News

Heartbreaking new figures show 35% of all children in the North West are living in poverty

A tough pill to swallow.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 3rd June 2025

35% of all children in the North West are currently living in poverty, some heartbreaking new figures have revealed.

Some new research carried out to understand regional levels of child poverty, conducted by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty Coalition, has sadly revealed over a third (35%) of all children in the North West are living in what is called ‘relative poverty’, after the cost of housing is considered – which is higher than the national average standing at 31%. 

Over in the Lancashire authority of Pendle, this figure reaches 45%, making it the second highest rate of all local authorities in the country.

In Greater Manchester, both Oldham and Manchester join Pendle in the list of the 10 council areas with the highest child poverty rates in the UK, as well as Blackburn with Darwen, and Hyndburn, and to make matters worse, the North West features on the list more times than any other region nationwide.

Rusholme was identified as the Manchester area with the highest percentage rating – with more than half (51.3%) of all children there living in poverty. 

88% of constituencies across the North West have a quarter of children in poverty.

This could lead to things like families being forced to use food banks, children going without warm clothes in winter, or living in cold or unsafe housing.

As a result of these shocking statistics being revealed, the End Child Poverty Coalition – which represents more than 135 organisations across the UK – is calling on the Government to meet its manifesto commitment to address these high levels of child poverty, not just in the North West but also across the rest of country. 

“These figures should demonstrate to Government just how important it is to quickly address this so       to prevent another generation of children from growing up in low-income families,” commented Rachel Walters, who is the End Child Poverty Coalition Manager.

“The Government’s strategy to tackle child poverty must invest in children in areas with higher levels of poverty, like the North West.”

Graham Whitham, who is a End Child Poverty Coalition spokesperson and the Chief Executive of Resolve Poverty, added: “No child should go without the things they need to be healthy and happy.

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“The Government’s forthcoming national Child Poverty Strategy must demonstrate a clear ambition to ending child poverty in this country, backed by specific targets and immediate investment in social security.”

Featured Image – RawPixel

News

Manchester is working to make residents with terminal illnesses exempt from paying council tax

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Patient in a hospital bed

Manchester is aiming to become one of the UK’s major cities to exempt its residents with terminal illnesses from paying council tax.

After Marie Curie’s recent ‘Dying in Poverty’ report found that around 42% of working age and 30% of pension-age residents in Manchester die while living in financial hardship, Manchester City Council has announced that it’ll be working together with the UK’s leading end of life charity to ensure that those with terminal illnesses become exempt from paying council tax.

The Council says addressing this ‘profoundly important issue’ is at the heart of a larger plan to support the most vulnerable residents in Manchester.

New proposals set out a plan for the Council to change its Discretionary Council Tax Policy (DCTP) to explicitly include a commitment to support people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

To become exempt, clinicians will need to fill out a form to confirm that a person has a progressive disease, and consequently is expected to pass away within a 12-month period.

Council Tax
Manchester is working to make residents with terminal illnesses exempt from paying council tax / Credit: gov.uk

Using DCTP, the Council will then make up the difference of any shortfall in council tax, so that in any situation where a member of the household qualifies – whether an adult, child or non-dependant – the household will have nothing to pay.

The support will then apply to the household’s council tax bill until the date of the persons death.

The Council will also be working to ensure that a ‘tell us once’ protocol is in place so that, in the event of a claimant’s passing, no undue burden will fall upon their family, and steps will also be in place to retain the discount for the remainder of the financial year to provide additional support for the passed person’s family.

Once delivered, it’s estimated that this scheme could support around 175 residents in Manchester – the majority of which would be of working age.

“The moment when you or your family member gets the devastating news of terminal illness is heartbreaking,” commented Manchester City Council leader, Cllr Bev Craig, as the plans were announced this week.

“The last thing you need to worry about is money and bills, but we know for too many people it takes up too much time and stress.

“Too many people are living in poverty in our city… and that’s why we are exempting people with a terminal illness from council tax, alongside a wider package of support with the cost of living, doing everything in our power to ensure families have one less thing to worry about during such a difficult time.

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“We want to thank Marie Curie for their vital work, and as a Council want to do all we can to ease the burden at the end of someone’s life.”

Featured Image – Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)

News

Hotspur Press to be part-demolished following catastrophic fire

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Hotspur Press to be part-demolished following catastrophic fire

Manchester’s historic Hotspur Press will be partially demolished following the fire that tore through the building earlier this week.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said that part of the centuries-old mill would need to be pulled down to enable safe firefighting.

The Hotspur Press building stands just off Whitworth Street West behind Oxford Road train station, and previously operated as a printing press.

It later became a home for artist studios and creative spaces until officially becoming derelict in the late 2010s.

Despite standing empty, the magnificent old mill has been an iconic and oft-photographed landmark in Manchester, and one of only a handful left in the city centre.

But that huge fire on Monday evening has gutted the Hotspur Press, and now it will be ‘partially’ demolished.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Firefighters continue to work hard to bring the fire at Hotspur Press to a safe conclusion. Alongside Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Police and partners, a decision has now been made to partially demolish the Hotspur Press building over the coming days.

“This is to enable safe firefighting and excavation in areas that are currently inaccessible, mitigating any risk to life. This will also allow safe internal investigations to begin.”

Plans have been in place to turn The Hotspur Press into a student accommodation tower block, which had included a 35-storey student tower built out of the original mill facade.

The Manc has contacted property developers Manner, who own the Hotspur Press site, to see what will happen to the space following the blaze.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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