Indices of Deprivation statement

published on 27 Sep 2019

Lieutenant-Colonel Dean Pallant of the Salvation Army, said: “It is of great concern that there has been little change in the levels of extreme poverty faced in the most deprived areas of the country since 2015.

“These figures show the importance of employment support services such as The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus, which works with people in some of the UK’s more deprived areas to help them into work. With the possibility of a General Election on the horizon, we ask that all the political parties prioritise funding schemes designed to tackle extreme poverty. Levels of deprivation will never improve and could get worse unless funding is found to tackle the root causes of unemployment and poverty. 

“As a church and charity we work with some of the most vulnerable and hardest to reach people in our communities, and offer support to tackle the underlying causes of poverty and deprivation through emergency food parcels, employment support, debt advice, drop-in services, community groups including those for older people, and homelessness centres.

“We offer a range of support in what have been revealed to be some of the most deprived areas of the country - working with people in Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Hull, Manchester, Blackpool, Birmingham, Burnley, Blackburn and Hartlepool. 

"The Salvation Army are uniquely placed to support vulnerable people, but it is key that local and national government work in partnership with us to ensure support for people is provided in a sustainable manner.