UK Coalition Against Poverty

	News Archive
	See below for an archive of previously featured news items from the UKCAP webiste:
	Failure to tackle fuel poverty a social disaster, ministers told The number of homes in fuel poverty is at the highest level since 1997 The government's failure to tackle the growing problem of fuel poverty was yesterday branded a social disaster after it emerged that record numbers of vulnerable households are struggling to pay gas and electricity bills. View More http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/mar/27/socialexclusion Real reasons for poverty As members of End Child Poverty in Scotland we believe it is a dangerous mistake to suggest, as Bill Jamieson does (Opinion, 14 March), that welfare spending causes poverty, or that poverty is a result of unwillingness to work. view more http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Real-reasons-for-poverty.3883426.jp Charities Slam Chancellor for Failing Child Poverty MILLIONS of children in the UK will still be living in poverty in 2010, campaigners announced this week after Chancellor Alistair Darling's first budget. View More http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo/NewsAndEvents/ViewArticles.aspx?f=h&al=t&pid=6999 Getting By? Then Get Heard The beauty of the Borders is not often associated with poverty. Indeed, when many people think about poverty it is more about famine in Africa than anything to do with Scotland. But although the signs of wealth might surround us: new cars and restaurants, branded coffee shops and designer clothes, many people are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet. Scottish Household Survey (2007 - Quarter 3) This is the latest in a series of quarterly Statistics Publication Notices which announces the availability of the Scottish Household Survey for a particular quarter. In accordance with National Statistics, this will help to ensure orderly and open access to the Scottish Household Survey (SHS). In practice, this means that the SHS for this quarter can be used to answer questions to inform policy from people within and outwith the Scottish Government. View More http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/02/SHSQ32007 Debt on our Doorstep petition the Prime Minister to Launch an investigation into the Pay Day lending industry in the U.K, and publish a timetable to review its previous decision not to legislate for a power to impose interest rate ceilings in non-competitive credit marke View More http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Payday-lending/ Public sector workers to "speak up" to MPs in June Teachers, health workers, probation officers, social workers, civil servants, childcare workers and firefighters will be among public service workers representing the six million public sector workers in the UK coming to London in June to lobby MPs over the future of public services and to call for fair pay, the TUC announced today (Wednesday) View More http://www.tuc.org.uk/publicsector/tuc-14490-f0.cfm 15th February 2008 TUC calls on Government to tackle child poverty with £4 billion investment in Child Tax Credit The Government has committed to end child poverty by 2020, and to halve the number of children in poverty by 2010. A TUC report 'The tax credit success story' shows that tax credits are one of the most effective measures to fight poverty since Child Benefit - introduced more than 30 years ago - and that a further injection of £4 billion would help to ensure the Government hits its poverty targets. TUC analysis of Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit shows that they have already helped lift 600,000 children out of poverty, and that low paid workers with children are at least 25 per cent better off than they would have been otherwise. 8th February 2008 Keep warm keep well this winter Keep Warm Keep Well is a national campaign to reduce cold-related illness and deaths during winter. You’ll find information and advice about how to stay well in winter by keeping warm and what financial support is available. Why keeping warm matters We are more likely to catch cold or flu during winter. Cold weather can also cause other serious health problems like pneumonia. It is essential to keep warm in winter and there are some simple measures you can take to stay healthy, live well and keep warm. There is also a range of financial support, which you may be entitled to, for keeping warm and other home and emergency improvements.
	7th February 2008 Why Do the Poor Pay More? Issuing a Call for Action on Fuel Poverty A joint report from two All Party Parliamentary Groups was launched today, bringing the question of fuel poverty into the spotlight. The report Tackling Fuel Poverty: The Next Steps looks at how and why people are subjected to fuel poverty and lists key points of action that are needed for the Government to fulfil its pledge to get rid of fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households by 2010. Right now the Government are behind schedule, and with less than three years remaining, they are likely to miss this target if urgent action is not taken. Fuel poverty is serious. It is the inability for people to heat and light their home to a decent standard, and in the most extreme cases, it can contribute to cold related illnesses and deaths. Fuel poverty forces thousands of households into a cycle of debt, and many have no alternative but to self disconnect from their energy supply and simply not use the energy they need to keep warm and well. It has been estimated that around 4 million households live in fuel poverty, of which three million can be classed as vulnerable. Energy costs have come down since the start of the year, but they have not come down by enough in many cases, and the Government cannot solely rely on the market to address the problem posed by fuel poverty. Vice-Chair of the UK Coalition Against Poverty Tom Best wrote an article for the report, highlighting the more serious consequences of fuel poverty. Tom stated, “At the UK Coalition Against Poverty we are asking the Department for Work and Pensions to take a closer look at winter fuel payments. Winter fuel payments must be assessed annually so that they do not devalue over time, and this benefit should be extended beyond pensioners to other vulnerable households on very low incomes, particularly households with very young children or where people are disabled or have long-term illnesses. I want to know why the poor pay more for energy? As Citizen’s Advice have pointed out, people using prepayment meters for both gas and electricity face fuel bills that are up to £100 more per annum than consumers using direct debit. Many have been caught in severe cycles of debt because of delayed recalibration of meters and the backdating of charges. It is well known that many people on low incomes often use pre-payment meters so that they can control limited finances. People are being penalised, it is unfair and unjust. Fuel poverty has serious human consequences and something must be done now before we face another winter where people and families are subjected to the cold, and in the worst cases, cold related illnesses and deaths”. A copy of the full report can be downloaded by clicking on the link below TACKLING FUEL POVERTY: The Next Steps. A Joint Report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Debt and Personal Finance and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty
