Income and Vulnerability
Understanding income and vulnerability is essential to assessing the wider determinants of health in Bury. These factors influence residents’ ability to access basic needs such as safe housing, nutritious food, and warm homes, all of which are critical for good health and wellbeing. This section of the JSNA presents a range of indicators that highlight economic hardship and social risk, including child poverty, fuel poverty, income levels, housing insecurity, and food access. By examining these measures, we can identify where inequalities exist and inform local strategies aimed at improving health outcomes and reducing inequalities across the borough.
Child Poverty
The Marmot Review (2010) suggests there is evidence that childhood poverty leads to premature mortality and poor health outcomes for adults. Reducing the numbers of children who experience poverty should improve these adult health outcomes and increase healthy life expectancy. There is also a wide variety of evidence to show that children who live in poverty are exposed to a range of risks that can have a serious impact on their mental health. The Department for Work and Pensions has a statutory obligation to publish a measure of relative and absolute low income and low income and material deprivation for children under section 4 of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.
Income deprivation affecting children index
Based on the most recent data from 2019, 16.9% of children live in poverty, similar (statistically significant) to England average of 17.1%. No trend data are available for Bury and England. Examining inequalities in IDACI by Bury wards, the highest proportion of children living in poverty are in Moorside (30.5%) and Besses (27%) and lowest in North Manor (5.8%) (see Table 1 below)
Table 1 : Child poverty (Income deprivation affecting children %) in Bury wards for the year 2019 (Local Health, 2019)
By Bury MSOAs, the highest proportion of children in poverty are in Prestwich central at 35.3% and Buckley Wells and Fishpool at 32.3% and lowest in Summerseat at 4.7% and Kirkhams and Holyrood at 2.5% (Table 2).
Table 2: Child poverty (Income deprivation affecting children %) in Bury MSOAs for the year 2019 (Local Health, 2019)
Please note: The latest data on income deprivation affecting children are available for the year 2019 only, and therefore does not account for the impact of the pandemic. We will present more recent data on proportion of children in absolute and relative low income families next.
Children in absolute low-income families (under 16s)
The children in absolute low-income families measure is useful for tracking changes over time in relation to a fixed reference point and is designed to assess how low incomes are faring with reference to inflation. This indicator measures the percentage of children (under 16 years) in a local area, living in absolute low income families. A family is defined as a single adult, or a married or cohabitating couple, or a Civil Partnership and any dependent children.
Equivalised income is income Before Housing Costs (BHC) and includes contributions from earnings, state support and pensions. Equivalisation adjusts incomes for family size and composition, taking an adult couple with no children as the reference point. Absolute low income is defined as a family in low income Before Housing Costs (BHC) in the reference year in comparison with incomes in 2010 to 2011. A family must have claimed one or more of Universal Credit, Tax Credits or Housing Benefit at any point in the year to be classed as low income in these statistics. Absolute low income takes the 60 percent of median income threshold from 2010 to 2011 and then fixes this in real terms (i.e. the line moves with inflation). This is designed to assess how low incomes are faring with reference to inflation. It measures the number and proportion of individuals who have incomes below this threshold. The percentage of individuals in absolute low income will decrease if individuals with lower incomes see their incomes rise by more than inflation (Child and Maternal Health Profiles, 2024).
Based on the most recent data from 2022/23, 20.5% of children under 16 years of age are in absolute low income families, higher (statistically significant) to the England average of 15.6%. The percentage in Bury has fluctuated over time, ranging from 18.6% in 2014/15, to reaching its lowest level in 2021/22 at 16%, followed by its peak at 20.5% in 2022/23. The rate in England meanwhile has remained relatively stable, increasing slightly from 15.4% in 2014/15 to 15.6% in 2022/23 (Figure 1). The rate in Bury has remained significantly worse than that in England for the observed time period.
