Archive: Poverty

Working poor face tax hike

Less to go around: Many low income families could struggle following council tax increase.

Due to changes in the council tax system, as many as two million low-income families will see their tax bill increase in the next financial year.

MPs urge reform of council tax benefit

Council tax will rise for 40% of households

Town halls waver over council tax freeze

Opinion Former Articles

CPAG: Child poverty strategy in disarray from poverty-producing bill

The government has revealed in answer to a parliamentary question that 200,000 children will be pushed into relative income poverty by its bill to cut social security benefits and tax credits in real terms. This results from a restriction of annual uprating to just 1%, which is below inflation.

CPAG: Child Poverty Map of the UK report published by Campaign to End Child Poverty

The Campaign to End Child Poverty has today published new figures that provide a child poverty map of the whole of the UK. The figures are broken down by parliamentary constituency, local authority and ward.

CPAG: Coalition policies to push 600,000 children into absolute poverty by 2015

New analysis for Child Poverty Action Group by Landman Economics has found that an increase of 600,000 children in absolute child poverty is likely between 2010 and 2015.

NEA disappointed that the government has not listened to fuel poverty campaigners

Comments from national fuel poverty charity NEA on Government proposals to change the official definition of fuel poverty

TUC's 'breadline children' report challenged

Majority of children will live below the breadline, the TUC claims, by 2015

More than half a million British children will live below the poverty line by 2015, the TUC has warned in a disputed report.

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It really could happen: Wipe out extreme poverty, MPs urge

Those living on under $1.25 a day are characterised as living in extreme poverty

Politicians could manage to eradicate extreme poverty for good, MPs are urging, ahead of a key international summit next week.

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Universal credit could make those in work worse off

Duncan-Smith has made the UC his key reform

The government's flagship welfare reforms could be making people in work worse off, in a move which would discourage longer working hours.

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Comment: Cutting welfare is useless without jobs

Not everyone under 25 can live at home says Barnard

Massive cuts to welfare will increase poverty without reducing people's dependency on the state.

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David Cameron's speech on family planning in full

The prime minister gives a speech on the importance of family planning around the world in tackling poverty and human rights issues. Read it in full here.

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One in four British families lack 'decent standard of living'

The report claimed families with children were the most likely to struggle

A huge minority of British families are not attaining a "decent" standard of living, according to a new report.

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Moving the goalposts? IDS redefines child poverty

Child poverty is to be redefined by the coalition

Iain Duncan Smith is set to redefine child poverty completely, as politicians face up to their failure to deal with the issue.

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'Perfect storm' pouring down on UK's most vulnerable

Report claims government's deficit strategy does little to protect the most vulnerable

The government's deficit reduction strategy is devastating those with the lowest incomes, a report out today claims.

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Comment: How psychological techniques can help explain the riots

First things first: don't confuse correlation with causality.

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Revealed: How the recession worsens inequality

Inflation affects rich and poor differently

Inflation is worsening the gap between the rich and poor as rising fuel prices batter the incomes of lower income groups, a new report shows.

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Health inequality slumps to Great Depression levels

Poverty through the ages: Life expectancy might drop

The inequality in life expectancy in the UK is as bad as it was in the Great Depression, new research has found.

Social disparity in the UK is underestimated

Low-earners overestimate where they come on the income scale, while higher earners tend to underestimate their position.

Both rich and poor people in Britain think their earnings are closer to the average than they actually are, according to research published today.

Tory attempt to end minimum wage defeated

Chope says minimum wage would 'restore right to work'

A Tory bill to scrap the minimum wage was withdrawn today and postponed to next month, putting an end to Labour's campaign to keep their anti-poverty policy.

Social mobility white paper focuses on the early years

The white paper is expected to focus on education

The government has publish a white paper on social mobility, with a strong focus on funding early-years education.

Social mobility white paper: Key measures

All the key measures in the government's new social mobility white paper.

Milburn back in govt to help 'disadvantaged'

Gordon Brown has tasked Alan Milburn with improving the life chances of Britain's poorest children, as a report published today reveals class is still the biggest factor in success.

OECD pours scorn on social mobility record

Social mobility continues to blight Britain, a major report concludes, prompting criticism of the government's record on the issue.

Tories and Labour go toe-to-toe on poverty

The Tories will attempt to steal Labour's traditional political territory today when shadow chancellor George Osborne claims the Conservatives are better placed to address poverty.

Tories seek to reunite "divided cities"

Social deprivation to be addressed by Conservatives

Britain's "broken society" is one where "fairness is in danger of being forgotten", Chris Grayling has warned.

Govt secures £225 million assistance for fuel poverty

Govt secures deal with big six on social tariffs

Up to 100,000 households could be lifted out of fuel poverty after the government persuaded the UK's six largest energy suppliers to increase the amount they spend on social programmes.

Govt renews pledge to end rough sleeping

Govt claims progress has been made on rough sleeping

The government has renewed its commitment to ending rough sleeping as far as possible.

Govt abandons supercasinos amid gambling concerns

Manchester supercasino will now not be built

The government has formally dropped plans for a Las Vegas-style supercasino.

Pensions U-turn 'betrays' women

Millions of women will now lose out on their full state pension after the government quietly reneged on a deal that would have allowed them to access full payment.