News archive

"800,000 houses unaffordable under housing benefit changes" 9 January 2012

Research carried out by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) for the Guardian newspaper has analysed the impact of changes to the Local Housing Allowance - the amount of housing benefit payable to low income households renting privately. CIH concluded... Read more...

London's new Housing Strategy out for consultation 14 December 2011

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, this week put out a draft new Housing Strategy for public consultation. Responses are sought by 6 March 2012. The revised Housing Strategy will replace the Mayor's first strategy published in February 2010, and... Read more...

Is fuel poverty worse in London? 8 December 2011

A new paper from the Greater London Authority suggests that fuel poverty may be higher in London than the national measure suggests. GLA Economics argues that the official Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) measure for fuel poverty underestimates... Read more...

British public attitudes to poverty harden 7 December 2011

The National Centre for Social Research's 28th annual British Social Attitudes report found increasing numbers blaming poverty on "laziness" - more than 1 in 4 of respondents, compared with 15% in the mid 1990s. A majority (54%) now believe that... Read more...

Huge fall in building of new affordable homes 28 November 2011

There has been a 99% reduction in the number of affordable homes in England funded by the the Homes and Communities Agency during the last few months as a result of the cuts announced in the government's spending review in... Read more...

'High pay at the top corrosive to the British economy' 28 November 2011

The High Pay Commission has published its final report, Cheques with Balances: Why tackling high pay is in the national interest. The report documents the disproportionate increases in remuneration which have concentrated wealth in the top 0.1% and away from... Read more...

Average incomes rising much less than inflation 24 November 2011

The median salary for a full-time worker in the UK rose 1.4% in 2011 to £26,244, against a headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate of 5% or higher, according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings from the... Read more...

Welfare reform risks 133,000 unable to afford rent 23 November 2011

An estimated 133,000 households in London will be unable to afford their rent if proposed changes to the welfare system go ahead as planned, according to new research published by London Councils. London Councils, the umbrella organisation for London's 33... Read more...

Pay gap grows between top and middle earners 22 November 2011

Recent research findings from the National Institute for Economic and Social Research show that the pay gap between top and mid-range earners is likely to widen. "The financial sector has taken a disproportionate share of economic growth, and it is... Read more...

GLA publishes child poverty update 3 November 2011

The Greater London Authority's Intelligence unit has published new facts and figures on poverty in London. Key findings include: According to the HM Revenue and Customs measure of child poverty, 30 per cent of children in London were living in... Read more...

Public education spending to fall at fastest rate since 1950s 1 November 2011

A new report commissioned by Esmee Fairbairn Foundation from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, warns that total public spending on education in the UK will fall by over 13% in real terms between 2010-11 and 2014-15. This represents the largest... Read more...

FTSE 100 directors' pay up by 50% 29 October 2011

New figures released by Income Data Services reveal that remuneration of directors in FTSE 100 companies rose by 50% over the past year. Incomes Data Services (IDS) said this took the average pay for a director of a FTSE 100... Read more...

LSE to monitor poverty and inequality under the Coalition 22 October 2011

Trust for London, in partnership with Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Nuffield Foundation, has publicly launched a major new research programme on the impact of the recession, spending changes and the government's social policy reforms on inequality and poverty in the... Read more...

Is London the hardest region for poor children? 21 October 2011

New research just published by Trust for London shows that London is one of the hardest places in the country to be poor for children and young adults. London's Poverty Profile, an annual report conducted by the New Policy Institute,... Read more...

Housing costs risk piling pressure on Outer London services 21 October 2011

Our latest London's Poverty Profile report warns that the capital's housing costs are changing the character of London. As Inner London becomes less affordable, services in Outer London, which are already stretched, such as GPs surgeries, and schools, may come... Read more...

New London's Poverty Profile launched 20 October 2011

A new London's Poverty Profile report was published today. The report updates a wide range of indicators on housing, work, health and income poverty to assess what has changed since the first report in 2009. The report includes a new... Read more...

Decade of rising poverty predicted 19 October 2011

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has published a report forecasting income poverty for children and working age adults through to 2021. It predicts: A decline of 7% in average real incomes between now and 2012/13. A further 600,000 children... Read more...