Figure 1: Proportion of children in absolute low income families for Bury and England from the year 2014/15 to 2022/23 (Child and Maternal Health, 2023)
When compared with Bury’s statistical neighbours, Bury has the highest percentage of children living in absolute low income families for 2022/23 with the lowest percentage in Stockport of 13.2% (Child and Maternal Health Profiles, 2023). There are no data on inequalities at Bury level, but at England level the data suggest higher proportions of children living in absolute low income families as the level of deprivation increases. The highest percentage of children living in absolute low income families is in the second most deprived decile (40.4%), followed by the most deprived decile (38.4%), whereas the lowest percentage is in the second least deprived decile (3.9%) followed by the least deprived decile (6.4%) for 2022/23 (Child and Maternal Health Profiles, 2023).
Children in relative low income families (under 16s)
The children in relative low income families measure is useful for comparing the situation in local areas and measuring the number and proportion of individuals who are currently in low income compared to the current median income. Relative low income is defined as a family in low income Before Housing Costs (BHC) in the reference year. A family must have claimed one or more of Universal Credit, Tax Credits or Housing Benefit at any point in the year to be classed as low income in these statistics.
Relative low income sets a threshold as 60 percent of the UK average (median) income and moves each year as average income changes. It is used to measure the number and proportion of individuals who have income below this threshold. The percentage of individuals in relative low income will decrease if:
- Average (median) income stays the same or rises and individuals with lower incomes see their incomes rise more than the average, or
- Average (median) incomes fall and individuals with lower incomes see their incomes fall less than average incomes (Maternal and Child Health Profiles, 2023).
Based on the most recent data from 2022/23, 26.7% of children under 16 years of age are in relative low income families, higher (statistically significant) than the England average of 19.8% (Maternal and Child Health Profiles, 2023). The proportion in Bury has increased gradually over time from its lowest figure of 18.7% in 2014/15, to its highest figure of 26.7% in 2022/23. Bury has remained significantly worse than England in this measure for the observed time period and there is an increasing and getting worse trend (statistically significant). The percentage has also increased across England, although at a slower rate, as it increased from 15.3% in 2014/15 to 19.8% in 2022/23 (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Proportion (%) of children in relative low income families (under 16s) for Bury and England from the year 2014/15 to 2022/23 (Child and Maternal Health, 2023)
Bury has the highest percentage of children living in relative low income families compared to its statistical neighbours for 2022/23, with the lowest percentage in Stockport of 17.6% (Maternal and Child Health Profiles, 2023). Examining data by Bury wards, the highest percentage of children in relative poverty ranges from the highest of 49.2% in Bury East and the lowest North Manor at 9.9%. This gives a range of 39.3 (Table 3).
Table 3: Percentage of children living in relative poverty (before housing costs) by ward in Bury (2023)
Data by parliamentary constituency shows that the percentage of children living in relative poverty (after housing costs) in Bury North is at 42.1% and in Bury South is at 37%. There are no data on inequalities at Bury level, however the data at England level suggests the percentage of children living in relative low income families increases as the level of deprivation increases. The highest percentage of children living in relative low income families is 50.1% in the second most deprived decile, followed by 48.5% in the most deprived decile and the lowest percentage is 5.1% in the second least deprived decile, followed by 7.6% in the third least deprived decile and 7.8% in the least deprived decile for 2022/23 (Maternal and Child Health Profiles, 2023).
Free school meals: % eligible among all pupils
This indicator provides insights into child poverty and serves as a proxy for socioeconomic disadvantage among school-aged children. It is defined as the percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals who attend a state funded nursery, primary, secondary, alternative provision and special schools and non-maintained special schools.
