Muslim Charity, National Zakat Foundation (NZF), has revealed that Muslims in Bradford, Liverpool and Manchester are most in need of financial support.
Amid the cost of living crisis, the charity has seen an influx of over 2,000 applications for financial support across its hardship, education, housing and work funds throughout Ramadan 2022.
Although local donations actually increased this year, the contributions made were still not enough to cover the demand in many UK regions, with some areas falling short by thousands of pounds.
With consumer costs up 9% since April 2021[1], NZF reports that many Muslims who were already close to the poverty line have now fallen under it.
The charity, which collects and distributes zakat – a charitable donation Muslims must make each year – reports that overall, there is the least zakat surplus within northern Muslim communities.
Cities such as Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow and Sheffield are all falling short of around £100,000, meaning thousands of Muslims are struggling to get the financial aid they require to pay for bills and food.
In contrast, areas such as Redbridge, Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham saw much greater Zakat surpluses.
Dr Sohail Hanif, CEO of NZF says, “More Muslims than ever gave their Zakat through NZF this year and this shows the level of care and support our community shows to each other.”
“However, there are areas of the country where our funds are not keeping pace with the level of need. It’s vital that we remember the real, positive change that giving Zakat locally can have on people and families in our towns and cities here in the UK.”
The cities with the least Zakat surplus are highlighted below:
1. Bradford: – £126,247
2. Liverpool: – £110,520
3. Manchester: – £106,879
4. Glasgow: – £96,504
5. Sheffield: – £89,548
6. Brent: – £79,855
7. Gateshead: – £66,418
8. Coventry: – £65,114
9. Newcastle: – £56,079
10. Cardiff: – £44,811
Despite a shortfall of funds, the charity reports 5,558 UK Muslims have been supported since the beginning of 2022.
And whilst 158 UK cities and towns require more Zakat, positively, many have seen a surplus this year to date, meaning the Charity has been able to provide the necessary aid and beyond for those within these regions.
The areas with the highest Zakat surplus include:
1. Redbridge: +£185,411
2. Hammersmith and Fulham: +£81,837
3. Merton: +£58,670
4. Sutton: +£53,197
5. Waltham Forest: +£49,917
6. Cambridge: +£42,812
7. Croydon: +£39,551
8. Three Rivers: +£38,551
9. Buckinghamshire: +£37,840
10. Westminster: +£35,127
Hanif comments, “It is extraordinary to see such a high surplus in many areas of the UK given the current economic state. These donations will be so impactful for supporting local Muslim communities throughout the year as finances may become even more restricted.”
