Barking and Dagenham has the highest proportion of households suffering some form of deprivation in England and Wales, according to census data.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) released further data from Census 2021 this week.

Figures showed that 62.4 per cent of Barking and Dagenham households were deprived in at least one out of four 'dimensions' set out by the ONS.

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This compared to 51.7 pc across England and Wales overall.

A spokesperson for Barking and Dagenham Council said the borough continues to feel the impact of cuts to government grants.

They told the Post: "We’ve seen continued reduction in the money we receive and today, for every one pound we received 10 years ago, we now get just 60p.

"Our top priority is looking after our residents, whether that be caring for our most vulnerable, getting people into work or supporting parents on low income."

The council has launched a Cost of Living Alliance to help residents tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

But the authority's spokesperson said: "At the same time, demand for our services has outstripped what we are able to provide despite us changing the way we deliver services.

"We know that many of our residents, especially the most vulnerable, are facing tough situations and we will continue to devise ways to ensure we continue to protect frontline services and those for our most vulnerable."

They added the council is "ensuring that we provide homes and create employment opportunities through the new partnerships we have brought into the borough".

These include film studios and the re-location of Billingsgate, New Spitalfields and Smithfield markets to Dagenham, the council said.

According to an ONS spokesperson, the four dimensions of deprivation were employment, education, health and disability and housing.

A household was deemed to be deprived in employment where any member of it is unemployed or long-term sick.

Education deprivation was calculated as if no-one in a household has at least five or more GCSE passes or equivalent and no-one aged 16 to 18 is a full-time student.

Under health and disability, a household is deprived if any person in it has general health that is “bad” or “very bad” or is identified as disabled.

According to the ONS, a household is housing-deprived if its accommodation is either overcrowded, has one fewer room or bedroom required for the number of occupants, is in a shared dwelling or has no central heating.

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