Millions of people in the UK don't have enough money to live on. Oxfam believes that in a rich country this is completely unacceptable. We want to know what you think about the issues that affect people in the UK.
We have set up this group and the UK Poverty Post blog to provide a space for you to voice your opinions and for you to share ideas about how to tackle poverty and inequality.
Take a look at the blog www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost/ and add your comments.
The focus of Oxfam’s work on poverty in the UK is ensuring that everyone in the UK has a secure income which gives them enough money to live on. We also tackle the discrimination which makes women, ethnic minority groups and others more vulnerable to poverty. And we work on public attitudes to ensure that people experiencing poverty are treated with dignity and respect.
Poverty is not just about a lack of money. People experiencing poverty have fewer choices in life, have less chance of getting a good education or a job that pays enough to live on, and it’s no coincidence that poor communities are in poorer health than other groups.
Key Stats
• 13.2 million people in the UK are living in poverty. This is 1 in 5 of the population – or around 22% of the population.
• 3.8 million children in the UK are living in poverty.
• Two-fifths of people from ethnic minorities live in poverty – double the figure for white people.
• Women working full-time are paid on average 17% less an hour or around £4000 less a year than men. This is equivalent to men being paid all year and women working for free from 30 October.
• The gap between rich and poor in the UK is now the highest it has ever been – the wealthiest 10% in Britain own 52% of the country’s wealth.
(read less)Millions of people in the UK don't have enough money to live on. Oxfam believes that in a rich country this is completely unacceptable. We want to know what you think about the issues that affect people in the UK.
We have set up this group and the UK Poverty Post blog to provide a space for you to voice your opinions and for you to share ideas about how to tackle poverty and inequality.
Take a look at the blog www.oxfamblogs.org/ukpovertypost/ and add your comments.
The focus of Oxfam’s...
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