Report: UK Poverty 2017

Of the 14 million people living in poverty in the UK, eight million live in families where at least one person is in work. This report, which has been produced in-house by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, examines poverty rates in the UK.

Key findings:

• Tax cuts and minimum wage rises are beneficial for some, but for many low-income families, the gains are far outweighed by reductions in the more targeted support given by the benefit and tax credit system.
• In 2015/16, six in 10 of those in the poorest fifth of households had no savings at all, while a further one in nine had savings of less than £1,500.
• Just under one in 10 households report having ‘problem debt’, defined by the Family Resources Survey as being behind with any household bill or credit commitment.
• Only 30 per cent of people in work in the poorest fifth of the population are contributing to a pension scheme, compared with 67 pre cent of those in the richest fifth.

The Foundation believes that solving poverty in the UK will require urgent action in five areas. This includes working with employers and business to create more and better jobs where they are needed, and to offer more opportunities and better pay to people who currently struggle to enter and gain from work – particularly disabled people, those caring for adults or children, and part-time workers.