Poverty impacts Surrey residents, report finds

Inequality and poverty impacts thousands of Surrey residents, a new report has found

Inequality and poverty impacts thousands of Surrey residents – including children – despite its reputation as a prosperous county, a report has revealed.

The Understanding Inequality in Surrey report found that 20,000 children were growing up in poverty, racial minority groups were more than twice as likely to be unemployed, and women were hit harder by the cost-of-living crisis.

The report was presented at a Surrey County Council resources and performance select committee last week, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Robert Hughes said: "I think the image of Surrey being a county of golf courses, wealthy people and pretty villages are a small part of what Surrey is in reality."

'On the poverty line'

Councillor Mark Nuti, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "There are people out there who are feeling very alone at the moment.

"We do have people that are living on the poverty line, we do have people from different races and different ethnicities that aren't feeling part of these communities, who are feeling alone – as everywhere else in the country."

The report also found that Surrey had an overall gender pay gap of 21%, higher than the national average of 13%.

The employment rate of disabled residents was 68%, compared to 82% across the wider population, the report added.

It also found that digital exclusion impacted up to 50,000 residents in Surrey.

In terms of health outcomes, Gypsy and Irish Traveller residents experienced the worst health among working age people, while Bangladeshi origin residents experience the worst health among over 65s, the report found.

These demographics, alongside Pakistani and Black African origin residents, were more likely to live in poverty and overcrowded housing, it said.

Nikki Parkhill, the council's head of equality, diversity and inclusion, who authored the report, said the aim was to help shape work that can address these inequalities.

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