Government housing policies assessed 17 October 2011

A new report from The National Housing Federation, Shelter and the Chartered Institute of Housing warns that the Government is failing to deliver on its promises to boost housing supply and protect the vulnerable. The Housing Report assesses how the... Read more...

Childcare costs causing debt and poverty 7 September 2011

A new survey of 4,500 parents across the UK by Daycare Trust and Save the Children, shows that almost a quarter have got into debt as a result of childcare costs. Parents in Britain spend almost a third of their... Read more...

Pay and rewards risen faster at the top 5 September 2011

A report by the High Pay Commission says that average bonuses for directors of FTSE 350 companies have risen by 187% since 2002, without a corresponding rise in share prices. During this time, bosses' salaries rose by 63%, said the... Read more...

Mixed results on employment retention 26 August 2011

The Department for Work and Pensions has published research that estimates the impact of an Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration programme run by JobCentre Plus. The ERA pilot combined post-employment advisory support and financial incentives to help low-income individuals... Read more...

'1 in 4 London children overcrowded' 18 July 2011

New analysis of the English Housing Survey by Shelter shows that 391,000 children (24%) in London are living in overcrowded households - an 18 per cent rise since 2008. The biggest rise is in the social rented sector, where 43... Read more...

Public support for tackling pay inequality 8 July 2011

New research funded by Trust for London highlights a sense of injustice among many people about the way pay currently functions, even among some very high earners. Getting what we deserve?, by the Institute for Public Policy Research investigates the... Read more...

Living costs rising faster for families 5 July 2011

The latest annual update of the minimum income standard (MIS) shows that, while living costs have risen by about 5%, families with children need to earn a lot more than that to meet the minimum income standard. MIS is based... Read more...

'Single mothers hit hardest by welfare changes' 5 July 2011

New research from the Fawcett Society and the Institute for Fiscal Studies has challenged the Government's assertion that it is not possible to undertake a meaningful assessment of the different impact of its tax and benefit policies on women and... Read more...

Disabled people 'face additional debt difficulties' 4 July 2011

A new report from Citizens Advice concludes that people with disabilities face extra difficulties in addressing debt problems because many creditors are not complying with the Equality Act. Citizens Advice helped more than 72,000 disabled people with debt issues last... Read more...

Will the Work Programme fail the most disadvantaged? 29 June 2011

Concerns have been voiced that that the Government's new Work Programme will fail to help the most disadvantaged because of a lack of voluntary sector involvement. All but three of the 40 'prime' contractors under the Work Programme were awarded... Read more...

Incomes grew in 2009-2010 but future looks gloomy 20 June 2011

A new report on income and inequality in the UK reveals that average take-home incomes continued to grow in 2009-10, despite the recession - but are set to go down in 2011-12 and beyond. The report by the Institute for... Read more...

Poor 'experience worse inflation' 14 June 2011

New research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that poorer households have experienced higher inflation on average than richer households over the past decade. This difference has been especially marked since 2008 (during the recession) when the poorest fifth... Read more...

London's Latin American community low-paid and exploited 6 June 2011

New research highlights that the Latin American community in London has increased significantly over the last decade and, although comparable in size to other large migrant and ethnic groups in the capital, its contribution and needs have largely been ignored.... Read more...

Child Poverty Action Group issues legal challenge to Government 7 March 2011

Child Poverty Action Group has announced that it has issued urgent proceedings for judicial review of two of the cuts to Housing Benefit for private sector tenants due to come into force in full on 1st April 2011: Restriction of... Read more...

Women still behind in London's economy 4 January 2011

Updated figures published by GLA Economics show that the position of women in the workforce remains essentially unchanged over the last decade. Policies to improve the proportion of women working in London and reduce the gender pay gap are having... Read more...

Government consults on new child poverty approach 22 December 2010

The Government has launched a consultation on its approach to ending child poverty and improving life chances. As part of developing a long-term strategy, it is asking for contributions from a wide range of people including: Those representing and working... Read more...

