Jaywick has significant problems with unemployment and is at risk of flooding, despite several attempts by the local council to transform the area.

[12] Because of its proximity to the sea, Jaywick had never been a practical place for farming due to the risk from floods; and the land remained unused.

[14] By the turn of the 20th century, campaigners such as William Morris had attempted to convince people of the virtues of self-sufficient communities for poor families away from large cities, which led to developments such as Peacehaven in Sussex in 1914.

[17] Stedman was motivated primarily by money rather than altruism and while he discussed plans for landscaping the development, along with a lake and a sports centre, they never materialised.

Attempts were made by the local council to demolish Jaywick, but there was resistance from residents who campaigned against it and won a preservation order in 1970.

[16] In 1978, the local council issued an "Article 4 Direction" to control housing development[18] so that planning permission is required for home improvements that would not usually be needed elsewhere, including all extensions, porches and garden structures.

[21] Tendring District Council hope that by 2026, the area will change sufficiently to be attractive for development, and to provide a self-sufficient service based economy for tourism.

A 2011 report in The Guardian found that 62% of working age residents in Jaywick received benefits, compared to 15% of the national average.

Local charity Signpost has helped young people find employment, which has become difficult due to many jobs being a significant distance away in Colchester or Ipswich.

Tightening of building regulations has meant that simple builders jobs for cash are now illegal without appropriate health and safety training.

"[30] The council proposed to stop the allocation of housing benefit to rented properties in Jaywick by 2017, to discourage rental in poor quality buildings.

[31] Former council leader Neil Stock has called Jaywick "an embarrassment to the whole country", blaming planning regulations he believes are draconian.

[2] Stock reported around 30 to 40 absentee landlords were renting poor quality accommodation to tenants on benefits without requiring any deposit, adding that "the state is subsidising squalor.

[33] The Jaywick Community Resource Centre sits on a former boating lake in Brooklands, and provides support to local residents.

The film combined archive footage from the estate's early years alongside recent interviews with recovering heroin addicts living in Jaywick.

A few residents of the Tudor Estate, outside the main deprived areas, complained and asked the Royal Mail to remove the name Jaywick from their postal address.

[34] An image of the village was used in an attack ad by congressional candidate Nick Stella during the 2018 United States midterm elections.

[41] The main road into the village is close to sea level and there is the potential risk that a flood could cut off access for emergency services.

[44] A similar exercise happened in January 2017 following a threat of coastal flooding,[45][46] involving the potential evacuation of 2,500 homes in Jaywick and nearby Lee-over-Sands.