Poverty & Inequalities Profile - Falkirk 2010 - Falkirk Council

Poverty & Inequalities Profile 

Falkirk 2009 

The Falkirk Poverty & Inequalities Profiles have been developed in order to identify inequalities amongst people and 

groups within the Falkirk area and to inform Falkirk Council’s Tackling Poverty Strategy. 

This profile will identify individuals and groups experiencing poverty throughout Falkirk. 

Our Community 

Geography 

Falkirk is situated right at the centre of Scotland. It has a growing population of over 150,000, with over 59,000 people 

working in the area. The main towns are Falkirk itself, Grangemouth - Scotland’s premier port and home to its only major oil 

refinery - Bo’ness, Denny, Larbert and Stenhousemuir. 60% of Scotland’s population is within a 60 minute journey. 

History 

The positive economic situation has meant that our approach to poverty has focussed on targeting the geographic 

concentrations of poverty; with less focus on specific vulnerable groups for example older people and children. The 

impact of the financial recession means that many more individuals in our communities may experience poverty, 

perhaps for the first time. Evidence emerging suggests that unemployment particularly amongst young men is 

increasing, there are increased demands on our debt advice services and there are increases in homeless 

presentations. While facing significant cuts to the public sector, the full impact of the financial recession has yet to be 

realised. In this changing environment, our services will be under increased pressure as demand increases, from 

individuals facing difficulty. 

The three Scottish Government Policy Frameworks: Achieving Our Potential, Equally Well, and Early Years, have 

established a clear Scottish agenda in relation to tackling the root causes of poverty.



Indicator Falkirk Scotland 

Earnings 

Average Weekly Earning £463 £472 

Average Weekly Earnings - Male £514 * 

Average Weekly Earnings - Female £400 * 

% of Population experiencing Income Deprivation 2008 14.0 14.0 

% of Population experiencing Employment Deprivation 2008 12.0 12.0 

Benefits 

Working Age Benefit: Claimant Rate (working age population) 17.6% 17.6% 

Job Seekers Allowance Claimant Rate (working age population) 4.3% 3.9% 

Income Support Claimant Rate (working age population) 5.1% 5.8% 

Pension Credit Claimant Rate (pensionable age population) 27.1% 28.0% 

IB/SDA Claimant Rate (population aged 16+) 5.8% 5.% 

Disability Living Allowance (total population) 6.8% 6.6% 

Carer’s Allowance (total population) 1.0% 0.9% 

% of Households in Falkirk receiving Housing Benefit 21.9% * 

% of Households in Falkirk receiving Council Tax Benefit 23.5% 

Housing & Households 

Average House Price £112,500 

Housing Tenure – Owner Occupied 67.4% 

Housing Affordability – Lower Quartile Earnings/Price Ratio 4.62 * 

Number of Homelessness Applications 2651 * 

% of homelessness applicants aged under 25 39% 37% 

Debt 

Total amount of debt dealt with by Debt Advice Services & CABx £169.3m * 

% of total debt as Mortgage 43.8% 

% of total debt as Mortgage or Rent Arrears 3.7% 

% of total debt as Loans & Credit Cards 39.3% 

Children & Young People 

% First time mothers aged



Our Community Population 

The tables below provide details of Falkirk’s population in terms of age groups. Table 1 shows the age structure of 

Falkirk’s population in comparison to Scotland, which is similar to Scotland’s population. The population of the Falkirk 

Council area has been growing since mid 1990’s, up 6.1% since 1994 to 152,480 in 2009. This increase will continue, 

the latest projections showing 157,600 by 2015 an increase of 3.3%. In 2020 the population is anticipated to increase 

by 6.2% up to 162,000. These increases will impact on all services bringing greater demands for service. 

Table 1: Population Estimates 2009 

Males Females 

Age Group Falkirk % Scotland % Falkirk % Scotland % 

Aged 0-15 14,330 19.4% 467,017 18.6% 13,829 17.6% 445,323 16.8% 

Working Age 49,014 66.3% 1,679,890 66.8% 45,841 58.3% 1,568,925 58.6% 

Pensionable Age 10,563 14.3% 368,381 14.6% 18,903 24.1% 664,464 24.8% 

Total 73,907 100.0% 2,515,288 100.0% 78,573 100.0% 2,678,712 100% 

Source GROS 2009 Mid Year Estimates 

An aging population is an issue that will affect Falkirk, Scotland, UK and Europe. The number of people aged over 65 

will increase by almost 3,900 by 2015, by 6,700 by 2020 and by almost 17,000 by 2033. For the very elderly, aged 85+, 

there will be an increase of 15% by 2015, 42% by 2020 and 157% by 2033. 

This will have a significant impact on demand for services with a consequent financial impact especially for Social Work 

and health services. 

Ethnicity 

The number of people in the Falkirk Council area population from an ethnic minority is very small – only 1,491 people 

in the 2001 Census which is the only reliable source. This represents 1% of the total population and is about half the 

Scottish total of 2%. 8.7% of the England & Wales’s population is of ethnic minority origin. Within Scotland, 5.5% of 

Glasgow’s population was from an ethnic minority and 4% of Edinburgh’s population. 

This does not mean that ethnicity is not an issue in our communities; our ethnic minority populations may be more 

isolated. It also means that it is difficult to obtain accurate statistical information on the impact of any discrimination 

they experience, for example in relation to educational attainment, income levels or employment status. 

The largest ethnic community in Falkirk is the Pakistani population which makes up 48% of the total. This followed 

by the mixed, Chinese and Indian populations. 

Migrant Workers 

Information on the numbers of immigrants is not comprehensive. The most inclusive survey is the Census, however, 

the last Census was carried out in 2001 and this predates the accession of the A8 states. Research has found that 

most migrant workers from the A8 nations only intend to stay for less than a year. It is therefore difficult to ascertain 

accurate figures. 

Table 2: Number NiNo Registrations 

Falkirk Forth Valley Scotland UK 

2002/03 140 380 14,750 343,230 

2003/04 140 410 15,980 373,500 

2004/05 180 540 23,400 435,350 

2005/06 460 1,300 41,410 663,060 

2006/07 610 1,620 51,880 705,840 

2007/08 560 15,60 52,410 733,090 

2008/09 440 1,360 4,624 686,110 

Total 2,530 5,610 204,454 3,940,180 

Source: Department for Work & Pensions 

National Insurance Number applications provide 

details on the numbers of overseas nationals 

intending to work in the UK. This captures those 

who seek employment, are self-employed and 

students who work part-time. However, records 

are not kept on those who leave the UK. 

