No longer 'managing': The rise of working poverty and fixing Britain's broken social settlement
Article
In this paper we trace the emergence of a poorly understood social challenge and one which symbolises Britain’s broken ‘social settlement’: the continued rise in working poverty since the beginning of this century.
Our welfare system is built on the notion that work is the main route out of poverty and this government has promised to ‘level up’ opportunity through skills, jobs and economic growth. Yet for increasing numbers of working families around the country, the promise of social mobility through ‘hard work’ as a route out of poverty alone is failing to deliver.
We argue for greater priority to be given in welfare and economic policy to bringing down the high costs of housing, childcare and other essential goods as a proportion of household income, as well as reforms to genuinely ‘make work pay’.
Related items
This time must be different: Overcoming barriers to social care reform
Adult social care services across England are struggling to keep up with increased demand, let alone improve. But failure is not an option.En route to renewal: Delivering better, greener buses
Good buses drive a strong economy, healthy environment and thriving society.On track to prosperity: Great Northern Rail
It’s time the North saw real change for better transport, delivering prosperity and better lives: a long-term plan for Great Northern Rail