Area 3: Risk of Destitution

Evidence shows that BAME individuals and families are over represented in low income groups and are more likely to be living in poverty than their white counterparts. We know that poverty is a powerful predictor of homelessness, and there is a significant risk that these inequalities will be exacerbated as a result of Covid-19 as many BAME individuals and families lose their livelihoods and struggle to access social security.

BAME EMPLOYEES FACE CHALLENGES IN ACCESSING EMPLOYMENT

Recent research highlighted that BAME young people are more likely to be in precarious work, and government statistics show particularly high rates of unemployment amongst Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups. Now as the economic impacts of lockdown are coming into sharp focus we can see further risks for BAME young people as entry level jobs have been cut by almost a quarter due to the coronavirus crisis, according to the Institute of Student Employers.

It’s important to note that whilst job vacancies have collapsed at all levels across the jobs market, the sharpest fall in vacancies has been seen in low-paid jobs where BAME people are disproportionately represented. According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies new job postings on 25 March were down 92% on 2019 levels. Whilst their study did see the beginnings of a recovery in the Health and Social Care sector the IFS also found that recovery concentrated in more affluent areas.

Fewer jobs and a more competitive market will mean that the well documented biases and discrimination that BAME people face in recruitment will be amplified over the next few quarters. It is more important than ever for employers to put racial justice at the heart of their recruitment policies and practices. To avoid not just an unemployment crisis amongst BAME communities but to avoid organisations becoming whiter and less diverse as a result of this crisis.

BAME EMPLOYEES ARE FALLING THROUGH THE GAPS

Many individuals are still falling through the gaps of government support for self-employed because they do not earn enough from self-employment to be eligible; earn more than the £50,000 threshold; or only started out working for themselves within the past year and therefore missing the threshold to prove their past income to receive wage subsidies. BAME led businesses have seen a significant downturn in income, with 67% having had to close their businesses according to research by the Black South West Network.

It is worth nothing that BAME communities are less likely than their white counterparts to be paid the living wage. It has been documented that the ethnic group least likely to be paid below the minimum wage was white males (15.7%); and that which was most likely was Bangladeshi males (57.2%). This will undoubtedly contribute to the financial difficulties that minority ethnic communities will experience facing this crisis.

As highlighted earlier in our paper, BAME people are at greater risk of experiencing issues related to their employment and workplace during the COVID-19 crisis. This risk of redundancy and unemployment is likely to push many of these individuals into poverty.

BAME EMPLOYEES ARE OVERREPRESENTED IN KEY WORKERS CATEGORY

BAME workers are likely to make up a high proportion of our ‘key workers,’ particularly in more urban areas, and are unable to work from home. They, as well as their families, are subsequently more at risk of exposure to the virus.

The Office for National Statistics has released a tool that highlights the occupations with the highest potential exposure to COVID-19."One in five workers in these occupations are from black and minority ethnic groups, compared with 11% of the working population. These workers make up around just over a quarter of the workers who are dental practitioners (28%), medical practitioners (28%) and ophthalmic opticians (27%). Additionally, they are over-represented in four other occupations – nurses, medical radiographers, nursing auxiliaries and assistants, and medical and dental technicians".

BAME EMPLOYEES ANXIETIES OVER WORKPLACE SAFETY

England’s easing of lockdown causes fears for BAME employees, with the return to work being concentrated in sectors that can’t work from home, such as manufacturing, in the interests of supporting the economy. Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy both have said the government and employers need to support workers better if they are expected to return to work, and that this return is going to hit BAME communities disproportionately.

It is clear that the easing of lockdown restrictions and Boris Johnson’s insistence that those who can’t work from home should return to work will disproportionately see BAME people having no choice but to further risk their lives. Although Johnson has asked people returning to work to avoid public transport, that simply is not an option for many who live in large cities or who do not have another mode of transport available to them due to low incomes and poverty. Race equity campaigners have described the government’s new return to work policy, ‘herd immunity by stealth’, ‘premature’ and ‘reckless.’ The government’s revised ‘Stay Alert’ slogan takes the responsibility off the government and places it onto individuals to protect themselves against coronavirus while more people are having to choose between their physical health and economic survival.

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) is preparing to mount a legal challenge on behalf of its members saying it is crucial that workers such as couriers, cleaners and delivery drivers are properly protected from coronavirus. In one particular case that IWUGB are pursuing, a cleaner was fired after refusing to go into work without Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Gustavo Mateus Acosta, 61, spoke about how he felt “extremely unsafe” at work and was calling on his employer to provide masks and gloves for two months. BAME employees are being urged by unions to take note that they are still protected by official legislation that allows workers to remove themselves from a dangerous workplace without recrimination or repercussion.

BAME HOUSING AND FOOD CONCERNS ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSED

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, we knew that BAME communities were disproportionately affected by homelessness. Government publications and independent research have documented that 1 in 3 homeless households are BAME compared with 1 in 7 of the general population. Institutional racism has played a continuing role in perpetuating racial discrimination and disadvantage in housing, and we are concerned these will be further magnified amidst this crisis.