The most recent data on eligibility of free school meals are for 2023/24, where the figure in Bury was 23.7%, lower (statistically significant) than the England average of 24.6%. The trend data based on 5 most recent data points suggests that the free school eligibility in Bury is increasing and the gap (%) compared with England has remained relatively stable. Free school eligibility was similar to the England average for 2014/15 (15.3% in Bury vs 15.2% in England) and 2020/21 (20.9% in Bury vs 20.8% in England) but was above England’s average (statistically significant) throughout the period 2015/16 to 2019/20. Free school eligibility has increased gradually from 16.1% in 2018/19 to 23.7% in 2023/24 in Bury and from 15.2% to 24.6%in England for the same time period. For the last three time periods, Bury has been significantly lower (statistically significant) than England in this measure (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Proportion (%) eligible of free school meals among all pupils for Bury and England from 2014/15 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024)
Bury has the second lowest percentage eligible for free school meals among all pupils in its group of six statistical children service neighbours, with the lowest percentage in Stockport at 20.8% and highest in Stockton-on Tees at 27.7% (Child and Maternal Health, 2024). Data on inequalities for Bury are unavailable. Examining data at England level by deprivation suggests increasing % eligibility of free school meals among all pupils with increasing levels of deprivation. The most deprived decile in England has 36.3% of children eligible, compared with 14.5% in the least deprived decile for the year 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2024).
Percentage of children with free school meal status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception
In 2023/24, 48.7% of children with free school meal status in Bury achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception. This was lower than the national average of 51.5%, but the difference was not statistically significant. In 2022/23, the proportion in Bury had slightly decreased to 48.4%, also statistically similar but lower than England’s 51.6%. In 2021/22, 50.2% of children with free school meal status in Bury reached a good level of development, which was higher but still statistically similar to the national figure of 49.1%. A recent trend could not be calculated (Figure 4). (Child and Maternal Health 2025)
Figure 4: Percentage (%) of children with free school status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception for Bury and England for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2025)
Bury has the 2nd highest percentage of children with free school meal status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in its group of 6 statistical children service neighbours with the highest percentage in Stockton-on-Tees at 54.1% and lowest in Sefton at 41.3% (Child and Maternal Health, 2025).
Data on inequalities for Bury are available by sex. For 2023/24, 58.6% of females achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, statistically better than the Bury average, compared to 41.2% of males, statistically similar to the Bury average.
Data on inequalities for England are available by deprivation, ethnic groups, special educational needs (SEN) status and by sex.
Analysis of the data on deprivation shows a higher percentage of children with free school meal status achieving a good level ot development at the end of Reception in the most deprived deciles and a lower percentage in the least deprived deciles. In 2023/24, 54.2% of children with free school meal status in the most and 2nd most deprived deciles achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception. In the least deprived decile, 46.6% of children achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception, 48.2% in the 2nd least deprived decile and 48.6%% in the 4th least deprived decile.
Inequalities for ethnic groups show the Asian/Asian British including Chinese (59.4%) and Black/African/Caribbean/Black British (57.3%) ethnic groups having the highest and statistically better proportion of children with free school meal status achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2023/24. White (49.1%) had the lowest and statistically worse proportions when compared to England average with not known/not stated (50.8%) having a statistically similar proportion to England average.
Special educational needs (SEN) status inequality data shows 19.3% of children with SEN support and 3.1% of children with a Statement or EHCP with free school meal status have the lowest rates of achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception. Data shows 61.2% of free school meal status children in England with no identified SEN achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception in 2023/24.
By sex, a higher percentage of females (60.1%) with free school meal status achieved a good level of development at the end of Reception compared to males (43.2%).
School readiness comparison of data for children with and without free school meal status.
In Bury, for the period 2023/24, 65.0% of children without free school meal status achieve a good level of development at the end of Reception compared to 48.7% of children with free school meal status (figure 5).
Figure 5: Inequalities in percentage (%) of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception in Bury for the period 2023/24 (Child and Maternal Health, 2025)
Average Attainment 8 Score among children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
Educational attainment is influenced by both the quality of education children receive and their family socio-economic circumstances. Being on FSM is considered to be a good indicator of socio-economic disadvantage in the UK. Children and young people in the UK are usually eligible for free school meals (FSM) if their parents or carers are on a low income or in receipt of certain benefits. Children on FSM perform relatively poorly compared to counterparts without FSM.
