Two in three children in parts of Greater Manchester living below breadline - search postcode to find out reality near you

In some parts of Greater Manchester, a shocking two in three children are living in poverty, according to damning new figures. Across the region, there were 177,326 children living below the breadline in March 2021 - before the latest cost of living crisis hit homes.

It comes as millions of families across the nation have recently been hit by soaring energy costs, with many having to choose between heating their homes or eating. Families have previously spoken to the Manchester Evening News about their worries over the hiking costs of living, with many taking to the streets in protest.

The number of children in poverty across Greater Manchester has dipped slightly from 186,653 in March 2020 thanks in part to financial support from the government during the start of the pandemic. However, with the £20 uplift to Universal Credit gone, living costs rising, and benefits not keeping up, charities have now warned the situation is likely to get much worse.

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Prior to the pandemic, the number of children in Greater Manchester living in poverty had been rising year on year, having increased from 144,639 in March 2015. The figures mean that one in every four children in Greater Manchester were living in poverty last year - and in some neighbourhoods the situation is even more stark.

Analysis of hyperlocal data (areas with a population of around 7,200 people each) show that in the Busk area of Oldham, 67 per cent of children are living in poverty - the third-highest rate in the whole of Britain. Other areas with high rates of child poverty include North Levenshulme, with 59 per cent of children living below the breadline and Cheetham Hill, where that figure is