A “NEW approach” to tackling poverty that doesn’t depend on government motion alone could make a big difference, the ultimate report by the Poverty Strategy Commission says (News, 8 September 2023).
The report, A New Framework for Tackling Poverty, was published on Thursday, and launched in Parliament on Monday. The Commission, which describes itself as “independent and non-partisan”, is predicated within the Centre for Social Policy Studies, which is chaired by Baroness Stroud, a Christian Conservative peer. She also chairs the Poverty Strategy Commission.
Members of the Commission include the chief executive of Trussell, Emma Revie, and the manager director of Citizens UK, Matthew Bolton. Sir Hector Sants, the previous head of the Archbishop’s Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings, is an adviser.
The report says that “sustained motion from individuals and families, Government, civic society, and employers can result in the whole eradication of deep poverty and significant reductions in poverty overall.” The phrase “deep poverty” refers to “those that are a minimum of 50% below the SMC’s [Social Metrics Commission’s] poverty line relevant to their family”.
It says that, based on the SMC’s measure of poverty, “the UK is experiencing its highest level of poverty on record, and . . . motion on poverty has stalled”. The Government’s pursuit of “cost-saving social security reforms” has “increased poverty amongst disabled people by some 250,000”, it says.
“Whilst these reforms ultimately stalled, this intent is indicative of a failure to understand the challenge effectively. What is required is a latest approach,” it continues. “That is why we have now outlined a latest social contract for the UK, where the responsibility for — and actions needed to tackle — poverty are shared between actors from across society. Delivering on this approach would make sure that motion on poverty isn’t just a matter of what the Government can afford to spend on social security, but of how we will all work together to maneuver the dial on poverty.”
The approach suggested by the report includes: “everyone working as much as they will reasonably be expected to”; employers paying wages that help to make sure that people don’t live in poverty; families having strong relationships and the tools to get monetary savings; the Government structuring markets in order that housing and childcare are inexpensive; and the “Government structuring the social security system to make sure that no-one has to live in deep poverty”, whether or not they can work.
Baroness Stroud said: “The need for a latest social contract has never been clearer. A holistic approach to tackling poverty is the one strategy to address this societal failure and to create a latest path to growth.
“The advantages of comprehensively tackling poverty might be experienced by the entire of society, from reduced costs to public services through to more vibrant communities and better living standards. That is why a strategic approach to putting this in place is so urgently needed.”
The director of policy, research, and impact at Trussell, Helen Barnard, who can be a member of the Poverty Strategy Commission, said: “We are seeing more people trapped in severe and sustained poverty, turning to foodbanks because they’ve nowhere else to go. . .
“The wide-ranging set of solutions on this report would help tens of millions more people to thrive, breaking the vicious cycle of hardship and bringing us closer to a future without the necessity for foodbanks. We need a strategic approach and motion from governments, businesses, civil society, and communities themselves to show the tide and end hunger within the UK.”