Government guidance does not sufficiently cover the specific challenges some BAME groups may face in adhering to public health guidance regarding social distancing and isolation. As stated earlier in our paper, high proportions live in multi-generational households. BAME households are more likely to experience housing stress, such as overcrowding, poorer quality housing, and fuel poverty. Evidence shows that Black African and Bangladeshi groups face particularly serious issues of overcrowding. 

Lower rates of home ownership amongst BAME groups (particularly Black African groups at 20%), mean that these communities lack stability and are not eligible for government support announced for home ownership in the form of mortgage holidays. Increasing reporting of evictions compounds these concerns. Increasing reports show that many fear that if they are infected by COVID-19 they could be evicted by landlords to avoid contagion.

The tragic case of Rajesh Jayaseelan, a Bengaluru Uber driver who died of COVID-19 on 11th April, shows the perilous situation that some BAME renters face within the COVID-19 pandemic. Rajesh hid in his room for days when he fell ill because he was fearful that if his landlord discovered that he had COVID-19 he would be evicted. His fear was founded on his experience, as just weeks before he was evicted by his landlord as they feared that as an Uber driver he posed a risk of contracting COVID-19 and infecting him and his family. His wife Mary, who lives in Bangalore with their two children, shares her traumatic experience of hearing how her husband got ill and died.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups may face immediate risks from evictions of traveller camps, concerns have also been raised regarding the lack of appropriate public health guidance on sanitation. White Gypsy and Irish Traveller households are seven and a half times more likely to experience housing deprivation than White British households

With the overrepresentation of BAME groups amongst the key worker population, they face heightened risk of arbitrary evictions and harassment due to the fear that they are putting other people in their buildings at risk of infection. Anecdotal evidence of this has been documented in both traditional and social media, indicating that this could disproportionately affect BAME communities.

Ethnic minority groups in the UK are also more at risk of food insecurity. Organisations tackling food poverty must consider culturally appropriate food, beyond halal and kosher provisions this will mean considering what constitutes as essential foods to different communities.

Given the link between healthy diets and good immune systems this is an essential part of the strategy to directly reduce risk of contracting COVID-19.

BAME COMMUNITIES WITH NO RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS (NRPF)

NRPF is a condition imposed on individuals due to their immigration status; a person will have NRPF if they are “subject to immigration control.”  This includes: people who are appeals rights exhausted, EU and EEA migrants, people with existing visas, those whose status is not regularised, domestic workers and other migrant workers, and victims of trafficking and torture. This disproportionately affects BAME communities and will compound the healthcare and housing insecurity risks that they face.

In real terms, having NRPF means individuals cannot access benefits, healthcare, homelessness assistance from the council, or an allocation of social housing through the council's register, this can lead to extreme vulnerability to homelessness. Those who have NRPF might not even have access to basic food and sanitation, heightening the risk they face of contracting COVID-19.

In a case brought against the Home Office by an 8-year-old (only noted as W for his safety), judges heard of the extreme poverty W has endured because of his mother not being allowed access to state support under Hostile Environment measures. The lack of social welfare support had caused him to move schools five times, experience homelessness, and his mother was driven into debt and serious anxiety. The decision to deny benefits to migrant families was ruled to be unlawful by senior judges. This ruling is expected to provide a lifeline to people unable to work during the COVID-19 pandemic who are blocked from accessing essential state support.

RACIAL INEQUALITIES IMPEDE A FAIR AND RESILIENT ECONOMY

The Runnymede Trust’s report The Colour of Money released in April 2020, exposes shocking levels of economic and racial inequality in Britain. An example top line is how white British people have 10 times more wealth than black African and Bangladeshi households.

The report lays out several recommendations including a need to target policies to tackle longstanding inequalities, stronger discrimination laws, and ensuring racial inequalities are fully considered when creating a fair economy.

Significant racial inequalities were found in the following areas: 

• Savings: BAME people generally had much lower levels of savings or assets than white British people.

• Poverty: poverty rates varied notably by ethnicity; however, it was found that all BAME groups were more likely to be living in poverty. 

• Education: BAME people are more likely to have a university degree, but the monetary value of that qualification is seen to be worth less in the labour market when compared to white people.

• Employment: findings revealed that Black and minority ethnic men have much higher unemployment rates than white British men.

MUTUAL AID GROUPS

With the rise of mutual aid groups offering much-needed grassroots support across the UK, it is also important to recognise the origins of these groups that lie in support networks of marginalised people. It is crucial to respect these origins, and have leaders take care to acknowledge the leaders that have come before, and actively ensure they do not co-opt the movement with ‘white saviour complex’ that prioritises the feelings of people delivering the aid over the people in need of it.

BAME led community groups serving BAME communities are battling to stay afloat, needing more funding and resources. Organisations such as Sickle Cell Society and Southall Black Sisters are in strong demand by ethnic minority groups in light of COVID-19, but they lack the digital infrastructure and do not have enough resources to meet demand. More funders are unlocking pots of money to support community groups, but it is still not currently enough.

Help us reach more people and leaders in the charity sector. Share this paper and join the conversation on twitter by using #CharitySoWhite.

#CharitySoWhite are all volunteers and have published this paper for free to make it accessible to all. It has taken time and effort for our committee to bring this together. Make a donation when you have read this to recognise the value of our work and to be an ally to #CharitySoWhite.