Reducing poverty and improving household financial security
Performance reflections
Coventry is delivering strong, coordinated action across its services and working closely with partners to support residents, reduce poverty and improve household security.
Despite clear pressures, the council is targeting help where it is most needed, using shared intelligence and joint action to strengthen early intervention, improve access to support and drive better outcomes for residents. The insights that follow highlight both the scale of the challenge and the positive impact of coordinated work across the city.
The indicators in this area are calculated using the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025 (IMD 2025) from the English Indices of Deprivation 2025 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, combined with 2024 mid-year small area population estimates from the ONS.
The IMD 2025 ranks 36 of Coventry's 203 LSOAs (local neighbourhoods) amongst the most deprived 10% of all LSOAs in England, 18% of all Coventry's LSOAs. This is a new measure for this year's One Coventry annual performance report, and direct comparisons with the previous edition, the IMD 2019, are not like for like due to methodological changes; so previous values are not available.
Children
Out of an estimated 83,561 children aged 0 to 17 who live in Coventry in total, 19,461 live in these most deprived neighbourhoods, almost 1 in every 4 Coventry children (23.3%). Children in Coventry are much more likely to live in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods than all children across England (12.9%).
When comparing the 3 measures from the IMD we use in this report it is notable that children are much more likely than working age or pension age adults to live in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
Working aged people
Out of an estimated 234,165 working aged people (18 to 64) who live in Coventry in total, 42,378 live in these most deprived neighbourhoods, 18.1% of Coventry people aged 18 to 64.
People aged 18 to 64 in Coventry are much more likely to live in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods than all people aged 18 to 64 across England (10.3%).
Pension age adults
Out of an estimated 51,300 pension aged people (65+) who live in Coventry in total, 5,860 live in these most deprived neighbourhoods, about 1 in every 9 Coventry people aged 65+ (11.4%). People aged 65+ in Coventry are much more likely to live in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods than all people aged 65+ across England (6.6%).
Coventry has used the Low Income Family Tracker (LIFT) to identify households with low financial resilience by combining national welfare analysis with local authority data.
This enables the council to identify residents in areas of deprivation who may be missing out on statutory or discretionary benefits. Alongside internal analysis, LIFT has supported more targeted, resident‑specific campaigns that have strengthened benefit take‑up and improved support for vulnerable families.
In 2024 to 2025, Coventry supported 13,400 individual households through the Household Support Fund, providing timely access to essential help including food, energy support, clothing vouchers and other vital assistance.
In 2025 to 2026, the council awarded 21,800 applications to 11,320 households, continuing to ensure rapid access to essential support:
- 52% (11,409 applications) primarily benefited a child, highlighting the fund’s role in supporting families
- 8% of applications came from households in supported or temporary accommodation
- of all the applications that were awarded, 38% were for fuel support, followed by 23% for essentials, 19% for toiletries and 18% for food
Coventry’s climate change and domestic decarbonisation programmes are targeted at neighbourhoods with the highest fuel poverty and child poverty. By improving the energy efficiency of the city’s least efficient homes, the Council is reducing energy bills, improving living conditions, and supporting better outcomes for children in priority areas.
Over 100,000 homes are EPC D or below and 18.9% of households are in fuel poverty, rising to over 40% in parts of Hillfields and Stoke. Investment is focused on wards with the greatest need, including Foleshill, St Michael’s, Radford, Holbrooks, Longford, Westwood, Hillfields and Stoke (2023 fuel poverty rates).
The Government’s Pride in Place Programme is a major new initiative to invest in improving some of Coventry’s communities (Willenhall, Tile Hill and Hillfields) with the highest deprivation and have suffered from persistent deprivation. Each neighbourhood will receive £20 million over a 10-year period. The programme must be community led, with funding priorities shaped and agreed by local people through Neighbourhood Boards, while the Council will act as the Accountable Body, responsible for stewardship of public funds and compliance with requirements.
To date, in Willenhall the neighbourhood board chair has been recruited who represents the local faith community and is in the process of recruiting board members with the support of an external commissioned organisation who has work extensively with the residents in that area. Tile Hill and Hillfields neighbourhoods were announced later so they are only in the process of recruiting their neighbourhood board chairs from their local communities.
While not part of Pride in Place, Bell Green is also one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in Coventry and has been for the last 25 years. Similarly, Hillfields has been identified as having lower life expectancy, significant health inequalities and high deprivation.
Hillfields and Bell Green SWARM sessions in late 2025 and early 2026 brought together around 40 colleagues from council services and partner organisations to build a shared understanding of local need, identify community strengths and agree practical priorities. The SWARMs used data analysis and resident engagement to agree on priorities for the areas.
Both areas face long‑standing challenges linked to deprivation, housing, health, safety, employment, skills and the local environment, but also benefit from strong community assets and committed local partners. In Hillfields, priorities centred on improving housing conditions, safety, the living environment, education and employment, alongside strengthening engagement with diverse communities and increasing local presence.
In Bell Green, partners focused on tackling entrenched deprivation through improvements to the environment, safety, health and wellbeing, supported by active community organisations and facilities such as Park Edge Community Hub.
Across both areas, the SWARMs highlighted the need for stronger coordination, clearer shared priorities and a more consistent resident voice to achieve visible improvements. The sessions have created a shared foundation for place‑based working, with next steps focused on maintaining momentum, aligning partner activity and delivering practical changes that improve outcomes for local communities.
Attendees have committed to a range of actions, including community clean-ups, increasing the number of activities for residents, providing advice support and information in-place to residents and making more use of the green space available.