Last Updated: 2025-05-06 13:33:52
Tackling Poverty Toolkit
Why focus on poverty?
Poverty and poor health are bidirectional in cause and effect: poverty is a key driver of poor health, and poor health is a key driver of poverty. Thus, those that experience poverty tend to experience poorer health outcomes and poor health outcomes can impact socio-economic status. Poverty is a significant issue in Greater Manchester. Home to some of the UK’s highest levels of poverty, 37% of children live in poverty across the city region and 9 of the 10 boroughs have child poverty rates1 higher than the national average (Resolve Poverty, 2024).
As well as taking a significant toll on individuals, poverty generates additional, preventable costs for the NHS. In 2016, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) estimated the cost of poverty on healthcare (i.e., additional public spending due to greater health care need and use) at £29 billion, equivalent to £34 billion in today’s prices (The King’s Fund, 2024). Poverty has a direct impact on the ability of local people to access NHS services, as shown by the statistics on the following page (Source: GM Residents’ Survey (July 2024))
For more in-depth analysis of poverty rates and other related statistics across the Greater Manchester city-region, please visit the North West Poverty Monitor (Resolve Poverty, 2024a). All-in-all, the links between poverty and health are unambiguous: “poverty causes ill health, drives inequality in health outcomes and increases use of health services. In addition to the personal stress it causes, poverty is also expensive, [both] in direct costs to the state and in lost opportunity and productivity” (The King’s Fund, 2022). Equipped with the correct knowledge and tools, NHS GM can mitigate, reduce and prevent the effects of poverty on health. Our recommendations seek to do just this.
*NEW* Tackling Poverty Guidance Document Now Available!
To view the Tackling Poverty Guidance Document click here
Socio-Economic Duty
The socio-economic duty is a powerful tool that helps public bodies consider how their decisions can reduce health inequality caused by socio-economic disadvantage. Follow the links below to view a practical implementation guide for local authorities, a factsheet explaining what the socio-economic duty means in practice, and to read about real examples of the socio-economic duty in action.
The Voice of Lived Experience
NHS GM Population Health Directorate Lived Experience Participation Fund
The Lived Experience Participation Fund has been developed in recognition of the positive impact People With Lived Experience (PWLE) have on shaping the NHS GM Population Health programmes of work and our ongoing commitment to co-production with PWLE.
Through the fund, PWLE will now be able to be reimbursed for their valued contributions to shaping our programmes of work including WWP. This could include but is not exclusive to: attending a focus group / meeting, reviewing documentation, preparation for a presentation or sharing expertise and insights. The fund also extends to cover transportation costs of PWLE when attending events in-person.
The reimbursement amount is £20/hour and participants can choose a suitable payment method: BACS transfer, e-voucher or a donation to a charity of their choice.
For more information about the fund click here to view the guide or email Bhups Mistry (bhupendra.mistry@nhs.net) or Rachael Nielsen (rachael.nielsen@nhs.net) with any queries.
How Poverty Affects Greater Manchester
Did you know that 738,000 people in Greater Manchester are living in poverty? Find out how poverty affects the health of our residents by watching this video by Resolve Poverty (9 minutes).
Don't have much time? Check out the bitesize sections of the video below at your convenience.
Poverty Proofing
Tackling Poverty Reports
Numerous reports and statistical analyses have been released, providing valuable insights into the issues of poverty and the approaches to tackling health inequalities in Greater Manchester.
Click here to view the reports
Anti-Poverty Strategies Across Greater Manchester
As of February 2025, all ten local authorities in Greater Manchester have either implemented or committed to implementing anti-poverty strategies.
Click here to view the Tackling Poverty Strategies in Greater Manchester.
Policies
These reports outline the Greater Manchester approach to poverty proofing, including how NHS Greater Manchester, along with strategic and delivery partner, Resolve Poverty, are building the foundations of a health and care system that has tackling poverty at its heart, the priority actions for the remainder of 2024/25 and recommendations from Children North East.
Research
Intro text
Click here to view the Tackling Poverty Research / See below for Tackling Poverty Research
For more information on policy and research visit Resolve Poverty here.
Guidance and Resources for Leaders and Practitioners
Money Advice Referral Tool (MART)
Helping people dealing with poverty and finding information on where to refer people for appropriate support and advice is not always easy to find. The Resolve Poverty Money Advice Referral Tools (MARTs) aim to help these organisations and professionals by simplifying the process and putting the key information at their fingertips.
Click here to read more and access the Money Advice Referral Tool (MART)
Training and Workforce Development
Free Online Poverty Awareness Training - New Dates Coming Soon!
In 2023, along with our strategic partner, Resolve Poverty, we began delivering Poverty Awareness Training to colleagues working in health across Greater Manchester. As part of this programme, the partnership focussed on enabling health professionals understand the direct role they can play in addressing poverty, and to prevent the cycle of poverty deepening.
“Now I can more easily identify patients who have money issues and get them started on finding help” - Poverty Awareness Training attendee
Case Studies
Discover how innovative approaches and collaborative efforts are making a real impact in tackling poverty across Greater Manchester and beyond through our collection of compelling case studies.
Residents in Poverty Supported With at Home Connectivity
How the North Manchester Community Partnership (NMCP) became a Digital Inclusion Hub for local residents, providing SIM’s and mobile data to residents who can’t afford to stay connected.
AGMA's Customer Led Transformation Programme
A programme to develop customer insight to improve take-up of entitlement to services and benefits by low income families with young children across the Greater Manchester area.
Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE)
Defining, measuring and defining poverty through the PSE UK research project
Hope in the Deep End - Podcast Series
Exploring all the different complexities of working in areas of deprivation, poverty and entrenched health inequalities. From clinicians to youth workers, challenging and giving inspiration to all those that work in the deep end.
The Socio-Economic Duty in Action
Providing examples of successful implementation of the socio-economic duty through a series of case studies from England and Wales.
A City Region Response to the Cost of Living
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has been seeking to add value to the work of its 10 member councils by leading a whole system response to the cost of living pressures. This case study highlights some of the work that is being done and how the approach has also supported Trafford and Stockport councils.
Co-creating a Blueprint for the Reduction of Transport Poverty in Greater Manchester
A report for policymakers to encourage participative planning and engagement exercises with communities in the development and implementation of local transport plans. Research focuses on case studies in Oldham, Rochdale and Wigan in the development of the Bee Network.
Stockport engages with the Poverty Proofing the School Day programme and audit which identifies the barriers children living in poverty face to engaging fully with school life, case studies
FareShare Greater Manchester centres around food – bringing people together to fight hunger and poverty. Tackling social isolation and creating some fantastic stories to celebrate.
Poverty Research and Advocacy Network (PRAN)
PRAN is an independent, collectively run advocacy network - bringing together various stakeholders to amplify voices fighting against poverty and injustice, along with insightful case studies
Health and care systems can mitigate, reduce and prevent poverty’s effects on health, but to do this they need to be much better at sharing and acting on data. Centre for Progressive Policy sets out the data available, explores existing good practice, and what needs to happen next.
Stockport Attendance Allowance Uptake Pilot
Pilot assessing the effectiveness of using GP records as a means of targeting likely-eligible AA claimants and to maximise benefit take-up amongst Stockport's older resident group to support their health and wellbeing and help them to maintain independence.
Data