Poverty & homelessness in the UK today Last updated December 2008

Child poverty The UK has one of the highest rates of child poverty in Europe.

Child poverty In the UK 2.9 million children live in poverty, many well below the poverty line.

The number of pensioners in poverty went up by 300,000 in the 12 months to March Older age poverty

Over 2 million pensioners live in poverty. Half of these people live in deep poverty, well below the breadline.

5 million households will be in fuel poverty this winter (2008). More than 20,000 people will die from the cold. Fuel poverty

The Minimum Wage does not keep up with inflation in the prices of basic goods and services. Half of all children living in poverty are in households where someone is in paid work. Low pay

Benefits have also not risen in line with inflation in everyday costs. Unemployment is rising. Benefits

The UK’s total personal debts now stand at a staggering £1,443,000,000,000. Interest repayments are rising, and it is harder to get credit from banks. People are forced to use doorstep lenders instead – at interest rates of 180%apr or more. Debt

Asylum seekers aren’t allowed to work but receive a third less support than UK citizens on Income Support. Most asylum applications are refused. In June 2006, only 6,400 refused asylum seekers received government support. The rest received nothing. Thousands of asylum seekers are hungry and homeless because of deliberate policy and bureaucratic errors. Refugees and asylum seekers

The number of households in temporary accommodation has increased by nearly 120 per cent since Housing and homelessness

In Britain today, 1.5 million children – that’s one in seven – are suffering in bad housing. Housing and homelessness

At 30 per cent, the poverty rate for disabled adults is twice that for non-disabled adults, a difference markedly higher than a decade ago. A graduate with a work- limiting disability is more likely to be lacking but wanting work than an unqualified person with no disability. Disability

At 40 per cent, the income poverty rate among black and minority ethnic people is double the 20 per cent among White British. Ethnic groups

A third of older people from ethnic minorities live in poverty. Ethnic groups