Four neighbourhoods in Newham are among the 10pc most deprived in England, according to government figures.
Streets off the Tollgate Road and Woolwich Manor Way in Beckton have been ranked at 2,519 out of 32,844 lower super output areas (LSOAs) that the Ministry of Housing and Local Government classes as suffering from high levels of deprivation.
Three neighbourhoods in Custom House also ranked among the 10pc most deprived, stretching from Newham Way down to the Excel Waterfront.
The statistics, published every four years, take in levels of low income, unemployment, education, health, crime, barriers to housing and the quality of the local environment.
Our interactive map and postcode tool shows how deprived your area is considered to be, compared to the rest of the England.
Custom House residents and members of the People's Empowerment Alliance for Custom House (PEACH) said they were "not surprised" their area had been ranked in this way.
Mother-of-four Mabel Amposah is about to become a midwife at Newham General Hospital but faces a three-month "gap" between the end of her course and employment.
The 30-year-old said she had been forced to apply for Universal Credit and on a monthly income of £1,005, would have just £300 for her and her children to live on after paying the rent.
She said: "We're left with practically nothing. We are not managing, we're living for survival and every day is a struggle.
"I've tried to make a living to better myself and my children. No matter how much you contribute it smacks you in the face."
Senior community organiser Hero Austin added: "Rents are extremely high in the private sector and hundreds of homes in Custom House have been transferred from council rent to private rent.
"That, combined with things like the benefits cap and government austerity, has resulted in horrendous problems. The stories I hear every day are shameful."
Another 32 parts of Newham were also considered among the 6,500 most hard-up areas in the country - encompassing the whole of Canning Town, residential areas around City Airport and parts of Forest Gate, Manor Park, Stratford and West Ham.
Some development-heavy areas have seen their position improve in the rankings. Stratford and New Town is now ranked the 9,454th most deprived area in England instead of 4,925th.
But in others, quality of life, income and opportunities appear - according to the government data - to have worsened, with Canning Town South sliding down 2,230 places. More than half of the borough is considered in the 30pc most deprived in England.
Cllr Ayesha Chowdhury, who represents Beckton on Newham Council, also said conditions had worsened in her ward with the introduction of universal credit.
She said: "We have a large number of residents with English language problems as well as health issues. There's not enough support for them and it's down to financial cuts.
"People suffering from high deprivation have to think twice before they buy food. Instead of feeding their families, they're thinking about bills and rent.
"I've been working with the foodbank at St Mark's Centre. But it's not enough, and why should people have to be relying on foodbanks?
"This is really sad and we need central government to be supporting the poorest boroughs. It's affecting the whole community. Even crime and anti-social behaviour link to poverty. If you have a quality of life, other areas improve."
Newham is home to one neighbourhood considered among the 20pc most comfortably-off in England, right next to Custom House: a zone of the Royal Docks in West Silvertown.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here