The Joseph Rowntree Foundation have just published important research into the current poverty crisis in the UK.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/austerity-spotlight-income
Key facts
- One person must earn £16,400 a year or £8.38 an hour to achieve a minimum income standard. (stat from MIS 2012)
- Two parents must earn £18,400 a year each to support themselves and two children. (stat from MIS 2012)
- Out-of-work benefits and the National Minimum Wage are well below the minimum income standard. (stat from MIS 2011)The cost of a ‘minimum’ basket of goods and services rose by 43% over the past decade. (stat from MIS 2011)
- Families needing childcare had to earn over 20% more in 2011 than in 2010 with changes in benefits and tax credits. (stat from MIS 2011)
- The gap between the incomes and needs of the worst-off households is widening, especially for families with children. (stat from MIS 2012)
- 1.4 million families face an effective marginal tax rate over 70%. (stat from MPSE 2011)
Insights
Poverty is about more than pounds and pence.
But breaking the crippling low-pay, no-pay cycle that keeps so many in poverty would be a start.
- What do we know?
- What can we do?