Local Insight report – Financial Hardship (COVID-19)

This report will look at a few key themes that will have significant impact on local places and local people in the wake of the pandemic and the lockdown measures.

The pandemic has led to many households experiencing financial hardship either for the first time or more acutely than in the past. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) finds it highly plausible that over one million more people will be under the pre-COVID poverty line by the end of 2020, compared to a situation where the pandemic had not occurred, including 200,000 children.

We have seen sharp increases in unemployment across the county, with the numbers of people claiming Unemployment Benefit more than doubling since March.

Nationally, food bank usage has soared, with data from the Trussell Trust indicating that across April there was an 89% increase in need compared to the same period last year.

With the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme due to finish at the end of November, and a second national lockdown about to start, there are fears of an even larger unemployment crisis. We will look at the industries that are at greatest risk, and the workers most at risk of redundancy.