Table 2 shows the number of migrant workers 

who have registered for a National Insurance 

Number in the Falkirk area in the last few years, 

together with comparative information for the 

Forth Valley area, Scotland and the UK. 

The average migrant worker in Falkirk is male, aged between 18-34, works 35-40 hours per week. 70% earn between 

£4.50-£5.99 per hour. This shows that most migrant workers are on the minimum wage, which is currently £5.73 per 

hour for adults aged 22+ and £4.77 for those aged 18-21.They are likely to work in Sector Based Training Schemes, 

transport, manufacturing, hospitality & catering or administration & business services. 53% of migrant workers intend 

to stay for a period of 3 months or less.

Income 



Figure 1: Median Weekly Earning Figure 2: Weekly Earnings by Gender, Falkirk 

Gross Weekly Earnings 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

Year 

2007 

2008 

2009 

Source: Nomis Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 

UK 

Scotland 

Falkirk 

The average weekly earnings have been increasing steadily over the past 7 years. 

Weekly Earnings 

600.0 

500.0 

400.0 

300.0 

200.0 

100.0 

0.0 

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 

Figure 1 shows that the average weekly earnings of those living in Falkirk were £463 in 2009. This was slightly below 

the equivalent figure for Scotland (£472) and further below the UK average of £489. These figures are for earnings of 

those who are living in the area. 

When looking at the earnings of those working in Falkirk, the figure is lower. The average for Falkirk is £460 

compared to Scotland £474. This suggests that many residents commute to higher paying jobs located outwith 

Falkirk. 

Figure 2 illustrates how the median weekly pay of both males and females has increased year on year since 2002. 

The weekly female pay level was £311 in 2002 (75% of the male figure). In 2008 the female figure reached £400 

(78% of the weekly pay for males). This would appear to suggest that the gender gap is narrowing in terms of median 

pay levels in Falkirk but significant room for progress remains. 

Since 2008, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has produced the Minimum Income Standard (MIS). This research is 

based on public views of living expenses and living standards to set the minimum income required to meet a minimum 

socially acceptable standard of living. This includes, shelter, food and clothes, but also telephones, transport and a 

certain amount of social and cultural participation. This is not a poverty threshold or definition, but can be used to 

identify those that are unable to achieve an acceptable standard of living. 

In 2010 the Minimum Income Standard for a single adult is £14,400 before tax. A couple with 2 children are said to 

require an income of £29,200 in order to achieve a socially acceptable standard of living. 

Table 3: Household Type Falkirk 2008 % 

1 adult 34.5% 

1 adult with 1 or more children 7.4% 

2 or more adults 37.8% 

2 or more adults with 1 or more children 20.3% 

The report also considers the current economic climate, commenting on the fact that prices for food and fuel have 

recently increased, so that whilst salaries have remained the same year on year, people are less well off as 

expenditure has increased. Furthermore, the gap between the Minimum Income Standard and benefit levels is 

highlighted. It is noted that basic out of work benefits are half the minimum for a single adult and about two thirds the 

minimum for a couple with children. The National Minimum Wage also falls short of the MIS. More information can 

be found at http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/MIS-2010-report_0.pdf. 

Year 

Male 

Female



SIMD 2009 

The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation measures deprivation in all 6505 datazones in Scotland. Falkirk has 197 

datazones, and of these, 17 were within the SIMD 2009 worst 15%. This represents 7.9% of Falkirk’s population 

living in deprivation. 

The table below lists the areas that are within the worst 15% SIMD 2009. 

Table 4: SIMD Worst 15% - Falkirk 2009 

Data Zone Name 

SIMD 2009 

Rank 

S01002520 Langlees Seaforth Road 180 146 

S01002483 Grangemouth Kingseat/Craigleith 292 440 

S01002543 Denny Bridge Crescent 311 449 

S01002519 Dawson Carronside Street 362 344 

S01002536 Langlees Lomond Drive 395 558 

S01002414 Westquarter Langton Rd/Westquarter Ave 467 489 

S01002472 Grangemouth Torwood Avenue 474 598 

S01002540 Denny Church Walk 487 858 

S01002488 Camelon North 504 770 

S01002444 Camelon Carmuirs Ave East 597 584 

S01002460 Camelon Carmuirs Avenue West 614 579 

S01002482 Grangemouth Avonbank Ave 715 703 

S01002429 Falkirk Callendar Park flats 742 426 

S01002382 Maddiston Windsor Cres/Simpson Drive 762 707 

S01002533 Stenhousemuir The Valley 825 1180 

S01002502 Bo'ness Deanfield Dr/Rd 829 807 

S01002529 Dawson Haugh St/Cobblebrae 885 442 

Relative Poverty 

SIMD 2006 

Rank 

Relative Poverty counts the number of individuals living in households with an equivalised income below 60% of the 

UK median income. 

Table 5: Percentage of Households in relative poverty in Scottish Local Authorities 2002-2008 

Local Authority 2002-2005 2003-2006 2004-2007 2005-2008 

Clackmannanshire 19 17 18 18 

Falkirk 17 19 20 20 

Stirling 15 17 18 18 

Scotland 18 19 19 19 

Table 5 provides information from the Scottish Governments report “Relative poverty across Scottish Local 

Authorities” 2010. This report has used data from the Scottish Household Survey and the UK wide Family Resources 

Survey. These are small sample surveys and therefore, the accuracy is compromised. For example, in the 2008 

SHS survey 637 people in Falkirk were surveyed, which is less than 1% of the population. 

Nevertheless, when we compare the results for the Forth Valley area and Scotland, it is apparent that Falkirk has a 

higher rate of relative poverty, and this has gradually risen since 2002. 

Absolute Poverty 

Absolute Poverty is a measure of individuals living in households whose equivalised income is below 60% of the GB 

median income in 1998/1999. This measure seeks to identify those with the lowest income and how they rise in terms 

of inflation. In 2008/09, there were 11% of Scottish households living in absolute poverty. The threshold states that a 

couple with no children are experiencing absolute poverty if the have an income of £209 per week. This is an annual 

income of £10,868.



Financial Security 

The Scottish Household Survey is carried out by the Scottish Government biannually for local authorities. There are 3 

questions that ask respondents about financial situation such as bank and building society accounts, how they are 

coping and savings. People in poverty are less likely to have bank accounts for various reasons. The Banking Code 

2005 states that if a bank has a basic bank account option, they should be opened to those who require one or 

specifically ask. However, not all banks have this option and they are not usually advertised. 

