Millions have been living deep below poverty line since millennium, study finds

By Will Stone, Reporter29th July 2019News EnglandGovernment / Politics, News England, Poverty / Austerity, Welfare / Benefits

Millions of people across Britain have been living deep below the poverty line since the millennium, according to an independent commission.

The study by the Social Metrics Commission (SMC) found 4.5 million people are more than 50% beneath the poverty line, a proportion that has not changed since 2000/01.

Overall there are 14.3 million people in poverty in Britain, including 8.3 million working-age adults, 4.6 million children and 1.3 million pension-age adults, it said.

Seven million people, including 2.3 million children, are classed as in persistent poverty, defined as being in poverty for at least two of the previous three years.

Nearly half (48%) of people in poverty – totalling 6.8 million – live in a family where someone is disabled.

The poverty line in the UK is defined as those earning 60% of the median income.

The SMC said its findings highlight the scale of the challenge facing new Prime Minister Boris Johnson in tackling poverty across Britain.

SMC chairwoman Philippa Stroud said: “It is concerning that overall poverty has remained at almost the same level since the early 2000s, under governments of all colours.

“But it is also clear that beneath the surface there are significant differences in the experience of poverty among different groups of people.

“Decisions made by policymakers can have a significant impact on who is in poverty and how deep and persistent that poverty is.

“These new findings highlight the urgent need for a more united and concerted approach.”

The SMC’s 2019 report is an update on its 2018 publication proposing a new measure of poverty and analysing how it has changed since 2000/01.

A Government spokesman said: “We welcome the work of the Social Metrics Commission which shows that poverty has reduced since 2010, and we’re pleased to be working with them on a new measure of poverty which will help us target support more effectively.

“Tackling poverty will always be a priority for this Government. We want to build on our progress to ensure every family can thrive. That’s why we’ve raised the personal allowance to take 1.74 million of the lowest paid out of income tax altogether and increased the National Living Wage to provide the biggest pay rise for low paid workers in 20 years, while we continue to spend £95 billion a year on working-age welfare.

“Work offers the best route out of poverty and we’ve got record numbers in employment. Universal Credit allows those most in need to receive personalised support into employment.”