Regional Reporting: Gloucester’s Cost-of-Living and Health Inequalities
Written by Project Officer, Japheth Monzon
According to Money Expert, Gloucester ranks in the top 20 towns/cities in the United Kingdom that have most been impacted by the Cost of Living Crisis. This staggering statistic is based on Money Expert’s research ‘The Cost of Living Crisis: Which UK Towns & Cities have been most affected’ (April 2023).
In their research, Money Expert looked at several factors, with a particular focus on the following:
Decreases and increases in average salaries within the locale.
Changes in rental payments.
Online searches relating to food banks.
Surveying towns and cities throughout the United Kingdom, Gloucester is ranked the fifth most prominent location for rent increases. Money Expert looks at the percentage change of rent from January 2022 to January 2023, with Gloucester placing fifth with an average rental price increase of 32.35%, followed by Aberdeen and London at sixth and seventh places respectively. In addition to this, Gloucester ranks the lowest in terms of salary increases, with a notable decrease in salary by 6.63%. Juxtaposing this statistic with the Consumer Price Index’s inflation rate – standing at 10.7% – this salary decrease is well below what is required to allow for the ordinary Gloucester resident to maintain an ordinary, healthy, lifestyle.
Gloucester, part of the larger South West region of England, contains an estimated 650,000 residents as of 2020, with an average age of 42.7 years of age. Moreover, Gloucester holds slightly fewer people of working age (16-64) than the English and Welsh average, at 60.3% compared to 62.2%. In conjunction, Gloucester also has more older residents than the English and Welsh average, at 21.7% compared to 18.6%. These statistics, taken from PlumPlot, are more than just surface numbers but can be used to gain deeper insights into why the Cost of Living Crisis has impacted this area so strongly and also allows us to make correlations between the increasing cost of living and health disparities noted by BSWN’s research (Lodi, 2023).
Photograph taken from the Gloucestershire Race Equality Action Group report.
Gloucester, just by the doorstep of the city of Bristol, was included in BSWN’s Cost-of-Living Report on Black and Minoritised Communities in the South West of England (Monzon, 2023). The research found that more than 75% of respondents self-reported having struggled with affording basic amenities such as toiletries, groceries, and clothing. Amongst the 93 Black respondents, 78% stated the same. On a deeper analysis, two crucial findings were uncovered. Firstly, 79% of respondents were struggling financially in paying just one type of bill – whether a utility bill or taxation. Specifically, 97% of those struggling with bills had particular ire towards the rising cost of electricity. Half of those struggling with bills were struggling to pay three or more bills, having recognised that these payments do not operate in isolation but operate concurrently on a monthly basis.
Money Expert’s research also found that people were beginning to rely on food banks. A spokesperson for Money Expert poignantly states: “Without significant changes, this cycle will continue to perpetuate, leaving many families struggling to make ends meet. Whether we see positive changes ultimately depends on the actions taken by governments to help address the root causes of the cost of living crisis – an acute housing shortage, low pay and soaring inflation.” Certainly, this is corroborated by Shelter, with whom BSWN has a continuing partnership through a joint Housing Rights Awareness Workshop Series. Shelter’s research on Bristol’s ‘Home Truths’ reveals three major issues in housing: firstly, that private rents are ‘out of control’; secondly, renters are living in poor conditions and at risk of losing their homes; and lastly, discrimination stops people from renting and causes homelessness (Picking, 2021). On a regional (South West) scale, the South West of England is the fourth-least affordable region to live in England, with a “yawning gap between prices and local earnings” – a finding supported by Money Expert’s research mentioned at the beginning of this article. This ‘yawning gap’ has, inevitably, impacted South West residents’ access to healthcare. In BSWN’s Cost-of-Living Report, respondents bemoaned their struggles in obtaining dental care, prescriptions, and general hygiene products, with one respondent in the average age range of Gloucester’s residences stating that she has issues with “washing as we’re not eating properly… [its] having a knock-on effect on incontinence… [I can’t] afford incontinence pads as [I am] only allowed four in 24 hours.” She also notes that she struggles to pay for carers as care packages provided to residents have not gone up. (Monzon, 2023)
BSWN’s report on Gloucestershire’s Healthcare Inequalities supports this, with 76% of respondents saying that the healthcare needs of their communities have not been met (Lodi, 2023). The report focused on Black and Minoritised communities as well as local VCSE organisations, and found that the following issues were the most pressing:
Intercultural communication failure
Racism and Stereotypical Assumptions
Long Wait due to COVID-19’s impact
Incorrect Diagnosis and Treatment
Maternity Service being Under Capacity
Lack of Access to Online Services
These factors, as noted by the report, are interconnected. With racist stereotyping comes issues of intercultural communication, which inevitably leads to incorrect diagnoses as well as improper treatment of Black and Minoritised pregnant people.