This indicator shows attainment for children eligible for free school meals. Attainment is measured via the Average Attainment 8 measure which is calculated by adding together a pupil’s highest scores across eight government approved qualifications (including GCSEs and EBacc). Pupils are at the end of Key Stage 4 (KS4) aged 15-16 and attending state-funded schools in England.
Most recent data from 2020/21 suggests that the Average Attainment 8 score of children on FSM in Bury is in the 2nd worst quintile in England at 37.9, with the England average at 39.1 (Child and Maternal Health, 2022).
No trend data are available for Bury and England.
No inequalities data are present for Bury and England. However, this indicator should be compared to the general Average Attainment 8 Score. As pupils eligible for FSM fall under the definition of disadvantage, it can be useful to see the difference in average scores and whether local and national policy interventions are having an impact. This indicator is ily available for 2020/21 for Bury and presented below (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Inequalities in Average 8 Attainment scores comparing Average 8 Attainment score with Average 8 Attainment score among children eligible for FSM in Bury for the period 2020/21
Fuel Poverty
A household is considered to be fuel poor if they are living in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below And when they spend the required amount to heat their home, they are left with a residual income below the official poverty line.There is compelling evidence that the drivers of fuel poverty (low income, poor energy efficiency, and energy prices) are strongly linked to cold homes. Evidence shows that living in cold homes is associated with poor health outcomes and an increased risk of morbidity and mortality for all age groups; furthermore, studies have shown that more than one in five (21.5%) excess winter deaths in England and Wales are attributable to the coldest quarter of housing. The Government is interested in the amount of energy households need to consume to have a warm, well-lit home, with hot water for everyday use, and the running of appliances. Therefore fuel poverty is measured based on required energy bills rather than actual spending. This ensures that those households who have low energy bills simply because they actively limit their use of energy at home, for example, by not heating their home are not overlooked.
This indicator is defined as the percentage of households in an area that experience fuel poverty based on the "low income, low energy efficiency (LILEE)" methodology. The percentage of households experiencing fuel poverty in Bury for the year 2021 was 13.1% similar to England average of 13.1% and placing it in the middle quintile for England (Wider determinants of health, 2021). Trend data for Bury suggests that proportion of households in fuel poverty slightly declined from 13.4% in 2019 to 13.1% in 2022. A similar decline was seen in England (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Percentage of households in an area that experience fuel poverty for Bury and England from the year 2019 to 2022
Bury has the 8th highest proportion of households in fuel poverty for the year 2022, with the highest proportion in Calderdale of 18.1% and the lowest in Bracknell Forest of 6.1%. No data on inequities are available for Bury. Data for England are available by deprivation, working status, tenure, household composition, and ethnic groups for the year 2022. Analysis by deprivation shows a clear social gradient in fuel poverty, with the proportion of affected households increasing as deprivation levels rise. The highest rate is seen in the most deprived decile (18%), compared to 8.4% in the least deprived. Differences are also evident by employment status. Households where the main respondent is unemployed (38.1%) or in full-time education (38.4%) experience the highest levels of fuel poverty. In contrast, those in full-time work (8.4%) or retired (11.6%) are least affected.
Fuel poverty is most prevalent in privately rented households (25%), compared to 9.1% in owner-occupied homes. Household composition also plays a role, with lone parent households with dependent children experiencing the highest levels (29.3%), and couples under 60 without dependent children the lowest (6.8%). By ethnicity, households from ethnic minority backgrounds have higher levels of fuel poverty (17.2%) compared with white households (12.4%), highlighting further inequalities that may require targeted action.
