Barnet (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Recent figures reveal rising deprivation in Barnet, with some areas now among the country’s most deprived, highlighting widening economic and social gaps.
Barnet is ranked 140th out of 296 Local Authority sections in England according to the indicator of Multiple privation( IMD), which was revised last month.
But out of 317 sections, the city ranked 173rd in terms of privation in 2019. One of the most conspicuous shifts in London is that Barnet is more impoverished overall than 56 of original communities.
Bob Bevil, the Chipping Barnet foodbank’s advocacy and campaign lead, has spent his entire life in Barnet.
“In my experience, the levels of poverty in Barnet are the worst since the late 1970s,”
he claims.
The organization observes “year on year demand getting higher and higher,” Bob continued. Additionally, he pointed out that the demographics of those using their services had evolved. In the past, they were mostly “literally roofless” and homeless, but these days they also saw people “who are employed or families where the cost-of-living crisis has made it nigh on impossible to keep their heads above the water.”
Louise Broadbent of Citizens Advice Barnet noted that the most current indicator is harmonious with the experience on the ground, pointing out a general rise in the number of people exercising their services, particularly from communities like Colindale and Burnt Oak. The number of people supported by Citizens Advice Barnet increased by 50 during the financial times 2021 – 2022 and 2022 – 2023, and it has been in place ever since.
Barnet has a lower income than 76% of districts. Barnet is more deprived than 51% in terms of crime prevention and 54% more deprived in terms of employment.
They outperform 86% and 88% of districts, respectively, in the areas of education and skills and health and disability.
However, Barnet is more deprived than 88% and 92% of districts, respectively, in terms of the indoor and outdoor living environment as well as housing and service barriers.
The neighborhoods or small areas used to gauge deprivation in Barnet have some significant differences. Specifically, the region surrounding Grahame Park was the most impoverished small area in Barnet, with a deprivation rate of above 93%.
Louise hopes the new findings can help Citizens Advice Barnet with outreach and ensuring everyone who needs their services can access it. In addition, it can be used for funding applications.
“People think of Barnet as a very wealthy area and it is important to use this to show that there is really high deprivation”,
Broadbent says, while the competitiveness of the funding climate right now makes any impact uncertain.
However, Bob believes that having
“the voices of people with lived experience, speaking to the authorities”
is how this data will be used and have an impact. Data is all well and good, but you have to look at the narrative it tells within the community. We’ve heard tales of people residing in garden sheds and cars.
The release of the new IMD coincides with a period when budget shortages and rising expenses have put Citizens Advice Barnet’s services in jeopardy. Their financing for employment casework expired in June, and if no more funding is secured, they will permanently close. There is “nowhere else to send employment cases,” according to Louise.
How do Barnet’s 2025 deprivation figures compare to 2019?
Several Lower Super Affair Areas (LSOAs) in Barnet have moved into advanced privation deciles relative to 2019, indicating adding privation in the corridor of the city. While 592 LSOAs across England moved out of the most deprived decile since 2019, Barnet has seen some areas remain or come among the most deprived.
In particular, pockets similar as Burnt Oak, Watling Park, Brent Cross, Staples Corner, and West Hendon are known to have high privation rates. Overall, Barnet ranks 117th out of 152 original authorities in privation.
While Barnet shows some areas perfecting since 2019, the 2025 data highlight boosted privation and inequality in certain neighborhoods, making the corridor of the city among the most deprived nationally, emphasizing the need for targeted programs and interventions.