Town where ‘nobody can be bothered to go to work’ – Britain’s benefits capital

Residents in a town considered the UK’s “benefits capital” have hit out at people who can’t “be bothered to work”. The constituency has struggled in recent years with high unemployment rates, low household incomes and child poverty remaining prevalent issues.

Liverpool Walton, which includes areas such as Norris Green, Croxteth, Clubmoor and Fazakerley, is considered one of the most deprived parts of the UK. The area has the highest rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants in the country, with almost 15,000 working-age residents receiving the benefit – equivalent to around 23% of the working-age population. Meanwhile, approximately 39% of households in Liverpool Walton receive Universal Credit, while around 6% of the economically active population claim unemployment-related benefits, placing the constituency among the top 10 nationwide for benefit claims.

“To be fair, we’re looking for staff and we’re phoning young people and they’re just not turning up for interviews. People can’t be bothered working. It’s shocking,” Lindsay Taylor, the owner of Roscoes Coffee & Bakery, in Clubmoor, tells the Daily Express.

The 47-year-old opened the bakery last November and advertised for jobs in the hope of getting more younger people in the area into employment. However, she claims some didn’t even bother turning up to interviews.

“Some people will turn up for an interview, but others won’t even bother. And we’ve done this to give jobs back into the community. It’s so bad,” Ms Taylor, a mother of four, explains.

Ms Taylor has lived in the area for her whole life and explains how it has changed for the worse in recent times. She believes the local residents deserve more support.

“It’s changed for the bad in my life. It’s just so rundown and not what it used to be. It’s the Government, really, there’s a lack of support,” she explains. “It’s hard to give anything a go now. It’s all so expensive. I’ve got four daughters and the hope of them getting a house is just impossible.

“They’re probably going to live with me forever because they won’t be able to afford it. And they’re hardworking girls as well. But you get nothing back nowadays. I don’t feel like there’s any help and support for us anymore.”

Meanwhile, Gwen Tulley, a retired 84-year-old woman who has lived in the constituency for her whole life, believes there is a lack of job opportunities in the area. She suggests paying people to help clear litter and flytipping from the streets.

After being asked how Liverpool Walton has changed in the last ten years, she explains: “Yeah, it’s got scruffy. There’s litter everywhere; people seem to leave their mess everywhere, like the pavements.

“That never used to be an issue here, so I’m not sure why it’s got worse. It makes the whole area look really run-down and bad.”

She adds: “The area needs more help from the council. They need to get some of these people off the dole who want to work, but can’t get a job, into work. Maybe they could help clean the place up?

“I actually think there are a lot of people around here who want to work but can’t get a job. There just aren’t enough job opportunities, and I think that’s one of the biggest problems facing the area.”

Ms Tulley also notes that some of her friends are struggling to afford their shopping every week. She explains: “The pensioners could do with more help around here.

“I know people who can’t afford to do their shops and shop around. It’s not fair on them as they’re working people.”

High living costs and surging benefit claims have also impacted businesses across the area. Rising economic inactivity has led to a reduced workforce which has forced some pubs and shops to shut for good.

John Martin, who is sat in The Lingmell Inn on Muirhead Avenue, says local hospitality venues have struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic. As well as increased costs, such as increasing National Insurance contributions and minimum wage, they have also been hit by a drop in footfall as people are going out to socialise less.

“Covid changed everything for everybody here. People got out of the habit of going out which has had a negative impact,” the 64-year-old, who has lived in nearby Croxteth Park for 30 years, says.

“People used to love meeting in the pubs and clubs, but people are too insular now. Pubs around here have closed at a rate of knots over recent years. They can’t survive as no one goes out anymore.”

He adds: “You see them struggling around here. Not only are people not going out, but these businesses are getting taxed to death on alcohol. Then you add business rates and costs and they can’t stay open.

“Every time you go past a pub, you go ‘oh that one’s gone now, that one’s gone now, that one’s gone now’. They should be at the centre of the community, but they’re not now.”

Mr Martin is calling on the Government to reduce business rates for hospitality businesses. However, he remains doubtful that any change is on the horizon.

“I’d ask the Government to reduce the duty. They make millions and millions from duty and that stems from us,” he says. “And they’ve got to cut that back to help pubs work, help community centres work. But they never will.”

Analysis from the UK Parliament Research Briefings puts Liverpool Walton among the 15 constituencies in England with the highest average Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores. The measure incorporates income, employment, education, skills and training, health deprivation, crime, barriers to housing and services, and living environment.

Ian and Sue Hughes, who have lived in Liverpool Walton for their whole lives, note that crime and anti-social behaviour have become the most problematic issues in recent times. Ms Hughes, 57, says the area as “changed for the worse over my life”.

“There’s terrible litter and anti-social behaviour. You see people throwing rubbish out of their cars on a daily basis,” she explains. A lot of children hang around the corners and it can be intimidating.

“On Bonfire Night, the kids would go around knocking on doors and fire fireworks at you. They’d fire them into the road and at traffic.”

She adds: “I think it goes back to parenting. I don’t think people care anymore. They let them play on the streets and there’s no parenting. I don’t know what the answer is. It’s just scary, isn’t it?”

Her husband, 59, agrees: “Anti-social behaviour is an issue. There’s the e-bikes and drug selling all the time. We need more cops around here, definitely. There’s not a visual presence of police. They can help put the kids off from causing problems.”

Meanwhile, 68-year-old Aidan Kirwin says the crime stems from rival housing estates that meet in the area to settle differences. He has seen packs of intimidating youths ride their electric bikes through Croxteth Park which causes chaos for local people.

“If there’s an incident between two housing estates then you’ll know about it. They come and meet in places like this,” he explains.

“The kids ride their electric bikes in groups through the park (check name) and you know what they’re up to. That’s always gone on. You even get the odd car in there sometimes.

“There needs to be more for the kids to do. You can’t just throw them out of the front door and hope they find somewhere to go. They’re just going to cause trouble.

“They hang around on the corners, by the Bargain Booze, and drink and cause trouble. It seems to attract them.”

Some of the local businesses are also impacted by crime and anti-social behaviour. Kingsley News and Wines, located on Kingsley Road, has been subject to a number of thefts in recent times.

Dilini Amarasinghe, who has worked in the shop for six months, says: “I’ve seen some incidents here from the shop. Sometimes, people come in here and grab things. They steal and run out of the shop.

“It’s mostly younger people – maybe 16 or 17? We’ve got CCTV and cameras to try and catch them. But they still do it.”

When she is asked whether business is good in the shop, Ms Amarasinghe, who is originally from Sri Lanka, gives a wry smile.

“It’s not that busy for us. The owners are finding it a difficult business to run because of the costs and inflation. It’s hard.”

Two other locals, Kyle Humphreys, 25, and 49-year-old Jimmy, who did not want to give his surname, agree that there are issues facing Liverpool Walton.

Mr Humphreys, who has been living in the constituency for three years, says: “I know a lot of people that live around here and let’s say it’s not the best. It could be a lot better and people think that. The kids around here have an influence on everyone else. They’re here to cause trouble and it impacts the people that live here.”

Meanwhile, Jimmy says the area has “been through loads of change” in recent teams. He believes it could benefit from more investment, including better health services.

He explains: “They could definitely invest more on dentists and doctors around here as it’s a big area. There aren’t many pubs or shops around here either but I think that’s a national problem.

“Not just here. I don’t think the people here are being forced to stay in and not spend their money.”