Average weekly earnings
The Average Weekly Earnings indicator is designed to give insight into the variation of economic resources across areas and between subgroups (men and women, income decile). The indicator is a key component of the Income domain in this profile as earnings are the primary source of income. Research has shown that income is related to life expectancy and disability free life expectancy, as well as self-reported health and a range of biomarkers. Financial resources can determine the extent to which a person can invest in goods and services which improve health, and purchase of goods and services which are actively bad for health. Low incomes can also prevent active participation in social life and the following social norms affecting feelings of self-worth and status. The relationship can also operate in the reverse direction, where poor health limits a person's ability to earn money. Though low income in particular is an important focus (and is reflected in the range of income indicators in the domain) the relationship between income and health outcomes operates across the income gradient[2], warranting an indicator which gives insight into earnings across the population distribution. Median average earnings is used instead of the mean to mitigate the impact of the skewed earnings distribution, in which there are a larger numbers of low earners and fewer very high earners. This measure of earnings includes full and part-time workers because the aim of the indicator is to provide insight into the economic resources available to people, not to compare wage rates per se (for which comparing full-time wages may be more appropriate). The measure excludes overtime payments because such earnings are potentially more erratic. Though other sources of earnings data exist, ASHE is considered to be a more accurate source of information on earnings at the local authority level due to the large sample size and given that the information is provided by employers through the PAYE system rather than being self-reported by employees.
This indicator is defined as Median gross (before tax, National Insurance and other deductions) weekly earnings in pounds (£) of full and part-time employees paid through the PAYE system, excluding over-time. Based upon employees resident location. Reference period is a point during April each year.
The average weekly earnings in Bury for the year 2023 were £553, statistically similar to England average of £565.7 (Wider determinants of health, 2023).
Trend data for Bury suggests that median gross weekly earnings have increased steadily over time, rising from £398.90 in 2011 to £553.00 in 2023. Notable growth occurred between 2015 (£444.80) and 2020 (£497.00), followed by further increases to £533.20 in 2022 and £553.00 in 2023. In recent years, median gross weekly earnings in Bury have shown signs of stabilisation, with more gradual year-on-year increases.
Across England, the trend has also been upward, with earnings rising from £390.00 in 2011 to £565.70 in 2023. Key increases were seen between 2018 (£451.20) and 2019 (£469.50), and again from 2020 (£475.60) to 2021 (£496.70) (Figure 8)
Figure 8: Median gross (before tax, National Insurance and other deductions) weekly earnings in pounds (£) of full and part-time employees paid through the PAYE system, excluding over-time for Bury and England from the year 20111 to 2023
Bury ranks 9th in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest average weekly earnings in Bexley of £669.3 and lowest in Tameside of £517.8. Data by inequities are available by sex only. Average weekly earnings for Males in Bury are £576.4 and for females are £505.8. Both are statistically similar to overall Bury average. Data for England are available by sex and decile boundaries. Males in England have higher average weekly earnings of £648.1 (statistically better than overall England average) and females have lower earnings of £481.8 (statistically better than overall England average). Looking at income distribution through decile boundaries, the data shows a wide range in earnings. Individuals in the 10th percentile, representing the lowest 10 percent of earners, have average weekly earnings of £191.50. In contrast, those in the 90th percentile, representing the highest 10 percent, earn £1,163.90 per week. This highlights the extent of income inequality across the population, with deciles providing a useful way to understand how earnings are spread from the lowest to the highest earners.
Gender pay gap (by workplace location)
Social inequality translates in health inequality by systematically distributing different resources to different members of society. Gender pay inequality has been reducing over the past few decades, but remains substantial. This indicator is designed to measure the difference in pay between men and women who work in a given area. The gender pay gap is presented here by workplace location instead of resident location to provide users with a workplace-centred view of the pay gap. It reflects less the different financial resources of residents, and more the role of local businesses in generating those differences (and may therefore support local campaigns to reduce the pay gap). This indicator complements the 'Average weekly earnings' indicator which, in contrast, does give insight into the different financial resources of men and women living in the local authority, having a more direct link to health outcomes. This indicator is defined as the absolute difference between median gross hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men and women as a proportion of median gross hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men, presented as a percentage. The value implies male earnings are greater than female earnings unless noted otherwise. The definition used for this indicator is the headline definition used by the ONS and so is comparable to figures which regularly appear in the press due to the introduction of reporting for larger workplaces. Median average earnings are used as the basis for this indicator to mitigate the impact of the skewed earnings distribution, in which there are a larger numbers of low earners and fewer very high earners. However, it has been noted that the use of the median may underestimate the pay gap to some extent as the majority of high earners who skew the distribution are men. The gender pay gap represents differences that emerge due to all factors that differentiate earnings for men and women (except differences in the amount of work done). It therefore encourages users to think about the many and varied reasons that men are on average paid more than women, be it gendered career trajectories which see more women than men reduce employment to care for children, or discrimination in the form of unequal pay for equal work or being looked over for promotion. Analytical techniques to decompose the pay gap have been used to explore the factors which drive the pay gap, providing insight into how the gap may be reduced.