Opening a bank account can be difficult for a number of reasons, for example, due to a previous bank account being 

frozen, overdrawn or if the individual is bankrupt, bad credit history or even a lack of credit history. There are also 

problems in terms of providing the normal acceptable forms of identification such as a passport or a driving licence 

and issues around proof of address and differences in surnames amongst family members. 

Table 6:% of households where respondent has a Table 7:% of households describing themselves as 

bank, building society or credit union account coping well or very well financially 

2003-2004 2005-2006 2007-2008 

99-00 01-02 03-04 05-06 07-08 

Falkirk 92.9 91.5 90.9 Falkirk 41.6 50.1 55.3 40.9 53.6 

Scotland 89.6 91.3 91.0 Scotland 40.3 46.8 46.8 47.2 51.4 

Source: Scottish Household Survey Source: Scottish Household Survey 

In Falkirk, the number of people without a bank or building society account in 2007/08 was 90.9%; this is slightly lower 

than previous years. This shows that people may be experiencing financial difficulties. This is slightly lower than the 

Scottish figure, however, where the number of people in Falkirk with bank or building society accounts has decreased; 

the Scottish figures have increased from 2003/04 to 2007/08. 

Table 7 shows that in 2007/08 53.6% of Falkirk stated that they were coping well or very well financially. This is 

higher than the Scottish rate of 51.4%. While Scotland’s rates have increased over the years, Falkirk has fluctuated. 

This may reflect the economy, but could also be due to the survey sample of the Scottish Household Survey. It is 

important to note that this is before the economic recession and that this figure may have changed considerably. 

Table 8: % of households that have some savings 

1999-2000 2001-2002 2003-2004 2005-2006 2007-2008 

Falkirk 55.7 58.1 59.2 46.1 50.9 

Scotland 53.3 53.4 53.3 50.8 49.5 

Source: Scottish Household Survey 

Being able to save increases an individual’s resilience to debt and poverty. Savings can help in times of being made 

unemployed, illness and also for emergencies. However, there are many low income individuals and families that are 

unable to save, and this leaves them vulnerable to debt and stress and can also lead to loans from doorstep lenders. 

It also affects the ability to plan ahead. The table above shows that Falkirk had a higher level of savers than Scotland 

in 2007/08, with 50.9% saving. However, with the economic recession, this may have changed significantly while 

more people fall into debt. 

Fuel Poverty 

Fuel Poverty is the inability to afford adequate warmth in the home. It is defined as having to spend 10% or more of 

income to meet recognized heating standards. Extreme poverty is defined as having to spend 20% or more of annual 

income on fuel. An adequate temperature is taken to be the World Health Organisation standard of 21°C in living 

rooms and 18°C in other rooms. 

Figure 3: Fuel Poverty in Falkirk 

% of households 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Fuel Poverty in Falkirk 

Fuel Poverty Extreme Fuel Poverty 

Falkirk 

Scotland 

For those living in fuel poverty the consequences are 

misery, discomfort, ill health and debt. The Scottish 

House Condition Survey for 2003-2006 estimates 

that 14% of those who were surveyed in this period 

were fuel poor in the Falkirk Council area. This is 

lower than the Scottish average of 19%. 

Falkirk Council’s All Tenure House Condition Survey 

2009 estimates that 28.2% of households in Falkirk 

are in fuel poverty, whilst 5.1% are considered to be 

in extreme fuel poverty, spending in excess of 20% of 

annual income on fuel.

Working Age Benefit 

Table 9: Working Age Benefits - Distribution 

thoughout Falkirk 

Area Number % 

Bainsford & Langlees 810 35.8% 

Camelon East 575 33.2% 

Camelon West 540 31.5% 

Hallglen & Glen Village 580 28.7% 

Bowhouse 585 26.2% 

Newtown 435 26.0% 

Stenhousemuir West 490 24.7% 

Middlefield 645 24.0% 

Kersiebank 635 23.6% 

Grahamston 560 23.2% 

Newlands 635 23.2% 

Laurieston & Westquarter 425 22.5% 

Bonnybridge 530 21.1% 

Braes Villages 610 20.9% 

Dunipace 425 20.6% 

Fankerton, Stoneywood & Denny Town 465 20.5% 

Banknock & Haggs 460 20.5% 

Carronshore 345 20.2% 

Tamfourhill 335 20.2% 

Falkirk Town Centre & Callendar Park 340 20.0% 

Nethermains 495 19.7% 

Grangemouth Town Centre 340 17.4% 

Maddiston & Rumford 440 16.5% 

Blackness, Carriden & Grahamsdyke 335 16.3% 

Redding 340 16.2% 

Douglas 445 15.2% 

Kinneil 420 14.8% 

Carse & Grangemouth Old Town 330 14.8% 

High Bonnybridge & Greenhill 450 14.1% 

North Broomage & Inches 365 14.0% 

Stenhousemuir East 305 13.4% 

Bantaskin 275 13.1% 

Merchiston & New Carron Village 310 12.4% 

Shieldhill 190 11.2% 

Head of Muir & Dennyloanhead 215 11.1% 

Carron 185 9.7% 

Antonshill 210 9.4% 

Larbert Village & South Broomage 190 8.8% 

Polmont 220 7.9% 

Brightons Reddingmuirhead & Wallacestone 325 7.5% 

Lochgreen Lionthorn & Prospecthill 100 4.3% 

Falkirk 16,910 17.6% 

Scotland 572,400 17.6% 



Benefits 

Table 10: Working Age Benefits Claimant Rates 

Falkirk Scotland 

Total Claimant Rate 17.6% 17.6% 

Male 53.1% 53.6% 

Female 46.9% 46.4% 

% Aged under 25 14.8% 14.5% 

% Aged 35-54 45.6% 46.4% 

Out of Work Benefits 84.7% 85.5% 

% in receipt of ESA/IB 49.7% 50.2% 

% in receipt of JSA 23.9% 22.7% 

% who are lone parents 8.7% 9.7% 

Duration - Up to 6 months 24.8% 23.2% 

Duration - 2-5 years 13.2% 14.4% 

Duration - 5 or more years 42.8% 43.2% 

Source: Nomis 2009 

Working age benefits is a count of people who are claiming 

one or more benefits that are of working age (16-59 for 

women and 16-64 for men). This provides the total number 

of people in receipt of working age benefits rather than the 

number of claims. 

