Social mobility ‘coldspots’ identified in new report

Social mobility in England is a ‘postcode lottery’ according to a new report and those from disadvantaged backgrounds have little chance of making a better life for themselves in ‘cold spots’ around the country.

The report by the Social Mobility Commission names the local areas which it believes offer the best and worst in terms of opportunities and social mobility.

It says there are large differences across areas in both the adult pay of disadvantaged adults, and the size of the pay gap for those from deprived families, relative to those from affluent families.

Disadvantaged young adults in areas with high social mobility can earn twice as much as their counterparts in areas where it is low – over £20,000 compared with under £10,000

And in areas of low social mobility, up to 33% of the pay gap is driven by family background and local market factors, over and beyond educational achievement.

According to the report, there are a number of ‘cold spots’ in England where those from disadvantaged backgrounds, entitled to free school meals, have little chance of making a better life for themselves or their children.

These areas include Chiltern, Bradford, Thanet, Bolton, Wolverhampton, Kingston-upon-Hull, Fenland, Mansfield, Walsall, Gateshead, Kirklees, St Helens, Dudley, Bolton and Wigan.

The report also highlights areas with high social mobility, where those from poorer backgrounds earn more and the pay gap with those from affluent families is smaller.

These include Forest Heath, West Oxfordshire, South Derbyshire, Cherwell, Kingston upon Thames, South Gloucestershire, Tower Hamlets, North Hertfordshire and Eden.

‘Not only do children from disadvantaged backgrounds have considerably lower school attainment and lower adult earnings than their peers from more affluent backgrounds, we also find large differences in the outcomes of children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the country,’ said IFS research economist and report co-author, Laura van der Erve.

‘This highlights that children’s opportunities in England are still defined by both the family they were born into and the area they grew up in.’

The acting director at the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) Helen Barnard said it was ‘simply not right’ that children’s life chances are so profoundly affected by where they grow up.

‘In the upcoming Budget and Spending Review, the government has an opportunity to redesign the systems that are failing children and young people,’ she added.

‘As this research highlights, a one-size-fits-all approach will not solve this problem. Targeting additional investment to weaker local economies will help to provide the skills and opportunities people need to thrive. Boosting targeted social security support would also have an immediate and significant impact on child poverty.’

Photo Credit – PublicDomainPictures (Pixabay)