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

  1. The Home Office building in London

    A ‘paradigm shift’ in asylum and immigration policy?

    In 2019, a package of asylum reforms known as the ‘paradigm shift’ was passed by a broad party consensus in the Danish parliament.
  2. A wide shot of the debating chamber at the Scottish parliament

    A return north: reflections on IPPR Scotland’s tenth anniversary conference

    There’s nothing like moving away from Scotland to remind you just how Scottish you are. 
  3. Newcastle street view of famous bridge and buildings

    The evolution of devolution: How the English devolution and community empowerment bill can go further

    The government’s early commitment to broadening and deepening devolution in England is very welcome, but the bill must be bold enough to make change that people can see and feel.