Working age benefits include Job Seekers Allowance, 

Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Employment 

Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Severe 

Disablement Allowance and Carer’s Allowance. This data 

gives information on people who are out of work and 

unable to work. 

Table 9 shows the distribution of claimants of working age 

benefits throughout the Falkirk intermediate area zones. 

Those highlighted in red are the eleven areas with the 

highest level of claimants. Those above the line are above 

the Falkirk and Scottish average of 17.6%. In Bainsford 

and Langlees 35.8% of its working age population are in 

receipt of benefits, whilst Lochgreen, Lionthorn & 

Prospecthill has as little as 4.3%. This difference 

demonstrates the level of inequality throughout Falkirk. 

Table 10 shows more detailed information on the people in 

receipt of working age benefits. Almost half are aged 

between 35-54 and in receipt of Employment Support 

Allowance or Incapacity Benefit. The rate of people 

claiming for over 5 years is high at 42.8%. 

Almost a quarter of the working age population are in 

receipt of Job Seekers Allowance, and this corresponds 

with the number of claimants who are in receipt of benefits 

up to 6 months.



Economic Activity Benefits 

Job Seekers Allowance 

Table 11: JSA Claimants by Age Group 


Claimant Rate 4.3% 3.9% 

aged under 18 2.3% 1.4% 

aged 18-24 27.8% 28.1% 

aged 25-34 23.3% 24.2% 

Male 75.9% 75.6% 

Female 24.1% 24.4% 

No Dependants 88.5% 89.7% 

With dependants 11.5% 10.3% 


Income Support 

Table 12: Income Support Claimants 


Number of Claimants 5.1% 5.8% 

Male 35.6% 37.3% 

Female 64.4% 62.7% 

% With Partner 13.9% 10.8% 

% Single 86.1% 89.2% 

Incapacity Benefits 60.3% 61.2% 

Lone Parent 30.1% 29.5% 

Carer 6.0% 5.6% 

Other Income Related benefit 3.5% 3.7% 

2 years and up to 5 years 22.0% 22.5% 

5 years and over 49.5% 50.3% 

Males - No Dependants 84.8% 87.4% 

Females - No Dependants 42.4% 42.7% 

Males – With Dependants 14.6% 12.6% 

Females – With Dependants 57.6% 57.3% 


Pension Credit 

Table 13: Pension Credit Claimants 


% of Pensioners on Pension 

Credit 27.1% 28.0% 

Male 37.6% 37.6% 

Female 62.4% 62.4% 

Single 78.8% 79.8% 

With Partner 21.2% 20.2% 


Job Seekers Allowance is paid to those who are 

unemployed. Falkirk has a higher rate of JSA claimants 

than Scotland. 

Table 11 shows that the percentage of JSA aged under 18 

is considerably higher than the Scottish rate. This is 

evidence of school leavers not in a positive destination. 

The majority of claimants (51.1%) are aged between 18-34 

and are male with no dependants. 92.2% are white, with 

only 0.75% from ethnic minorities. This information is 

voluntary and the remainder preferred not to give details. 

This information shows that worklessness amongst young 

males is an issue in Falkirk and Scotland. 

Table 12 provides details of income support claimants in 

the Falkirk area. The rates are similar to the Scottish rates. 

64.4% of Income Support claimants are female, of these 

92.3% are single. 57.6% of female claimants have 1 or 

more dependants. The evidence from the table shows that 

more single women are on Income Support than males, 

and more than half of these have children. 

Another area of concern is the number of people in receipt 

of Income Support and Incapacity Benefit. The high 

percentage of those in receipt of Income Support, whilst on 

Incapacity Benefits shows that this is an area of income 

deprivation. 

49.5% of claimants have been in receipt of Income Support 

for 5 or more years. This shows that this is a long term 

benefit that people find hard to move on from. 

Pension Credit is a benefit for people of pensionable age 

on low incomes. The Pension Credit acts as a top up to 

supplement the state pension. 

Table 13 shows that Falkirk has a slightly lower rate of 

Pension Credit Claimants than Scotland with 27.1% of the 

pensionable population in receipt of Pension Credit. 

Almost 80% of claimants are single and 62.4% of all 

claimants are female. This is in line with the Scottish rate 

and is to be expected due to the longer life expectancy of 

women.

Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance 

Table 14: IB/SDA Claimant Rates 


Claimant Rate 

% of claimants of working 

5.8% 5.8% 

age 

% of claimants of 

98.2% 98.3% 

pensionable age 1.8% 1.7% 

Male 53.2% 55.6% 

Female 46.8% 44.4% 

Duration of claim - 2-5 yrs 18.9% 20.3% 

Duration of claim - 5 yrs + 71.0% 68.7% 


Disability Living Allowance 

Table 15: DLA Claimant Rates 

Carer’s Allowance 

Table 16: Carer's Allowance Claimant Rates 



Male 28.6% 29.5% 

Female 70.7% 70.5% 

Aged under 18 0.7% 0.3% 

Working Age 95.2% 94.7% 

Pensionable Age 4.1% 5.0% 

Duration 2-5 years 24.7% 26.9% 

Duration 5+ years 41.1% 40.6% 




Male 48.4% 48.6% 

Female 51.6% 51.4% 

Aged 0-15 8.9% 8.0% 

% of Working Age 56.5% 58.3% 

% of Pensionable Age 34.6% 33.7% 

Duration 2-5 years 15.2% 16.2% 

Duration 5+ years 70.3% 70.7% 




Benefits 

Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance is paid to 

people who are unable to work due to disability or sickness. 

The claimant rate of Falkirk is the same as the Scotland 

rate of 5.8%. Almost all claimants are of working age at 

98.2%. 

Slightly more males (53.2%) than females (46.8%) are 

claimants. 

71% of claimants have been in receipt of Incapacity 

Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance for 5 years or more. 

Disability Living Allowance is paid to people who are 

disabled and need assistance with personal care and/or 

mobility. 

Table 15 shows that the claimant rate in Falkirk is slightly 

higher than the Scottish rate. 56.5% of all claimants are of 

working age, and 70.3% have been in receipt of DLA for 5 

years or more. This is due to the conditions suffered by 

claimants. 

This is not an area we can aim to decrease, but more be 

aware that this is a group that are at risk of poverty and 

inequality. 

Carer’s Allowance is paid to people who look after a 

severely disabled person for more than 35 hours per week. 

The current rate for claimants within Falkirk is 1% of the 

population. 

