The Government’s annual Households below average income
data released today provides the most comprehensive overview of
poverty in the UK. The latest figures show that in 2021/22:
- 14.4 million people were living in poverty in the UK, were
trapped in poverty, including 4.2 million children, 8.1 million
working-age adults and 2.1 million pensioners.
- Much of the reduction in poverty during the first year of the
Covid-19 pandemic had been reversed: pensioner poverty had
returned to pre-pandemic levels (18%) and the proportion of
children in poverty has also increased (from 27% to 29%).
- Over the last decade the number of children living in poverty
has risen by around 600,000 – an increase of 2 percentage points.
The number of pensioners living in poverty has risen by around
500,000 – an increase of 4 percentage points.
- In-work poverty remained stubbornly high: over a half of
people in poverty lived in a family where at least one adult is
in work (54%). Over two thirds of children in poverty lived in a
working family (71%).
- Poverty rates are particularly high for certain racialised
communities. Around 50% of people in households headed by someone
of Bangladeshi ethnicity (49%) or Pakistani ethnicity (53%) were
in poverty[1].
- A third of people living in a household with a disabled child
were living in poverty (33%) – the highest level since 2008/09.
- Poverty among private renters has increased – up from 32% in
2020/21 to 35% in 2021/22. Almost half of all families with
children living in the private rented sector were in poverty
(46%).
[1] Based
on an average of 2019/20 and 2021/22.
Commenting on the figures, Peter Matejic, Chief Analyst at JRF,
said:
“Child poverty and pensioner poverty are rising again. This
is a shameful trend that should jolt the government into action –
we cannot allow it to become the norm.
“These figures also show the stark consequences of the
government’s decision to remove the £20 a week uplift to
Universal Credit in October 2021. The increase played a crucial
role in reducing the number of children living in poverty in the
previous year – progress that has now been reversed.
“Most worryingly of all, much of the data in today’s
statistics covers the period before inflation began to spiral and
the cost of living crisis started to bite. Poverty was already on
the increase as we entered this crisis and despite the support
provided by the government over the last year the situation has
continued to worsen for millions.
“Inflation remains in double digits and rents have rocketed.
Benefit levels are so low that people cannot afford to buy food
or heat their homes. At the very least the government must ensure
that the basic rate of Universal Credit is actually linked to the
cost of essentials if it expects to make any meaningful progress
on poverty.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Additional statistics
- Poverty rates were highest in England (22%), Wales (22%) and
Scotland (21%) and lowest in and Northern Ireland
(16%).[1]
- Over a quarter of people in families in which someone has a
disability were in poverty compared to around 1 in 5 people in
families in which no one is disabled.[2]
- 9% of people living in poverty reported using a food bank in
the twelve months prior to the survey, compared to only 2% of
those not in poverty.
- 43% of social renters were living in poverty – the highest
rate across all housing tenures.
- Those in poverty were around four times as likely to be
experiencing food insecurity (17%) as those not in poverty (4%).
[1] Based
on an average of 2019/20 and 2021/22.
[2]
Calculated excluding extra-cost disability benefits as income, as
these are to pay for extra costs rather than improve someone’s
living standards.
