The Government’s commitment to improving living standards needs to prioritise measures to support those on the lowest incomes
Christians Against Poverty’s (CAP) Chief Executive Officer, Stewart McCulloch, has commented on the importance of the new Government’s focus on living standards.
“The new Government’s commitment to improving everyday living standards is important. At CAP we welcome the Children’s Wellbeing Bill which acknowledges poverty as a factor in their life chances; the Renters’ Rights Bill which will support the large majority of our clients who are in less secure housing tenures; and The Employment Rights Bill, where the Government commits to making work pay. This bill also offers an additional commitment to deliver a genuine living wage that accounts for the real costs of living, and which removes discriminatory age bands which can leave younger people facing greater poverty.
After years of incomes failing to keep pace with rising prices, poverty is now a matter of national public urgency. At CAP half our clients don’t have enough income to cover the basics in life even after receiving our help. Almost 60% of our new clients are living below the poverty line.
Stewart McCulloch, CAP’s Chief Executive
“The consequences are devastating. Over a third of the people coming to us for help have children and we regularly hear how they are skipping meals so their families have enough to eat. Others are unable to afford basics such as heating, toiletries or are living in fear of debt collectors. CAP’s most recent polling conducted by YouGov* in June 2024 highlighted that 21% of UK adults have skipped meals and 48% limited their electricity or gas use in the house at least once a month because of the cost. This is the harsh reality of poverty in the UK today.
“I hope we see the new Government taking action to relieve the devastating impacts of inadequate incomes which have led to millions of households being trapped under the rubble of debt and poverty.
“To help provide important insight CAP is extending an invitation to all MPs to visit the network of over 250 debt help centres around the UK. Here they can come and speak to clients facing poverty and gain greater understanding of the challenges people are facing on a daily basis.”
CAP has also outlined a range of areas that they hope will be considered by the new Government to ensure that those on the lowest incomes also benefit from rising living standards:
Children and families - remove the two-child limit which unfairly pulls many children living in low income families into poverty.
Benefits - Establish a protected minimum amount of social security, an Essentials Guarantee, so that the basic rate of social security always covers life’s essentials
£23 billion unclaimed - Develop a strategy to guarantee that everyone knows about and receives the social security they are entitled to.
Stewart McCulloch added: “In national polling we commissioned with YouGov** we know that almost 90 percent of adults in the UK want to see poverty tackled. Also, following the thousands of conversations we helped people have with candidates prior to the election we know that many MPs will care deeply about this issue too. This shows the concern to see real changes that help people on low incomes regain their independence so they are not just surviving but have the opportunity to thrive.”
ENDS
Notes:
* Polling conducted by YouGov and commissioned by CAP. June 2024: Total sample size was 2070 adults
** CAP commissioned a YouGov Poll of a nationally representative sample of 2,098 people in February 2023. 84% of respondents lived in England, 5% in Wales, 8% in Scotland, 3% in Northern Ireland. Population figures have been calculated using ONS mid-year UK adult population estimates for 2020 of 52,890,044.All calculations related to population have been carried out by Christians Against Poverty, using YouGov and ONS data. The poll showed that 88% of the adult population across the UK think it’s important more is done to tackle poverty
