The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) today launched the latest edition of its annual report on the nature and scale of poverty across the UK.
The report found:
- There has been little change in overall poverty levels for more than 15 years.
- Around 14 million people are in poverty in the UK (more than one in five of the population), made up of 8 million working-age adults, 4 million children and 2 million pensioners.
- In-work poverty has risen, because often people’s pay, hours, or both, are not enough. More than half (56%) of people in poverty are in a working family.
- Once extra-cost disability benefits are discounted, nearly half of all individuals in poverty live in a household where someone is disabled.
- The risk of poverty is higher for Black and minority ethnic workers, and those in single-adult families, especially lone parents.
Fair By Design Campaign Director, Martin Coppack said: “The poverty premium – the extra costs people on low incomes pay for essentials like energy, credit, and insurance – pulls people into, and traps them in poverty. Fair By Design supports JRF’s call for a rethink of the world of work, social security, and the housing market. These decisions should be made using inclusive design principles, putting consumers at the heart, so that everyday markets and services work better for everyone – especially those who are all too often excluded from decision-making.”
