancy is 86 years and the north east, where it falls to 77.
Sheffield now has 11 food banks dispensing free food for families struggling to pay for bare essentials. Two years ago, there were just three.
The commission’s report says Sheffield has high levels of deprivation in common with many other cities across the UK including Leeds, Bradford and Hull. It found that around 50,000 people, roughly a tenth of the city’s population, were on “out of work” benefits, with 45,000 of those people “long term unemployed”. 42,000, are living in fuel poverty, while nearly half the people in three of Sheffield's inner-city wards – Burngreave, Firth Park and Manor Castle – receive housing benefits. 20,000 and 30,000 Sheffielders are estimated to have turned to payday lenders, doorstep loan companies and even illegal loan sharks over the past couple of years. 2,000 under-16s with caring for an adult responsibilities. Troublingly, in a majority of cases their schools do not know about their domestic situation. These child carers have an average age of just 12.
Prof Walker said: “This means that too many lives have been lost prematurely and too many people have suffered needless hardship."
Children in less well-off areas of York are storing up major health problems for the future as figures show a clear link between poverty and obesity in the city. The statistics for York appear to confirm comments made last week by junior Health Minister Anna Soubry, who said it was now possible to tell someone’s social background by their weight. The latest figures show that in less well-off wards, such as Clifton and Hull Road, obesity rates run at 21.3 per cent of 11-year-olds and 7.9 per cent of five-year-olds. In more affluent wards, such as Rural West York or Bishopthorpe, obesity rates are 13.8 per cent for those aged 11 and 4.7 per cent for five-year-olds.
Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, said: “It is very clear that childhood obesity, and adult obesity, are linked to socio-economic deprivation, of which poverty is a major contributor. Poverty is a significant driver of longer-term health inequalities because of the range of diseases like heart disease and diabetes that are caused by obesity. It is clear that there is a rise in the cost of healthier food, and not in junk food."
Sheffield now has 11 food banks dispensing free food for families struggling to pay for bare essentials. Two years ago, there were just three.
The commission’s report says Sheffield has high levels of deprivation in common with many other cities across the UK including Leeds, Bradford and Hull. It found that around 50,000 people, roughly a tenth of the city’s population, were on “out of work” benefits, with 45,000 of those people “long term unemployed”. 42,000, are living in fuel poverty, while nearly half the people in three of Sheffield's inner-city wards – Burngreave, Firth Park and Manor Castle – receive housing benefits. 20,000 and 30,000 Sheffielders are estimated to have turned to payday lenders, doorstep loan companies and even illegal loan sharks over the past couple of years. 2,000 under-16s with caring for an adult responsibilities. Troublingly, in a majority of cases their schools do not know about their domestic situation. These child carers have an average age of just 12.
Prof Walker said: “This means that too many lives have been lost prematurely and too many people have suffered needless hardship."
Children in less well-off areas of York are storing up major health problems for the future as figures show a clear link between poverty and obesity in the city. The statistics for York appear to confirm comments made last week by junior Health Minister Anna Soubry, who said it was now possible to tell someone’s social background by their weight. The latest figures show that in less well-off wards, such as Clifton and Hull Road, obesity rates run at 21.3 per cent of 11-year-olds and 7.9 per cent of five-year-olds. In more affluent wards, such as Rural West York or Bishopthorpe, obesity rates are 13.8 per cent for those aged 11 and 4.7 per cent for five-year-olds.
Councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, said: “It is very clear that childhood obesity, and adult obesity, are linked to socio-economic deprivation, of which poverty is a major contributor. Poverty is a significant driver of longer-term health inequalities because of the range of diseases like heart disease and diabetes that are caused by obesity. It is clear that there is a rise in the cost of healthier food, and not in junk food."
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