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poor exist U.K. continue reached record high About 14.2 million people (21%) still live in deprivationa grim new report warns.
These numbers will be even higher by the end of the year parliament If the government doesn’t take actionThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s (JRF) Poverty in Britain 2026 report warns that politicians and campaigners are calling on Labor to find solutions.
While anti-poverty charities welcomed the government’s move Take action to lift restrictions on second-child benefits Starting in April, 400,000 children will be lifted out of poverty immediately. If further action is not taken, 4.2 million children will still be growing up in poverty by 2029.
Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza described the policy change as an “important first step” but told independent: “If we are serious about ending child poverty – not just reduce it – then we must continue to work for children’s lives. “
A wide-ranging JRF report found that poor The UK has reached its highest levels on record, with 6.8 million people now living in extreme poverty. This means their income reaches up to two-thirds of the poverty line.
Labor MP Rachael Maskell has called for a “radical plan” to end poverty, calling on the government to introduce an affordable rent cap, progressive taxation and “end the focus on further deprivation for disabled people”.
The report also found:
- average person in poor The current living standard is lower than 29% poor line, compared with 23% in the mid-1990s.
- 1.1 million new people poor can’t afford enough food Two years ago, the number of food insecure people totaled 3.5 million; now there are 2.8 million more food insecure people, bringing the total to 7.5 million.
- About two-thirds of poor working-age adults, or 5.4 million people, live in households where someone works.
The findings reflect poverty levels ahead of the 2023/24 election. Researchers said that although the overall data this year has remained basically stable, child poverty The extent of poverty is alarming.
The report found that the previous Conservative government had made “no progress” in reducing poverty, noting that income growth had shrunk each year. parliament Since 2005, successive governments have pursued economic growth in the wake of crises such as the 2008 economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The researchers added that this trend “will continue in this parliament”, writing: “Forced family Waiting for the economy to grow before they feel like their situation has improved.”
JRF Chief Analyst Peter Matejic said: “The longer we tolerate unacceptable high levels of poverty, the worse it is for our country. The corrosive impact of poverty on families – exhausted from having to work multiple jobs, not knowing where their next meal is coming from – hinders their participation in society and the scope to make a greater economic contribution. Failure to tackle poverty will hamper economic growth itself.”
“The government has committed to reducing child poverty This Parliament, this analysis is the starting point for that commitment. JRF’s analysis shows that without further changes, relative poverty levels will remain high after April 2026. The country’s recovery is unlikely while deep poverty remains near record levels.
The foundation reiterated its call for the government to introduce an “essentials guarantee”, meaning basic benefit rates are set at a level where claimants can afford at least the necessities of life, and to improve protection for people who are unemployed or unable to work.
Mrs. de Souza said: “Childhood is a short and precious time, but children Today, we are more aware of “adult” concerns, seeing parents’ worries and struggles in terms of the hours they work, the homes they live in, and their ability to provide for their families.
“Children from low-income families tell me they feel a deep sense of shame for not having what others have, when many of us consider the most basic things to be a warm, safe home, suitable clothes, enough fresh food and a bed big enough to sleep in at night.”
Ms Maskkill said: “These shocking figures represent the millions of people struggling every day with energy, food and housing bills… Now is the time for radical plans to end this extreme poverty. I urge the Government to put further pressure on households with children and the elderly first, with clear targets to protect the most vulnerable.”
Helen Barnard, director of policy and research at Trussell, said lifting the two-child cap on benefits was a “vital step”, adding: “But more needs to be done if we are to turn the tide on severe hardship, with Trussell community food banks delivering almost three million emergency parcels to people facing hardship. hunger last year. “
Alison Garnham, chief executive of Action on Child Poverty, said: “To maintain the momentum of our commitment to children, further sustained investment in policies that support children and families must be the next step. Every child deserves the best start in life, and this is impossible to achieve when millions of people live in poverty.”
A government spokesman said: “We know too many families are struggling and we are taking decisive action to tackle poverty, increasing the national living wage by £900, cutting energy bills by £150 from April and launching a £1 billion crisis and recovery fund to help families stay afloat.
“As this report recognizes, scrapping the two-child limit and our wider strategy will lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030 – the largest reduction in poverty for a single council on record.”