Birmingham, among UK cities worst hit by cost of living, in need of “targeted support”.

Birmingham has been named among the areas of the UK most affected by financial difficulties – and in need of “targeted support”. The West Midlands city has a high number of debt-related internet searches carried out each month, along with rising unemployment rates and high living costs, according to new research.

With the new Labor government promising to tackle the cost of living and kickstart Britain’s economy, the study revealed which areas could be most in need of help from the proposed changes. This week, new Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall promised action to “put Britain back to work” through three main “fundamental reforms” that will shift the DWP’s focus from implementing Universal Credit to being a public service Employment.

Ms Kendall announced a new jobs and careers service, bringing together Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service to help people get into and thrive in the workplace; a new youth guarantee to provide training, an apprenticeship or help to find a job for all young people aged 18 to 21; and devolving powers from central government to set new local growth plans where mayors, local councils, the NHS, businesses, colleges and the voluntary sector can work together to provide job opportunities for local people.

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She admitted that Britain’s challenges were all much worse in parts of the Midlands and North. And now independent research appears to show the extent of the problems, as it named Birmingham sixth and Wolverhampton 11th in a list of the top 20 cities feeling the most financially challenged.

According to the Office for National Statistics, Birmingham’s average monthly salary is £30,999. The cost of living (including rent) in the city is estimated at a substantial £1,590 per month. Internet searches for debt-related terms in Birmingham average 2,998 per month, suggesting many are struggling and trying to find sources of help.

Meanwhile, 68,295 Birmingham residents are registered as unemployed – this includes those Universal Credit claimants who are required to look for work, as well as people on Jobseeker’s Allowance. In total, almost 135,000 (70 per cent) of Birmingham’s 192,000 Universal Credit recipients are not in work, with many signed up indefinitely as unfit for work due to poor physical or mental health and not included in unemployment figures.

Meanwhile, residents of neighboring Wolverhampton enjoy a slightly lower average salary of £29,905. But the monthly cost of living in this city is lower, averaging £1,338. There are 12,145 people registered as unemployed, including any of the city’s 26,659 Universal Credit claimants who need to find work.

Rochdale, Bolton, Oldham, Croydon and Manchester moved ahead of Birmingham in the Top 20, although unemployment numbers were lower. The analysis was carried out by Sambla, whose money expert Marcus Sätherström said: “These findings are a reflection of the worrying reality for a large part of the UK population. The high frequency of debt-related searches, combined with substantial unemployment rates and escalating living costs, underscores the need for targeted financial support in these areas.

“Being in debt is a stressful situation and breaking down your financial landscape can be a good place to start to make it more manageable. Start by assessing your situation and understanding how much you owe and to whom, taking into account interest rates and monthly minimums. payment.

“From here you’ll be able to set a realistic budget that takes into account all your expenses and helps you identify any areas where you can cut back. It’s important to prioritize paying off high-interest debt. such as credit cards, while making minimum payments on others.

“If you have multiple high-interest debts, consider simplifying your payments into a consolidation loan with a lower interest rate, making the debt more manageable and reducing the total amount you’ll pay over time.”

According to the research of the Citizens Advice Bureau, over 2.1 million households have a negative budget. That is five million people – including 1.5 million children – who are in households that cannot afford basic goods and are at risk of being pushed into debt.

In her landmark speech outlining how Britain’s employment support system needs to be overhauled, Work and Pensions Secretary Mrs Kendall said this week: “Employment is down, unemployment is up and the workforce of our work is shrinking. Britain is not working, in three harmful cases. ways.

“First, we have seen a record number of people – 2.8 million of our fellow citizens – locked out of the workforce due to long-term illness. A similar number actually work with health problems, often at risk of falling. The last Parliament saw the biggest increase in economic inactivity in the last 40 years.

“The second problem we face is that far too many people are stuck in low-paying, low-quality jobs. Many are in insecure jobs with unpredictable work patterns. The result is that too many people are in poverty despite having a job.

“The third major problem is that nearly 1 million young people are now not in education, employment or training. That is by 90,000 in just the last year. Young people experiencing poor mental health and lacking basic qualifications face the greatest disadvantages.

“Now these three challenges are much worse in parts of the Midlands and North. And it shows the extent of the challenge that this new government now has to face.”

The Sambla study can be found here. It includes the full list of the top 20 UK cities “feeling the most financial pressure”.

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