Local financial insecurity and debt indicator set Royal Society for Public Health

The links between poverty, inequality and poor health have been well described. Although there is evidence of increasing problematic debt, financial insecurity and destitution in the UK, data on these areas are not brought together systematically.

The aim of this Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) project was to develop practical tools to help local health and care systems understand the scale and impact of financial insecurity and debt on their populations and to enable them to develop effective strategies to improve health and address inequalities.

The initial plan was to scope out existing data on the prevalence of financial insecurity and its effects on population health in Hull, Sheffield and Hertfordshire, and develop a single data set. This data set would help improve understanding of the prevalence of financial insecurity and problematic debt in a local authority area, and could be used by public health teams when commissioning better and more integrated services to address these issues.

The COVID-19 crisis significantly impacted stakeholder engagement in the project. However, Hull’s local authority did successfully galvanise local stakeholder support through an evidence-based workshop and driving forward plans for a Hull Financial Inclusion Network.

In Hull, where the project has had most impact, the local authority is now exploring a city-wide coordinated plan of work to help tackle local financial insecurity and problematic debt. This includes training and workforce development, as well as better data-sharing practices. It is hoped that this case study, which will be published by the RSPH in January 2022, will provide other local authorities with inspiration and useful insights for their own plans and strategies.

Contact information

For more information about this project, please contact Nelly Araujo at the RSPH.