70.7% of claimants are female, with 95.2% of all claimants 

of working age. Again, the majority of claimants are long 

term, as they are often caring for family members or 

partners who are disabled. 

This is a group that are at risk of poverty as they are often 

unable to work but there are small numbers.

Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit 



Housing Benefit is available to tenants liable to pay rent who have a low level of income and savings. This is 

available to people living in Local Authority housing or housing association housing. Local Housing Allowance was 

introduced in 2008 and is available to people living in Private Rented accommodation that have low income and 

savings. These tables show those receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit who are also on low income 

benefits. 

Council Tax Benefit is offered to those liable to pay Council Tax but have low income and savings level. This benefit 

is available to those who rent and owner occupiers. In 2008/09 57.1% of Council tenants received Housing Benefit, 

whilst 56.2% of Registered Social Landlord (RSL) tenants and 36.2% of those living in private rented accommodation 

received Housing Benefit. 

Table 17: Tenure Type of Housing Benefit Claimants 

Year Local Authority Registered Social Landlord Private Landlord Total 

2003/04 7,276 80.8% 1,024 11.4% 700 7.8% 9,001 

2004/05 7,432 81.0% 1,104 12.0% 635 6.9% 9,172 

2005/06 7,217 80.9% 1,068 12.0% 625 7.0% 8,911 

2006/07 7,059 80.5% 1,092 12.5% 617 7.0% 8,769 

2007/08 6,838 79.9% 1,224 14.3% 492 5.8% 8,555 

2008/09 6,752 79.1% 1,218 14.3% 563 6.6% 8,534 

2009/10 6,980 76.4% 1,297 14.2% 859 9.4% 9,137 

The table above shows that the majority of Housing Benefit claimants live in Council housing. It also shows that the 

number of those living in Local Authority housing claiming Housing Benefit has decreased from 2003/04 to 2009/10 

whilst the number of people living in RSL accommodation has gradually increased during the same period. 

The number of people living in Private Landlord accommodation was decreasing from 2003/04 to 2007/08, however, 

in 2008/09 and 2009/10 there has been significant increases; this may be due to the limited stock of Local Authority 

and RSL housing and higher availability of Private Landlord accommodation. 

Table 18: Benefit 

Housing Benefit & Council Tax 

Year Benefit Housing Benefit Only Council Tax Benefit Only Total 

2003/04 8,513 82.0% 487 4.7% 1,382 13.3% 10,382 

2004/05 8,661 80.1% 510 4.7% 1,636 15.1% 10,807 

2005/06 8,367 78.5% 543 5.1% 1,749 16.4% 10,659 

2006/07 8,246 77.7% 522 4.9% 1,843 17.4% 10,611 

2007/08 8,009 76.7% 545 5.2% 1,886 18.1% 10,440 

2008/09 8,019 76.9% 514 4.9% 1,891 18.1% 10,424 

2009/10 8,579 77.0% 557 5.0% 2,012 18.0% 11,148 

2010/11 8,698 77.3% 548 4.9% 2,006 17.8% 11,252 

Table 18 shows that the majority of claimants received both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. The increase in 

the number of Council Tax Benefit only is a reflection of the increase in rates of owner occupation.

Housing in Falkirk 



Housing & Households 

Current population changes have led to household changes. The number of households is increasing whilst the size 

of households is decreasing as more young and elderly people live alone, families are smaller, as couple chose to not 

to have children or to have fewer, and relationship breakdowns. 

The number of households in the council area has grown from 56,780 in 1991 to 68,223 in 2009, an increase of 

20.2% while the population has only increased by 6.5% within the same period. By 2033 it is predicted that there will 

be 86,410 households within the Council area. 

While the number of households will increase, there will also be a significant change in the household types. The 

number and percentage of single person households will increase substantially; by 2033 nearly 45% of all households 

will consist of a single person, a total of 38,050 households. There will be a consequential reduction in the number of 

households of two or more adults with children with a 26% decrease from 2008 to 2033. 

As a result of the change in the types of households, average household size will continue to fall from 2.21 persons 

per households in 2008 to 1.95 people per household in 2033. The Scottish average will decrease from 2.18 to 1.93 in 

the same period. 

Housing Tenure 

The impact of the Right to Buy on the distribution of tenure has been significant. In 1981 69.3% of Falkirk households 

were living in local authority housing and only 26.3% owner occupied. Right to Buy has widened access to owner 

occupation significantly. 67.4% of Falkirk households are now owner occupied which is more than double the 

proportion of owner occupation prior to the Right to Buy and only 23.3% are local authority housing. 

80.00% 

70.00% 

60.00% 

50.00% 

40.00% 

30.00% 

20.00% 

10.00% 

0.00% 

67.40% 

Figure 4: Housing Tenure Falkirk 2008 

23.30% 

4.40% 4.90% 

Owner Occupier Falkirk Council Housing Association Private Rented 

Tenure Type

Housing Affordability 



Over the past decade the availability of social rented housing has been decreasing and house prices have been rising 

steadily. The average price of a house sold in 1999 in Falkirk was £57,271. Falkirk reached over the £100,000 mark 

in early 2004, the Scottish average reached this in 2005. House prices have continued to rise substantially over the 

subsequent years and the average house sale price in 2009 was £124,247 for the Falkirk area. The Scottish average 

was slightly lower than this at £123,398. 

For those on lower incomes looking to buy, using the lowest house price quartile can be applied in order to measure 

housing market affordability. The lower quartile house price has been increasing from 2003 to 2008 from £42,063 to 

£83,000, an increase of 97%. The lowest quartile house price for 2009 was £78,500. This is decrease from the 2008 

average and the last time the lower quartile house price figure was at this level was in 2006. 

£ 

£150,000 

£130,000 

£110,000 

£90,000 

£70,000 

£50,000 

£30,000 

£10,000 

Figure 5: Year Analysis of lower quartiles, Falkirk average and Scottish average 

House Prices 

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 

Source: Register of Sasines and HBOS housing market research, 2010 

Table 19: Housing Affordability 2009 

Mean Income £ 27,274 

Median Income £ 24,232 

Lower Quartile Earnings £ 17,962 

Lower Quartile house price £ 78,500 

Mean income/price ratio 3.04 

Median income/price ratio 3.43 

Lower Quartile earnings/price ratio 4.62 

Income Levels of Council Housing List Applicants 

Table 20: Income Levels 

Income Band (per year) Percentage 

Under £10,000 45% 

£10,000-£15,000 25% 

£15,000-£20,000 13% 

£20,000-£25,000 8% 

£25,000-£30,000 5% 

£30,000-£40,000 3% 

Over £40,000 1% 

Total 100% 

Year 

Falkirk Average 

Falkrik Lower Quartile 

Scotland Average 

Using the house prices to income ratios to measure 

affordability gives a general indication of whether house 

prices are affordable in relation to incomes. In 2009, the 

lower quartile house price to lower quartile earnings ratio was 

4.6. This illustrates housing is less affordable with lower 

quartile house prices being more than 4.6 times the lower 

quartile earnings, compared to 3.04 times the mean income 

and 3.43 times the median income. Unfortunately, a 

comparison to Scotland is unavailable. 