IFS predicts rising poverty 22 December 2010

A new study from the Institute of Fiscal Studies gives projections of relative and absolute income poverty among children and working-age adults for each year between 2010/11 and 2013/14. It predicts that hundreds of thousands more adults and children will... Read more...

London's poor hit harder by tax and benefit changes 26 November 2010

In a piece of work commissioned by BBC Radio London 94.9, Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) researchers have analysed the impact on households in London of the changes in taxes and benefits due to come into effect by 2014-15 and... Read more...

New information on rough sleeping 18 November 2010

London's Poverty Profile has created a new page on rough sleeping in London, with information about the Mayor's current strategy and findings from a recent survey by charity, Homeless Link. Though this is the most visible and extreme form of... Read more...

In-work poverty on the rise in London 12 October 2010

New research commissioned by Trust for London from New Policy Institute highlights how the recession has accelerated the growth of in-work poverty in the capital. Across London there has been a dramatic increase in in-work poverty. Over 300,000 more Londoners... Read more...

Recession impacts most on East and Outer London 12 October 2010

Poverty in the capital has become increasingly polarised according to new research measuring the impact of the recession, from New Policy Institute and Trust for London. Launched on 12 October 2010, London's Poverty Profile: Reporting on the recession, shows that... Read more...

New data available on London's debt 11 October 2010

London's Poverty Profile has added a new section on debt to this website. This is the first systematic analysis of the capital's debt problems and it shows that 8% (230,000) of London households are in arrears with bills, compared to... Read more...

New report on lifting families out of poverty 21 September 2010

Save the Children has published an in-depth report which explores the issue of employment as a way out of poverty for parents, using case study interviews and outlining potential wholesale reforms to the benefits system. Benefiting from work costs a... Read more...

London's public sector exhibits lower standards of living 20 September 2010

In its submission to the Hutton Review into public sector pay, the Greater London Authority (GLA) highlighted the following evidence: Already London's public sector exhibits higher vacancy rates, lower standards of living and a relatively large proportion of workers living... Read more...

Public funding cuts hit the poorest hardest 26 August 2010

New Institute for Fiscal Studies research makes use of analysis published by the Department for Work and Pensions and attempts to reflect the impact of all the benefit cuts announced in the coalition Government's first Budget. It shows that, once... Read more...

City Parochial becomes Trust for London 30 June 2010

City Parochial Foundation, the independent charitable trust who commissioned and manages London's Poverty Profile, amalgamated with its sister fund Trust for London on 30 June 2010. Our new organisation will be known as Trust for London and will continue to... Read more...

VAT rise will hit the poor hardest 23 June 2010

The rise in VAT is likely to disproportionately affect the poorest families, according to Save the Children. VAT on goods and services is going up from 17.5% to 20% from 4 January 2011. Food, children's clothes, newspaper and books will... Read more...

Mayor announces increase in Living Wage 10 June 2010

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced that he is increasing the London Living Wage to £7.85 per hour, a rise of 25p. The rise represents an increase of 3.3 per cent on last year's figure, and an overall... Read more...

London the 'most unequal city in the West', says academic 5 May 2010

London has become the most unequal city in the western world, according to a leading academic. 'Injustice: Why Social Inequality Persists', a new book by Professor Danny Dorling of the University of Sheffield, shows that the richest tenth of Londoners... Read more...

New National Minimum Wage rates announced 29 March 2010

The Government has accepted recommendations from the Low Pay Commission (LPC) on the new rates for the National Minimum Wage, which will come into force on 1 October 2010. The new hourly rates will be: £5.93 for workers aged 21... Read more...

'Worklessness costs London £5bn a year' 17 March 2010

New research commissioned by London Councils suggests that worklessness costs the capital more than £5 billion a year with 1.5 million people out of work in London - around 30 per cent of the working age population. The figure of... Read more...

Bus fare rise hits low-paid Londoners 8 February 2010

Low paid workers who rely on public transport to get to work have been hit especially hard by the higher fares on London's buses and tubes that came into effect at the start of the New Year, according to Peter... Read more...