For the year 2023, gender pay gap by workplace location in Bury was 17.1% compared with 15.5% in England, placing it in the 2nd worst quintile (Wider determinants of health, 2023). Examining trend data in Bury, the gender pay gap has fluctuated over time. It was 8.3% in 2011, rose sharply to 16.9% in 2012, then dropped to 4.2% in 2013. The gap widened again, peaking at 20.4% in 2021, before falling to 8.8% in 2022 and rising again to 17.1% in 2023.
In England, the trend has been more stable. The gap was 21.1% in 2011 and gradually declined over the years, reaching 15.3% in 2021. It remained relatively steady, increasing slightly to 15.5% by 2023 (Figure 9).
Figure 9: Gender pay gap (by workplace location) for Bury and England from the year 2011-2023
Bury has the 7th highest pay gap in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest pay gap in Bracknell Forest of 41.2% and lowest in Tameside of 4.2%. No data on inequities are available for Bury and England.
Homelessness: households owed a duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act
Homelessness is associated with severe poverty and is a social determinant of health. It often results from a combination of events such as relationship breakdown, debt, adverse experiences in childhood and through ill health. Homelessness is associated with poor health, education and social outcomes, particularly for children. The Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) introduced new homelessness duties which meant significantly more households are being provided with a statutory service by local housing authorities than before the Act came into force in April 2018. The HRA introduced new prevention and relief duties, that are owed to all eligible households who are homeless or threatened with becoming homeless, including those single adult households who do not have ‘priority need’ under the legislation.
This indicator is defined as households owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act expressed as crude rate per 1,000 estimated total households. The rate in Bury for the year 2023/24 was 13.3 per 1,000 estimated total households, statistically similar to England average of 13.4 per 1,000 households. In Bury, the crude rate of households owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act has fluctuated over time. It began at 11.0 per 1,000 households in 2019/20, dropped to 8.9 in 2020/21, then gradually increased to 9.4 in 2021/22, 11.6 in 2022/23, and reached 13.3 in 2023/24. In England, the trend has been more stable. The rate was 12.3 in 2019/20, dipped slightly to 11.3 in 2020/21, and then rose gradually, reaching 13.4 in the most recent year (Figure 10). Trend data based on the five most recent data points suggests that the trend is increasing and getting worse (Wider determinants of health, 2023).
Figure 10: Households owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act expressed as crude rate per 1,000 estimated total households for Bury and England from the year 2019/20 to 2023/24
Bury has the 9th highest rate in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest rate in Stockton-on-Tees of 25.6 and lowest in Trafford of 8.9. No data on inequities are available for Bury. Data for England suggests a deprivation gradient with the highest rate in fourth more (14.8) and most deprived (17.3) deciles and lowest rate in the least deprived decile (8.7).
Homelessness - households with dependent children owed a duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act
This indicator is defined as ‘Households including one or more dependent children owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act, crude rate per 1,000 estimated households that include at least one dependent child. Children should count as dependent if they are under 18 and living at home.’
Homelessness in Bury for the year 2022/23 is 14.3 per 1,000 household, statistically lower than England average of 16.1 (Child and Maternal Health Profile, 2023). Amongst Bury’s group of 6 statistical children service neighbours, Bury has the second highest rate, with the highest rate in Stockton-on-Tees at 27.3 and lowest in Sefton at 7.5 (Child and Maternal Health Profile, 2023).