Table 20 shows the figures for income levels for applicants on 

the council housing list. The table shows 45% of applicants 

have an income under £10,000. These applicants within this 

income band would include those who have been made 

unemployed, retired and people who earn under £10,000 and 

may not be able to apply for private renting due to their low 

income. This gives an indication of the relative poverty of 

people on the waiting list for social renting housing.

Homelessness 



Clearly not having a home or being at risk of homelessness is a situation that puts individuals and families at risk of 

creating barriers and causing problems, for example with employment, schooling may become disrupted; access to 

health, benefits, childcare and other services becomes difficult. It is therefore, vital in terms of reducing barriers and 

problems to ensure that all our residents have safe and secure homes. Applications under The Homelessness etc 

(Scotland) Act 2003 have been increasing, with a 76% increase in homeless applications in the Falkirk area since 

2002. Significant increases of over 25% from 2004-05 to 2005-06 and 2006-09 to 2007-08 took place. 

Number of Applications 

3,000 

2,500 

2,000 

1,500 

1,000 

500 

0 

Figure 6: Number of Homeless Applications under the Homeless Persons Legislation 

1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 

The chart illustrates the percentage of applicants who are assessed as being in priority need for accommodation 

under the homeless person’s legislation. A number of criteria have to be met. These include dependent children, 

pregnancy, age, vulnerability and risk of abuse or harassment. The figure illustrates the rising percentage of 

applicants assessed as being in priority need of housing compared to applicants who have been assessed as 

homeless. Out of the 2,651 applicants in 2008/2009 63.9% were assessed as a priority need, this is an increase of 

17.2% since 2002/2003 when 46.7% of applicants were in priority need. 

Figure 7: Percentage of Applicants Assessed as Homeless and Percent of Applicants Assessed as being in 

Priority Need 

80.0% 

70.0% 

60.0% 

50.0% 

% 40.0% 

30.0% 

20.0% 

10.0% 

0.0% 

2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 

Year 

Applications assessed as homeless 

Applications assessed as being in priority need 

Year

Homelessness (continued) 



Homelessness is an issue which predominantly affects young people under the age of 25. Nationally, 37% of 

applicants are under the age of 25 whereas the comparative figure for Falkirk is 39%. 

Table 21: Applicants Applying for Assistance in Obtaining Accommodation 2007/2008 

Applicant % 

Single Male 32.6% 

Single Female 19.8% 

Single Parent Male 8.9% 

Single Parent Female 17.7% 

Couple no children 8.1% 

Couple with children 6.3% 

Other without children 3.5% 

Other with children 3.2% 

This table breaks down the applicants applying for accommodation during the period 2008/2009. Over 50% were 

single persons, with 32.6% being a single male and 19.8% single female. There were 26.6% of applicants within the 

single parent group of which 17.7% were a single parent female. 

Table 22: Main Reason for Applying for Assistance in Obtaining Accommodation 2008/2009 

Reason % 

Termination of tenancy/mortgage due to arrears or default on payments 9.8% 

Other action by landlord resulting in the termination of tenancy 5.0% 

Applicant terminated secure accommodation 2.0% 

Loss of services/tied accommodation 0.4% 

Discharge from prison/hospital/care/other 2.8% 

Emergency (fire, flood, storm, closing order etc) 0.5% 

Forced division and sale of matrimonial home 1.2% 

Other reason for loss of accommodation 1.7% 

Dispute within household: violent or abusive 22.2% 

Dispute within household/relationship breakdown: non violent 16.4% 

Fleeing non-domestic violence 2.6% 

Harassment 1.7% 

Overcrowding 2.5% 

Asked to leave 23.7% 

Other reason for leaving accommodation/household 7.5% 

In 2008/2009 the main reason for applying for assistance, given by nearly a quarter of all applicants (629 out of 2,651 

applicants), was that they were asked to leave their accommodation. Other specific reasons include: a violent or 

abusive disputes within the households given by 588 (22.2%) of the applicants; non violent dispute/relationship 

breakdown within the household 436 applicants (16.4%). 9.8% of applicants were due to the termination of tenancy/ 

mortgage due to rent arrears or default on payment. 

In comparison to the Scottish averages, Falkirk had twice the rate of applicants who were applying because of a 

violent or abusive dispute, the Scottish rate for 2008/08 was 10.8%, and the Scottish rate for termination of tenancy 

and mortgage due to arrears or default was 5.5%.

Debt 



Information has been obtained from the three Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx) in the Falkirk Council area (Denny, 

Grangemouth and Falkirk) and from the Council’s own debt advice services on the numbers of cases which they have 

dealt with of different kinds of debt, and the amount of debt, for the four years from April 2006 to March 2010. 

Overall in the period April 2006 to March 2010 debt amounting to over £169.3m was dealt with by the three CABx and 

the Council. This amounts to some 5,660 new cases over the four year period. Falkirk Council Debt Advice Services 

dealt with 47% of all cases, whist the CABx dealt with 53%. The Falkirk branch saw 29% of clients, whilst 

Grangemouth saw 14% and Denny 10%. 

Thirty one different types of debt are categorised. These are listed in Table 23 with the total amount of debt in each 

category 2006-2010 shown in descending order. While all 31 categories were dealt with by the CABx and the 

Council, the importance of each varied considerably. 