	8th August 2007
	Free meals on the menu for Scots tots Thousands of Scotland's youngest pupils will be tucking into free healthy meals after being chosen for pioneering trials. Click on the link below to read more: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/07/11120943 For more information on the Scottish Free School Meals Campaign, click here: http://www.freeschoolmeals.org.uk/
	1st August 2007
	New briefing highlights the plight of the working poor The Campaign to End Child Poverty is calling on the Government to work across Government departments to look at in-work poverty for families; to ensure that work pays and to ensure that accessible good quality childcare is available to enable parents to return to work or further education and training. A new briefing written by Campaign members Daycare Trust and One Parent Families, argues that without significant improvements in the supply of childcare, and improvements in earning and employment potential for parents, the Government’s target to halve child poverty by 2010 and end it by 2020 will not be reached. Click here to read more and to access a copy of the briefing
	20th July 2007
	New data on income poverty in the EU Statisitics from Eurostat show that although the EU is an economically well-off region in comparison with the rest of the world, the EU Member States are still faced with the problem of income poverty. Recent Eurostat statistics show that 16% of the EU25 population was at risk of poverty in 2003. To find out more visit European Foundation for the Improvement for Working Conditions website by clicking on the link below: European Foundation for the Improvement for Working Conditions website
	20th June 2007
	DWP Conference - "How can we reduce poverty and inequality?" UKCAP is helping to organise the first UK conference which will bring together people who have experience of poverty with government ministers and civil servants to talk about how to reduce poverty and inequality in the UK. This conference will take place on the 5th and 6th July at Warwick Universtiy. The conference is being organised by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Social Policy Task Force, which UKCAP supports. Other groups involved are ATD 4th World, Oxfam, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network, EAPN England, Anti-Poverty Network Cymru, Age Concern, Poverty Alliance and the British Black Anti-Poverty Network. Eileen Devaney, UKCAP's Coordinator, said " This Conference is a great opportunity to show the importance of getting people who have to live with the impact of anti-poverty policies to work together with the people who come up with the policies".
	23rd May 2007
	Labour hopefuls in spotlight over UK Poverty Through a questionnaire on UK Poverty, UKCAP has asked Labour hopefuls in the election for Deputy Leader to set out their ideas about how to cut child poverty, help people on low incomes get decent jobs, and where they stand on improving childcare and tax credits. The contenders have also been asked about how important they think it is to reduce poverty and inequality in the UK.... we await their response! Click here to view a copy of the questionnaire that was sent to MPs
	17th May 2007
	1.6 Million pensioners are missing out on Pensions Credits Up to 1.6 million pensioners are missing out on pension credits even though they are entitled to the money, MPs said today. The Commons Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had failed to meet its target to pay the credit - introduced by chancellor Gordon Brown in 2003 - to three million households by 2006. http://money.guardian.co.uk/news_/story/0,,2081583,00.html
	17th May 2007
	New Social Inclusion Newsletter Launched from EU A newsletter focussing on social protection and inclusion in the EU has been launched. The newsletter, Exchange, will highlight examples of best practice, calls for proposals and upcoming events. The overall aim of the newsletter is to exchange ideas to combat poverty and social exclusion across Europe Click here to download your copy of Exchange
	24th April 2007
	PPI - Was the 2007 budget good for pensioners? The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) have issued a briefing paper asking was the 2007 budget good for pensioners? The briefing note looks at the impact the 2007 budget will have on the income of current and future pensions. To download a copy of the briefing note click here: http://www.pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk/news.asp?p=269&s=6&a=0
	16th April 2007
	Petition calling for benefits to be linked to wages launched The Northern Ireland Anti Poverty Network (NIAPN) have established an e-petition on the central government website calling for benefits to be linked to wages .To mark benefits update day NIAPN are taking their campaign to Westminster and they want you to come with them. You will not require photographic id, but you will need internet access to sign up to the petition. UKCAP has signed up to this campaign and we encourage you to do the same. People living in the UK in receipt of benefits are falling deeper into poverty because benefits are no longer linked to wages. Gordon Brown has made a pledge to eliminate child poverty by 2020. Benefits need to be raised in line with wages rather than prices to help eliminate poverty in low income, workless households and those households in receipt of incapacity and sickness benefits. A failure to do so will push millions of households across the UK further into poverty and debt. So get your virtual skates on and SIGN UP NOW! http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Peanuts4Benefits/