There are no data on inequalities for Bury. Data for England are available by levels of deprivation, with higher rates in the most deprived decile (20.1) and lowest in the least deprived decile (10.5).
Homelessness - households owed a duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act (main applicant aged 16 to 24)
This indicator is defined as households owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act, where the main applicant is aged 16-24 years and is expressed as crude rate per 1,000 estimated households. Homelessness in Bury (main applicant aged 16 to 24) for the year 2021/22 was 2 per 1,000 households, statistically similar to England average of 2.4 per 1,000 households (Wider determinants of health, 2022). Bury has the 4th lowest rate in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest rate in Stockton-on-Tees of 6.2 and lowest rate in Bexley of 1.2. There are no data on inequalities for Bury. Data for England are available by levels of deprivation, with higher rates in the most deprived decile (3.4) and lowest in the least deprived decile (1.2).
Homelessness - households owed a duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act (main applicant aged 55 and over)
This indicator is defined as households owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act, where the main applicant is aged 55 years and over and is expressed as crude rate per 1,000 estimated households. Homelessness in Bury (main applicant aged 55 years and over) for the year 2021/22 was 1.8 per 1,000 households statistically better compared to England average of 2.8 (Wider determinants of health, 2022). Bury has the 3rd lowest rate in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest rate in Stockton-on-Tees of 5.5 and lowest rate in Calderdale of 1.7. Data for England suggests a inequities by levels of deprivation with the highest rate in fourth more (4.7), fifth most deprived (3.6) and most deprived (3.2) deciles and lowest rate in the least deprived decile (2).
Homelessness: households in temporary accommodation
This indicator is defined as households in temporary accommodation, expressed as crude rate per 1,000 estimated total households. The rate of households in temporary accommodation for the year 2023/24 in Bury was 1.6 per 1,000 households statistically better compared to England average of 4.6 (Wider determinants of health, 2024). Trend data for Bury suggests an increasing and worsening trend (Based on 5 most recent data points) with rates gradually increasing from 0.6 in 2019/20 to a peak of 1.6 in 2023/24. England saw a similar trend with rates increasing from 3.8 in 2019/20 to a peak of 4.6 in 2023/24 (Figure 11). The rate in Bury has remained statistically better than England average from 2019/20 to 2023/24.
Figure 11: Households in temporary accommodation, expressed as crude rate per 1,000 estimated total households
Bury has the 6th lowest rate in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest rate in Sutton of 11.2 and lowest rate in Telford and Wrekin of 0.9. There are no data on inequities for Bury. Data for England does not show a clear social gradient. While some of the more deprived deciles have elevated rates, the pattern is inconsistent. For example, the highest rate is observed in the fourth more deprived decile (9 per 1,000 households), rather than the most deprived. Similarly, some less deprived deciles, such as the third least deprived, also show relatively high rates (5.3 per 1,000), while others in both more and less deprived groups have lower rates. This suggests that while there are inequities in homelessness risk across deprivation levels, they do not follow a smooth or linear gradient. Other local or structural factors may be influencing the distribution of need.
Mortgage home repossessions: rate per 100,000 dwellings
Individuals who experience home repossessions due to mortgage defaults are at a heightened risk of developing common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. This may be associated with losing the security of owned housing and the often transitory nature of the rented housing population. Monitoring mortgage repossessions is crucial for understanding the financial stress faced by homeowners and its broader impact on mental health. This indicator provides valuable insights into economic stability and helps inform targeted interventions aimed at preventing home loss and supporting those at risk.
This indicator is defined as the number of mortgaged home repossession claims started as a crude rate per 100,000 dwellings. The rate in Bury for the year 2023 was 221, statistically similar to England average of 231.7. The rate in Bury increased from 110.5 in 2021 to 198.2 in 2022 and 221 in 2023. The rate in England also increased from 121 in 2021 to 184.7 in 2022 and 231.7 in 2023 (Wider determinants of health, 2023). Bury ranks 9th in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest rate in Bexley of 318.6 and lowest rate in Stockport of 153.9. There are no data on inequities for Bury. Data for England suggests a deprivation gradient with highest rate in the most deprived decile (354.1) and lowest in the least deprived decile (168.8).