London's children in deepest poverty 26 January 2010

Research published by Save the Children shows that a higher proportion of London's children are living in severe poverty than in any other region in the UK. The research found that, at the end of 2008, 13% of children in... Read more...

JRF launches housing and neighbourhood website 20 November 2009

Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has launched a new website which offers analysis of key housing and neighbourhoods trends across the UK. It has been developed as part of JRF's Housing and Neighbourhoods Monitor project. The site aims to: provide a... Read more...

Poverty in Hammersmith 7 August 2009

Hammersmith United Charities have published a report by London School of Economics on four low income estates in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The report outlines the levels of deprivation in the four areas and sets this evidence... Read more...

Focus on London 2009 published 31 July 2009

Bringing together a range of research, Focus on London contains facts and figures about the capital on everything from London's longest rivers, to its tallest buildings, busiest tube lines, top tourist attractions and favourite football teams. The report, which has... Read more...

London Child Poverty Awards 31 July 2009

Nominations have opened for the London Child Poverty Awards. The awards aim to celebrate organisations and individuals delivering inspirational work to support families in London across six categories. London Councils is sponsoring the 'Corporate Commitment' award. The closing date for... Read more...

Recession poverty risk for BME Women 16 July 2009

Ethnic minority women are amongst the poorest and most socially excluded people in the UK, and may suffer most in the recession, according to a new report by Fawcett and Oxfam. Poverty Pathways, published as part of Seeing Double, Fawcett's... Read more...

Government reviews impact of recession 22 June 2009

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have published a report considering the impact of the recession across demographic groups of age, gender, race and disability. The report explores how the recession... Read more...

Londoners face debt crisis 19 June 2009

Capitalise - London's Debt Advice Partnership - has published a report identifying the trends in personal debt and demands on free face-to-face debt advice services in London. Key findings include: The average level of debt amongst Londoners seeking free debt... Read more...

Child poverty duty to become law 19 June 2009

Ministers have announced plans to introduce a bill, which will make it a legal duty for the government, local authorities and other organisations to help to end child poverty across the UK. The goal of eradicating child poverty by 2020... Read more...

London Living Wage increases 26 May 2009

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced an increase in the London Living Wage to £7.60 per hour, a rise of 15p (or 2 per cent) from last year's figure. In making the announcement, the Mayor's Office cited the... Read more...

London's Poverty Profile welcomed 20 May 2009

London's Poverty Profile was warmly welcomed at its launch on 19 May by the Minister for London and Minister of State for Employment & Welfare Reform, Tony McNulty MP, and Anthony Browne, Policy Director for the Mayor of London. Anthony... Read more...

London's Poverty Profile launched 15 May 2009

London has the highest rates of poverty and inequality of any region in the country according to new research from the Trust for London and the New Policy Institute, launched on 19 May 2009. London's Poverty Profile is the first... Read more...

New research about Latin American community in London 15 May 2009

Trust for London and Latin American Women's Rights Service are working in partnership to commission research to assess the needs of the Latin American population in London. Following an open-tender process, Queen Mary, University of London has been commissioned. Dr... Read more...

Income inequality hit record high before the recession started 15 May 2009

Analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies of the DWP's 'Households Below Average Income' data for 2007-08 shows that poverty and income inequality rose in the UK for the third year in a row. Inequality rose to its highest level... Read more...

London's economic environment remains harsh, says GLA 15 May 2009

According to GLA Economics, the economic environment in the UK and London remains harsh. However, whereas like-for-like retail sales fell for the UK as a whole in March, they increased by over 5% in London. The Director General of the... Read more...

Government will miss 2010 child poverty target 15 May 2009

Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, published earlier in 2009, concluded that the government would miss its target of halving child poverty by 2010 unless it introduced new policies. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation expressed its disappointment that the 2009-10 Budget... Read more...

Unemployment up across all London boroughs 15 May 2009

New figures compiled by the Office for National Statistics show that unemployment rates have risen in all 32 London boroughs, as well as the City of London. The official London unemployment rate rose from 6.9% in March 2008 to 8.2%... Read more...

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