Table 23: Total debt dealt with by category 2006-2010 

Category of debt Total debt % Category of debt Total debt % 

Mortgage £74,099,511 43.8% Benefits/tax credits OP £1,090,567 0.6% 

Credit card £22,004,186 13.0% Other loan £1,001,364 0.6% 

Bank loan £16,809,697 9.9% Student debt £409,878 0.2% 

Personal loan £16,079,722 9.5% Electricity £369,743 0.2% 

Secured loan £9,087,313 5.4% Mobile phone £306,569 0.2% 

Mortgage arrears £4,348,683 2.6% Maintenance/child support £237,884 0.1% 

Bank overdraft £4,038,884 2.4% Gas £199,942 0.1% 

Council tax & water £3,579,637 2.1% Other housing costs £195,553 0.1% 

HP/conditional sale £3,193,423 1.9% Telephone (land line) £179,402 0.1% 

Other £2,694,395 1.6% Cable or satellite TV £78,199 0.0% 

Rent £1,881,034 1.1% Other utilities £63,160 0.0% 

Catalogue £1,709,187 1.0% Social fund loan £55,282 0.0% 

Store card £1,599,139 0.9% Housing repairs £42,920 0.0% 

Doorstep credit £1,464,770 0.9% Fines £28,501 0.0% 

Income tax £1,319,335 0.8% Credit union loan £15,122 0.0% 

Secured loan arrears £1,124,163 0.7% Total £169,307,180 100% 

By far the largest amount of debt related to mortgage payments – almost 44% of all debt fell into this category 

amounting to over £74m, with a further 2.6% on mortgage arrears (£4.35m). As might have been expected during a 

recession, the amount of mortgage debt dealt with has increased substantially since 2006/07. From just under £7m in 

that year, only 26% of all debt, the figure had more than tripled to £22.5m by 2008/09 and at over £31m in 2009/10 

this represents over four and a half times the level of mortgage debt dealt with in 2006/07, while it has increased to 

43.8% of all debt dealt with. 

The second highest level of debt was on credit cards which represented 13% of all debt and over £22m, followed by 

bank loans at 9.9% (almost £17m), personal loans 9.5% (£16.1m) with secured loans (5.4%) the only other type of 

debt which exceeded 5% of the total. While all these forms of debt showed some increase, particularly in 2009/10, 

the amount of increase was small; nor was there any noticeable difference in the pattern in the debt dealt with by the 

four different offices. 

Seven other categories of debt made up between 1% and 5% of all debt. These were: bank overdrafts, Council Tax 

and water bills, mortgage arrears, HP/conditional sale, rent, catalogue debts, and the catchall “other” category. It 

should be noted however, that although the remaining 19 categories each contributed less than 1% to the total 

amount of debt dealt with, any one of these could be a very difficult problem for the individual(s) concerned with the 

debt. 

While each of these types of debt is given separately, many clients will have multiple debts across several of the 

categories listed.

Debt 

Breakdown on Type of clients 



Gender: Over the period and across all offices the pattern remained very similar with just over 40% of clients being 

female, 32.8% of clients were male, with couples making up 25.8% of all clients. 

Age: Around 75% of clients were aged 21-50 with roughly the same proportion in each of the age groups 21-30, 

31-40 and 41-50. A further 15% were aged 51-60. There were very few aged under 20 or over 70. This age 

distribution of clients is not particularly surprising as debt is less common among older people and very young 

adults. 

Household type: 

50% of clients lived in single person households and 20% were single parents. Both figures are significantly higher 

than the Council average which shows 35% of households as single persons and only 7% as single parent 

households. Given that almost half of all single adult households are pensioners 1 but pensioners make up only a 

small proportion of debt clients, this suggests that single adult households are almost three times more likely to 

approach debt counsellors than their representation in the population would suggest. Single parent households were 

also almost three times more likely to be receiving support for debt problems than others 

It is perhaps not surprising that non-pensioner single adults and single parents are more likely than average to have 

debt problems since they have only one income, whether from earnings or benefits, coming into the household. Table 

24 shows the proportion of single adult households and single parents who are on low incomes compared with the 

average. These figures are taken from the Scottish Household Survey and refer to Scotland as a whole. 

Table 24: Household income by household type 

Household type 

Net annual income Single non-pensioner adult Single parent All 

< £10,000 30% 19% 20% 

£10,001-£20,000 45% 59% 34% 

£20,000 + 25% 22% 46% 

100% 100% 100% 

Source: Scottish Household Survey 2007/08 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/933/0092736.xls#Table_6_1_1 

This shows that these two types of households have lower incomes than average. 30% of single non-pensioner adult 

households have net incomes of under £10,000 compared to 20% of all households and 78% of single parents have 

incomes of less than £20,000 compared to 54% of all households. 

Economic activity: 

The following graph shows the economic activity of the debt clients. Looking over time, there is some evidence that 

there has been an increase in the proportion of clients who are unemployed. Falkirk Council clients were significantly 

more likely to be unable to work due to ill health and less likely to be in full time employment. 

Figure 8: Economic Activity of Debt Clients 

Retired 6% 

Unable to work due 

to ill health 23% 

Other 10% 

Unemployed 15% 

Economic activity of debt clients 

Full time employment 

35% 

Part time employment 11% 

1 Source Scottish Household Survey 2007/08 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/933/0092732.xls#Table_2_4_2

Debt 



It is difficult to find a direct comparison to these proportions, but figures from the Scottish Household Survey 2007/08 

on the economic activity profile of the population aged 16+ show that: 

• 21% of the population were retired compared to 6% of debt clients; 

• 3% of the population were unemployed compared to 15% of debt clients; 

• 6% of the population were unable to work due to ill health compared to 23% of debt clients. 

Housing tenure: 

In spite of the high proportion of mortgage debt, only 25.6% of debt clients were owner occupiers while 47.8% rented 

from the Council. This compares with 67% of all households who are owner occupiers in Falkirk and 23% who are 

Council tenants. However, the proportion of clients who are owner occupiers increased over the period 2006-2010 

from 21.3% in 2006/07 to 30.6% in 2009/10. This is almost certainly due to the increase in mortgage debt dealt with. 

The proportion of clients renting from other social landlords and privately is about twice the proportion within the 

population as a whole, although in both cases the percentage of all clients is around 7%. Perhaps not surprisingly, 

Falkirk Council’s clients were more likely to be Council tenants than the CABx clients, while non-householders and 

private rented tenants were more likely to have been dealt with by Falkirk and Grangemouth CABx. 

Ethnicity: 

97.5% of clients were white which is in line with the likely ethnicity breakdown of the population as a whole (the most 

recent ethnicity figures for the Council area are from the 2001 Census which showed just over 1% of the population 

from an ethnic minority). However, while half the ethnic population in 2001 was Pakistani in origin, only 0.3% of all 

clients were Pakistani. 

Disability: 

The figures on economic activity show that a very high proportion of debt clients are unable to work due to ill health. 

