Joseph Roundtree Foundation have today released their annual 2019-20 report on UK poverty, which shows the scale and nature of UK poverty today and how it affects people who are caught in its grip. It shows poverty has risen for children and pensioners over the last five years, and despite employment increasing, in-work poverty has also gone up because often people's pay, hours, or both are not enough.
Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation, said:
"Over half of people in poverty are now in working families, and the numbers continue to grow. Millions of people are working long hours and still struggling to keep their heads above water, many more are unable to get the hours they need to get by. The stress this places on families is immense, with over a quarter of low paid parents believing financial struggles have damaged relationships with family and friends. We know the incredible impact a real Living Wage has on the lives of workers. Being able to cover living costs, put away a little for a rainy day, and save for the future has given over 200,000 workers and their families security. Our Living Hours programme is also providing stable, guaranteed hours and shifts, ensuring workers can find enough hours to make ends meet. To tackle in-work poverty we now need to see more employers join the 6,000 that have voluntarily committed to pay a real Living Wage that covers the cost of living, and those that have guaranteed to deliver genuine Living Hours."
Help put an end to in-work poverty, by making sure all your staff earn a real LIving Wage today!