Street in Liverpool
© Christopher Furlong/Getty ImagesA street in Liverpool, the most deprived area.

The most deprived communities in the country are bearing the brunt of government cuts while more affluent areas are escaping relatively unscathed, according to an analysis of official figures.

Labour said the data showed that the government was hitting the poorest communities the hardest and failing to live up to its commitment to ensure that those with the broadest shoulders bear the largest burden.

Councils in the 10 most deprived areas of England are facing cuts averaging 25.3% in the financial years 2010-11 to 2015-16, compared with 2.54% in the 10 least deprived areas.

The figures were drawn up by Paul Woods, the veteran treasurer of Newcastle city council. Woods took government figures on the level of cuts to the 326 local authorities in England and compared them with the multiple indices of deprivation issued by the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Liverpool city council, with the highest deprivation score of 43.45, is suffering cuts of 27.1%. Hart district council, with the lowest deprivation score of 4.47, is facing cuts of 1.5%.

Of the 14 councils in England which are receiving an increase in funding, 13 have Tory MPs. These include parliamentary constituencies in Surrey represented by four cabinet ministers - Michael Gove, Chris Grayling, Philip Hammond and Jeremy Hunt.

Hilary Benn, the shadow local government secretary, said: "These figures are shocking. They show the direct impact of David Cameron and Eric Pickles's unfair policies. The government claims that those with the broadest shoulders must bear the biggest burden, but they are doing the exact opposite and hitting the poorest communities hardest at a time hard-working people are already struggling under David Cameron's cost-of-living crisis.

"Ministers are in denial and are so out of touch they simply don't understand the impact that these unfair decisions are having on communities that rely on services for the young, the elderly and those most in need."

Local government is facing the deepest cuts of any part of the public service after central government reduced funding for local authorities by 40%. The government argues that cuts will hit less affluent areas because spending is targeted on such areas.

Nick Forbes, the Labour leader of Newcastle city council, said the cuts were politically motivated and were having a devastating impact on his community. Newcastle, in 41st place on the deprivation score at 29.74, is suffering cuts of 22.1%.

Forbes told the Guardian: "These figures demonstrate the political motivation behind the government's cuts, targeting mainly Labour-held councils for much deeper cuts than our Conservative colleagues. It has a very profound impact on the services we are able to provide. There are huge concerns within the whole of local government that the entire system is becoming unviable.

"We have already had to take extremely difficult and heart-wrenching decisions to cut youth services, to close libraries and swimming pools. Looking forward the only way we can deal with the level of cuts is to severely restrict access to adult social care, which will be entirely counterproductive as it will simply shift costs to the NHS. The disproportionate cuts are counterproductive and extremely damaging."