The percentage of households in the UK who are below society’s minimum standard of living has increased from 14% to 33% over the last 30 years, according to a new study of poverty and deprivation.
The percentage of households in the UK who are below society’s minimum standard of living has increased from 14% to 33% over the last 30 years, according to a new study of poverty and deprivation.
Most children in poor families have at least one parent who is in work, which contradicts claims that a job is automatically the route out of poverty. It also shows that 17% of employed adults are poor.
The new study, part of The Poverty and Social Exclusion in the United Kingdom (PSE) project, shows that 18 million people cannot afford adequate housing, one in three people cannot afford to heat their homes properly in winter and 5.5 million adults don’t have essential clothing.
The doubling in the number of people who live below the minimum standard of living has come over a time period in which the size of the British economy has also doubled.
The study is more evidence for the argument that British workers are subject to a low pay and insecure economy. For millions of workers pay has stagnated whilst the cost of living has risen. It is no longer the case that employment is simply enough to move people from poverty to a minimum standard of living. The idea that poverty would decrease as the economy grew has not happened, according to the study.
Nearly half the people who are in work, but are poor, work as many as 40 hours or more a week. 35% of adults who are employed are in what is called ‘exclusionary work’, which means that they are in poverty, in low quality work and/or have been unemployed for extended periods in the last five years.
The study suggests that although unemployment is still a major cause of poverty, the government is not doing enough to deal with the problem of poverty in work.
Nick Bailey, from the University of Glasgow, said:
“The UK government continues to ignore the working poor ; they do not have adequate policies to address this growing problem.”
Professor David Gordon, from the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research at the University of Bristol, said:
“The Coalition Government aimed to eradicate poverty by tackling the causes of poverty. Their strategy has clearly failed. The available high quality scientific evidence shows that poverty and deprivation have increased since 2010, the poor are suffering from deeper poverty and the gap between the rich and poor is widening.”
The study describes how many households are struggling to make ends meet and adults are cutting back on their own food so other family members can eat. As many as 28% of adults have eaten less for financial reasons, but over half a million children aren’t getting enough food.
Professor Jonathan Bradsh aw, from the University of York, said:
“The research has shown that in many households parents sacrifice their own welfare – going without adequate food, clothing or a social life – in order to try to protect their children from poverty and deprivation.”
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10 Responses to “Poverty doubles over 30 years in UK”
davidhill
If you read my blog you will start to begin to understand how the corporate world with their financial and economic clout have taken over our political classes. Indeed when according to Forbes a mere 2,000 of them controlled 51% of the total economic trade last year (leaving 49% of the world’s economic turnover to the rest of the world), you start to appreciate what has happened with this vast corporate take-over of democracy has occurred over the past 3–years (no more as modern globalization did not really exist in the volume as it does today. My piece certainly is not racist or xenophobic, but purely informative. If you cannot understand the difference then you are too young as yet.
John
You speak of the threat of the East and declare immigration as stupid as people get old. Is your age clouding your eyes as well?
I DO understand how coporate might influences politics and erodes democracy; indeed I submitted a paper on this subject at university for my Politics and Economics module
“How democracy and Capitalism are not equitable systems when coexisting within the same Nation-State”
The main thrust of my argument is that Capitalism, with it’s focus on the empowerment of one (you) and Democracy with its focus on the empowerment of many were antagonistic towards each other, and the system can only be sustained when the many are happy with the few becominig rich; a situation only possible in growth periods.
Thus it is in receissions only that people object. A fact we saw, and still see, now.
In an ideal world, business leaders are democratically elected by their workers; it’s the only way I can see of unifying the two systems. The chances of this occuring, however, are slim.
davidhill
Keep to your thinking and thesis. Age does not cloud the issues but through experience and greater knowledge, we learn what is the truth and what is not. Good luck to you.
John
You unwilling to consider it?
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see
How about
Youth can be forgiven for not knowing what it is to be old, but Age must always remember what it is to be young.
I shall, as you urge, retain some vague optimism for the future. It helps me get up in the morning.
davidhill
I am glad that you can take solace.