This is reflected in the figures on disability where 38.3% of clients had some form of long term illness or disability. 

This compares with 16% of the working age population in the 2001 Census who had a limiting long term illness or 

disability. 

Information is also provided on the type of disability. 17.8% of debt clients had a learning disability or a mental health 

problem and 9.1% a physical disability. Falkirk Council clients were more likely than CABx clients to have a disability 

of any type. 

Income: 

As might be expected of those with debt problems, income levels of debt clients tend to be low. Figure 9 shows that 

almost 30% of debt clients had an income of less than £6,000 per year. 89% of all clients had an income of less than 

£20,000. 

Figure 9: Income of Debt Clients 

35% 

30% 

25% 

20% 

15% 

10% 

5% 

0% 

Income of debt clients 

< £6,000 £6-10,000 £10-15,000 £15-20,000 £20-25,000 £25-3,0000 £30-40,000 £40,000 + 

Income band

Children & Young People 



Table 25: Children & Young People Falkirk Average Scottish Average 

Birth 

Low weight live singleton birth rate per 1000 live singleton births 23.31 24.13 

% of children breastfeeding at the First Visit review 35.50% 44.90% 

% of children exclusively breastfeeding at the First Visit review 30.10% 36.90% 

% of first time mothers aged 16 and under 2005-07 9.60% 7.80% 

% first time mothers aged 19 and under 2005-2007 13.90% 14.20% 

% of mothers smoking at booking 2005-2007 22.90% 20.80% 

Low Income Families 

% of Children Living in a low income household (GROS 2007/08) 43% 45% 

% of children living in out of work households 16.9% 18.5% 

Table 25 above provides information on children and young people in Falkirk. The early years of a child has a 

significant effect on their future. In Falkirk, we have a higher rate of smoking during pregnancy, and a higher rate of 

teenage mothers under the age of 16 than the Scottish average. Further to this we have considerably lower rates of 

breastfeeding than the Scottish average. 

In 2007/08, Falkirk has 15,330 (43%) children living in low income households; this is 2% lower than the Scottish rate. 

Table 26: Free School Meals and Clothing Grants 

Secondary Schools 

Free School Footwear/Clothing 

School Name meals (2009) Grant (2007/08) 

Bo'ness Academy 14% 22% 

Braes High 11% 17% 

Denny High 14% 23% 

Falkirk High 17% 25% 

Graeme High 14% 22% 

Grangemouth High 15% 29% 

Larbert High 8% 15% 

St Mungo's High 9% 20% 

Source: Falkirk Council Education Services 

Table 27: Child Tax Credits & Working Tax Credits 


Children in families receiving Tax 

Credits 24,865 800,200 

In Work 79% 76% 

Out of Work 21% 24% 

% of In Work - Lone Parent 25% 21% 

% of Out of Work - Lone Parent 75% 77% 

% of In Work receiving WTC 34% 38% 

Source: DWP 

Table 26 provides information on free school meals 

and clothing grants in the Falkirk area. 

Parents/Guardians can apply for free school meals 

and/or footwear and clothing grants for their 

children provided they are in receipt of child benefit, 

and either Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance 

(Income Based) or in some cases Child Tax Credit 

(depending on annual income). 

Comparing the proportion of each school roll that is 

in receipt of these awards can provide an indication 

of deprivation and potential exclusion. 

Table 27 shows the number of children living in 

households in receipt of Child Tax Credits and 

Working Tax Credits. Child Tax Credits are paid to 

most people for having 1 or more children. 

Working Tax Credits are a top up for those on low 

incomes. 

The percentage of in work families in receipt of Tax 

Credits is higher than the Scottish average; this is 

evidence of lower wages in the area. 75% of out of 

work recipients are lone parents.



Primary Schools 

Children in Falkirk primary schools continue to attain well, with most achieving the expected level or better in literacy 

and mathematics. Information on 5-14 levels is no longer collected nationally. 

Table 28: Attainment at Primary Schools 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Expected level or better in reading 84% 85% 85% 85% 86% 

Expected level or better in writing 81% 81% 81% 82% 82% 

Expected level or better in maths 87% 88% 87% 88% 88% 

Figure 10: Attendance Rates in Primary Schools 

95.8 

95.6 

95.4 

95.2 

95.0 

94.8 

94.6 

Source: Education Services 

Secondary Schools 

SQA Exam results for Falkirk secondary schools are showing steady improvement year-on year. In some of the 

exam measures of performance, Falkirk is now exceeding the national average or doing better than similar 

authorities. This positive picture of improvement results partly from the improvements in teaching described below, 

and partly from the benefits of low exclusion and good attendance. 

Table 29: Attainment at Secondary Schools 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Five or more awards at Foundation or better by S4 89% 89% 92% 93% 

Five or more awards at General or better by S4 73% 72% 77% 78% 

Five or more awards at Credit or better by S4 30% 33% 35% 34% 

Five or more Awards at Higher or better by S5 6% 7% 8% 12% 

Figure 11: Attendance Rates in Secondary Schools 

92.0 

91.0 

90.0 

89.0 

88.0 

87.0 

86.0 

Source: Education Services 

% Attendance (primary) 

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 

% Attendance (Secondary) 

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 

Authority 

Scotland 

Authority 

Scotland 

Primary school attendance has increased 

over the last five years in Falkirk and across 

Scotland. During this period, with the 

exception of 2005/06, attendance in Falkirk’s 

primary schools has been consistently 

above the Scottish average. Falkirk has 

increased the gap in the last year for which 

statistics have been published (2008/09). 

Levels of attendance in primary schools 

remain high, and in conjunction with the low 

levels of exclusion, contribute to the 

promotion of children’s achievement and 

learning. 

Attendance of pupils similarly shows a 

positive pattern of improvement in recent 

years. 

In the secondary sector Falkirk’s secondary 

schools have made great progress in the 

last five years. From a position of being 2% 

poorer, in terms of attendance, than the 

Scottish average in 2004/05, Falkirk’s 

attendance rate in the last year for which 

statistics have been published (2008/09) 

was 0.6% above the Scottish average.

Health 

Table 30: Health 



Life Expectancy & Mortality Number Falkirk Scotland 

Life Expectancy Males (years) - 74.6 74.5 

Life Expectancy Females (years) - 79.2 79.5 

Deaths, All Ages (per 100,000 population) 4,706 713.9 707.8 

Deaths from Heart Disease aged

Poverty & Inequalities Profile - Falkirk 2010 - Falkirk Council

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?