2nd February 2024
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) recently published its annual UK Poverty report, which shows that “stubbornly high levels of poverty” remain in the UK, with 20 years since we last saw “a sustained fall in poverty”. The data highlighted in the report shows that since 1994/95, the percentage of people in deep poverty now makes up the largest group of people in poverty. This means that in 2021/22, six million people lived with an income of less than 40% of the UK median.
With the UK entering this election year with unacceptably high levels of poverty, JRF are pushing for a coherent plan with creative policies to end poverty in the UK. The report looks at the current situation across different groups and regions, and the future prospects for poverty in the UK. Read the full report here.
Some groups of people face particularly high levels of poverty. These include:
• Larger families
• Families whose childcare responsibilities limit their ability to work
• Many minority ethnic groups
• Disabled people
• Informal carers
• Families not in work
• Part-time workers and the self-employed
• People living in rented accommodation
• Families claiming income-related benefits