	12th April 2007
	Age Concern highlights benefits confusion for older people Some of the poorest and most excluded older people are missing out on benefits because they do not understand their entitlements, charity Age Concern has warned. Research by the charity shows that more than one-third of people are worried that an older friend or relative is losing out on vital money or benefits. Age Concern is launching Your Rights, a campaign to encourage friends and families to do more to claim the cash. Up to £4.2bn in benefits are left unclaimed, and the charity has set a target of getting older people to claim £100 million before April 2008. Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: “Millions of older people across the UK are missing out on money that’s rightfully theirs and could make a huge difference to their quality of life. Claiming council tax benefit alone could cut bills by an average of £580 a year and claiming housing benefit could mean paying less or no rent at all.” To find out more about the Your Rights campaign click on the link below to download the Your Rights campaign booklet: http://www.ageconcern.org.uk/AgeConcern/benefits.asp
	30th March 2007
	The Joint Commission on Human Rights Issues Report on the Treatment of Asylum Seekers The Joint Commission of Human Rights published its Tenth Report for the 2006-2007 session on the treatment of asylum seekers. The report considers how asylum seekers are forced into destitution through current Government policies, and makes some radical recommendations, particularly regarding the right to work for asylum seekers. The report states that “In the Committee’s view, the current system is overly complex, poorly administered, offers inadequate information and advice to ensure that people receive the support to which they are entitled and in some cases denies any support at all to those who are destitute […] In the light of the evidence presented, the Committee concludes that by refusing permission for asylum seekers to work and operating a system of support which results in widespread destitution, the Government’s treatment of asylum seekers in a number of cases reaches the Article 3 ECHR threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment”. Click here to read the full story and our response
	29th March 2007
	New Report Estimates that 5.5 Million People Live in Fuel Poverty “Many cope by rationing their energy use – and often resort to huddling together under blankets and only heating one room. And they regularly have to juggle competing priorities – sacrificing heat and warmth for hot food and clean clothes, or vice versa” (National Consumer Council, Energy Shouldn’t Cost the Earth, 2007) See the full report here. Click here to read the full story and our response The National Consumer Council also has a video about fuel poverty on their website which can be viewed here: http://www.ncc.org.uk/responsibleconsumption/video.htm
	27th March 2007
	Households Below Average Income (HBAI) Report Shows a Rise in UK Poverty The latest Households Below Average Income Survey reveals that relative poverty after housing costs rose from 12.1 million in 2004-05 to a staggering 12.7 million last year. This is the first rise in poverty under the current Labour Government who until now had made good progress with anti-poverty initiatives. Click here to read the full story and our response
	7th March 2007
	‘Reducing Dependency, Increasing Opportunity: Options for the future of welfare to work’ An independent report for the Department for Work and Pensions compiled by David Freud was published today which sets out a review of the benefits system with a vision towards public/private partnership of welfare to work. The report pays particular attention to reforming the benefit system for lone parents and people in receipt of incapacity benefit, and proposals to develop privately contracted support to assist long term benefit claimants back into work. Click here to read the full story and our response
	5th March 2007
	Poor Households Pay the Poverty Premium The Poverty Premium, a new report from the Family Welfare Association and Save The Children, shows that poor families pay up to a £1000 per year extra for the most essentail goods and services such as gas, electricity and insurance. You can access the report at: http://www.fwa.org.uk/about_campaigning.htm
	5th March 2007
	Poverty in Scotland 2007 A new book has been published examining how successful the combined efforts of Westminster and Holyrood have been in tackling poverty in Scotland. Drawing on the increasing number of sources of data and poverty measures, Poverty in Scotland 2007 provides up-to-date facts and figures on poverty, and how that poverty impacts on people and places across Scotland. It expands on the information provided in the previous four editions, draws on the experience of people living in poverty, and includes measurements of poverty; living with poverty; groups vulnerable to poverty; rural poverty, community-based responses, financial exclusion, local taxation, employability and health. The book has been published by CPAG in association with the Scottish Poverty Information Unit, the Open University and the Poverty Alliance. To find out more click on the link below: http://www.cpag.org.uk/publications/1_policy.htm
	14 February 2007
	UNICEF Report Places UK Children at the Bottom of Wellbeing League Table Leading international children’s organisation UNICEF published an astonishing report today that showed UK children to be at the bottom of the ‘well-being’ league table in research conducted throughout 21 OECD countries. The report ‘Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-Being in Rich Countries’ assessed six different dimensions of child well-being under the following headings: material well-being; health and safety; education; peer and family relationships; behaviours and risks; and young people’s subjective sense of their own well-being
	October 17th Website Launched
	A new website dedicated to October 17th, the World Day to Overcome Extreme Poverty has been launched. The October 17th message is: " Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty. " (F. Joseph Wresinski). From the new webiste you can sign an online petition calling on member states to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and commit themsleves to end extreme poverty. http://www.oct17.org/site/Call-toAction.html

United Kingdom Coalition Against Poverty