In spite of the mounting healthcare issues faced by the people of Gloucestershire, there are glimpses of hope for a better future. The report’s collaborators drafted ‘solutions from the sector,’ calling for:
Cross-Sectoral Expertise-Sharing to Bridge the Communication Divide.
Culturally Appropriate, Flexible and Personalised Support.
Providing a Safe Space for Cultural Expression & Feedback.
In regards to Gloucester’s economic and health inequalities, BSWN’s Regional Capacity Building Manager, Nathalie Sherring, has this to say:
“I was quite surprised reading the Money Expert’s report. I wouldn’t have expected to see such disparities. But this only serves to reinforce the need to have racial justice organisations, such as the South West Race Equality Action Group and the Gloucestershire Race Equality Action Group considering that, disproportionately, Black and Minoritised people would be affected the most.”
Photograph taken at the launch of the Gloucestershire Race Equality Action Group report.
The Cost-of-Living Crisis in Gloucester and the South West of England has had a severe impact on residents' health, access to healthcare, and overall quality of life. The research conducted by Money Expert and BSWN highlights the stark reality of the issue, with rent increases, salary decreases, and reliance on food banks becoming commonplace. The rising costs of living and inequalities in healthcare access have led to major health disparities, particularly for Black and Minoritised communities, who are struggling to afford basic amenities and face significant obstacles in accessing healthcare services. The problems are complex, and solutions require the efforts of the government, housing authorities, and healthcare providers. However, until significant changes are made, the challenges faced by residents in Gloucester and the South West of England will continue to have a devastating impact on their daily lives. In short, Money Expert is correct when they say:
“While there may be short-term solutions, long-term systemic change is necessary to truly improve the situation for those affected, such as more energy efficient homes and fairer salaries in line with inflation.”
Until systemic changes are made, smaller, localised acts of subsistence, survival and resistance can only do so much.
BSWN Reports
Impact of the Cost-of-Living Crisis on Black & Minoritised Communities in Bristol (Monzon 2023)
Referenced Work
Daisy Picking, ‘Housing in Bristol: what the local people say’, 10 March 2021, https://blog.shelter.org.uk/2021/03/what-do-locals-think-about-housing-in-bristol-2/, accessed 11 May 2023.
Ella Jessel, ‘South West at ‘breaking point’ due to unaffordability of housing, says new report’, 13 March 2023, https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/south-west-at-breaking-point-due-to-unaffordability-of-housing-says-new-report-80679, accessed 11 May 2023.
Kim Horton, ‘Gloucester ranked in top 20 places struggling with cost of living’, 8 May 2023, https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/gloucester-ranked-top-20-places-8410829, accessed 11 May 2023.
Money Expert, ‘The Cost of Living Crisis: Which UK Towns & Cities have been most affected’, April 2023, https://www.moneyexpert.com/news/the-cost-of-living-crisis/, accessed 11 May 2023.
PlumPlot, ‘Gloucester population statistics’, https://www.plumplot.co.uk/Gloucester-population.html#:~:text=Gloucester%20population%20statistics,years%20in%20the%20same%20period, accessed 11 May 2023.