Landlord home repossessions: rate per 100,000 dwellings
Landlord repossessions serve as a critical proxy indicator for financial distress among tenants. High rates of repossession claims initiated by landlords—whether private, public, or through accelerated procedures, often reflect underlying issues such as debt, unemployment, or inadequate financial support systems. Monitoring this indicator helps identify areas where tenants are particularly vulnerable, informing policies and interventions aimed at preventing eviction and supporting those at risk of homelessness. There is strong evidence that experiencing housing payment problems and housing insecurity has a detrimental effect on mental health. There were larger effects for people who are more likely to suffer housing and financial insecurity, including renters, younger people, people with fewer educational qualifications, and families with children.
This indicator is defined as the crude rate of home repossession claims started from private, public and accelerated landlords per 100,000 dwellings. The rate in Bury for the year 2023 was 1,008 per 100,000 dwellings, statistically similar to England average of 1,036 (Wider determinants of health, 2023). Trend data for Bury suggests that the rate sharply increased from 297 in 2021 to 882 in 2022 and a peak of 1,008 in 2023. England saw a similar sharp rise with rates increasing from 421 in 2021 to 859 in 2022 and a peak of 1,036 in 2023. Bury ranks 8th in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest rate in Havering of 2,280 and lowest rate in Swindon of 538. There are no data on inequities for Bury. Data for England does not show a clear or consistent social gradient in the rate of home repossession claims started from private, public and accelerated landlords per 100,000 dwellings. While some of the more deprived deciles, such as the fourth and fifth most deprived, have the highest rates (1,344 and 1,252 per 100,000 respectively), the most deprived decile has a rate of 1,068. Additionally, the third least deprived decile shows a relatively high rate of 1,123, which is higher than several more deprived groups. The least deprived decile has the lowest rate at 771 per 100,000. These variations suggest that although deprivation is a contributing factor, the relationship is not linear or uniform across all deciles.
Food Insecurity (INDIRECT measure) – percentage of local authority population living in areas at highest risk of food insecurity
The Food Standards Agency define Food Security as ‘having access at all times to enough food that is both sufficiently varied and culturally appropriate to sustain an active and healthy life’. Poor diet is one of the largest contributors to the burden of non-communicable disease in the UK. The impact of living in a state of food insecurity is associated with a number of negative physical, mental and social health outcomes in adults and children. Studies have shown some groups are affected by food insecurity more than others and single adults with multiple children are particularly at risk.
Data on food bank usage has been monitored for some time but is not an appropriate proxy for food insecurity. Some evidence suggests that fewer people use food banks than are vulnerable to food insecurity. Location of food banks is often based on community resources and local social networks. Food insecurity is a major challenge for the government's levelling up agenda and is particularly pertinent with the rising cost of living.
Food insecurity is commonly assessed using specific questionnaires as in the Food Standards Agency food tracker survey and the Family Resources Survey. However, these data sources do not provide estimates of food insecurity below regional level. The data in this indicator attempts to bridge that gap by providing local authority estimates of population at risk from food insecurity. This indicator allows policy makers and researchers to identify areas with populations at higher risk of food insecurity to enable effective interventions to be put into place.
This indicator is defined as the percentage of the lower tier local authority (LTLA) population who live in Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) which score in the 20% at highest risk nationally on the Food Insecurity Risk Index. The percentage in Bury for the year 2022 was 23.8%, increasing from 22.6% for the year 2021 and placing it in the 2nd worst quintile in England (Wider determinants of health, 2022). This indicator is not available for England as it is a local authority measure.
Bury ranks 8th in its group of 16 similar local authorities, with the highest rate in Rochdale of 47.1% and lowest rate in Sutton of 5.6%. There are no data on inequities for Bury.