Recent reports highlight a dire situation in the UK, where absolute poverty levels have surged to their highest in 30 years, affecting approximately 12 million people, or 18% of the population. This includes a record number of children, with 4.3 million living in relative poverty, 3.6 million in absolute poverty (an increase of 300,000), and 25% of children unable to afford basic needs like water, food, or shelter. The situation is exacerbated by the government's policies, including the two-child limit and benefits cap, which have been criticized for worsening the poverty crisis. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's recent comments, describing a £100,000 annual salary as 'not a huge salary', have sparked outrage, with critics accusing the government of being out of touch with the realities faced by those struggling with poverty. The rise in poverty has been linked to cuts in public services, wage freezes, and reduced funding for education, with calls for urgent action to address the growing crisis.
One in five people in the UK is poor. - When the government released statistics on poverty in the UK, it turned out that 12 million live in absolute poverty. This is based on data for 2022 and 2023. An immediate increase of 600 thousand compared to 2021 and the highest growth… https://t.co/crm9vwSPiO
Jeremy Hunt has said that he wants to lift the £100,000 earnings threshold for claiming free childcare after the election because it is “not a huge salary” in his constituency ⬇️ https://t.co/voE5acBcp2
This week shocking new figures showed one in four children in Britain are now living in absolute poverty. Also this week, the Chancellor claimed earning £100,000 a year is "not a huge salary". This Government is completely out of touch.
I’m sure the pay review bodies will be taking into account the opinion of Chancellor @Jeremy_Hunt that ‘ £100,000 is 'not a huge salary' when considering a pay rise for NHS staff this year.. https://t.co/HNEWdtCZBE
Labour calls Jeremy Hunt 'desperately out of touch' after Chancellor says £100,000 is 'not a huge salary' https://t.co/deNQnSamIJ
It's good to finally see what it takes to unite Tory MPs in righteous anger and stir them to action. Not rising poverty, children going hungry, crumbling schools or a collapsing NHS, but... a logo on a football shirt.
12 million people in UK living in absolute poverty. That’s nearly 1 in 5 citizens. Child poverty is at record level. Perhaps the only thing preventing the societal collapse are the food banks. “Great” Britain… whose leaders are waging proxy war on Russia, bombing Yemen etc. https://t.co/9hGzy4t9yK
In the same week as it emerged that *almost half* of all families with three or more children live in poverty. Sickening. https://t.co/LgyLQBvgC3.
There are 3.7 million people in the UK who literally don't have enough money to feed themselves/their families -up more than half in just 3 years. And @jeremy_hunt is worried about people on nearly 3 times average earnings... https://t.co/s21w69W4gJ
What type of society do we live in when a badge on a football kit leads to more political commentary & outrage than learning from the Govt’s own figures that 5% of the entire UK population are going hungry, including huge numbers of children. Grim. #RightToFood https://t.co/ucMixZwIai
More Tory MPs have spoken up about how Nike have done a fashion thing, than about the child poverty data which shows a growing number of children in the country they rule not having enough to eat. Wobble your heads.
It's revealing that some people in British politics seem more upset about the new England football shirt than about new figures showing a record number of children are growing up in poverty. If they got their priorities right, maybe we wouldn't have these problems?
BREAKING: £100,000 a year 'not a huge salary', chancellor claims https://t.co/t6hdW8pJvB
The British government announced that poverty is increasing at the fastest rate since the 1990s and a fifth of the country is in absolute poverty. But that’s ok, because without the government, that rate would have been higher. No, they actually said that. https://t.co/Ye0jbOLco7
‘Why do I know what the PM thinks about a football shirt, but I have yet to hear him comment on these figures?’ @ShelaghFogarty discusses ‘staggering’ poverty statistics, as the UK sees the biggest rise in 30 years, asking ‘why is this not a national scandal?’ https://t.co/MXvgosPF9X
This is the figure Tories always prefer to use - as they don’t recognise relative poverty as a concept Level of food insecurity & poverty they’ve presided over is deeply shameful https://t.co/RQHvuhc2et
🇬🇧🚨‼️ 12 million or 18% of Brits live in absolute poverty. Send more money to Ukraine I guess. https://t.co/H9C0CObDoo
🚨 The rate of absolute poverty in the UK now stands at 18%. Absolute poverty = households/families can’t afford basic needs. In other words, ~12 MILILION people, in BRITAIN, can’t afford their basic needs like water, food or shelter. Oh, and 25% of children are too.
'They are being forgotten': Record number of children in poverty branded ‘an outrage’ https://t.co/GPvsXk251o
Absolute poverty levels reported to be at their highest for 30 years, in one of the wealthiest countries on earth. Labour apparently said the statistics were "horrifying". So what are they going to do about it? Implement further austerity and sell of what few public services we…
At the Budget and again on Tuesday, the Chancellor told us the Tories brought down absolutely poverty (but neglected to mention alarming rates of relative poverty). Now the Government's own annual poverty statistics show the sharpest increase in 30yrs. https://t.co/XLSQ9Lnjko
Absolutely devastating data from @DWPgovuk showing a huge growth of hunger & food insecurity in the UK today. We are one of the richest economies in the world. The need for a #RightToFood in legislation is now imperative to tackle this crisis. #HungerIsAPoliticalChoice https://t.co/P2P0XNvr53
As stats today reveal: ❌ 4.3 million kids in relative poverty - highest ever ❌ 3.6 million kids in absolute poverty - up 300k ❌ 2.2 million children living in "food insecure" households …here’s your reminder that Rishi Sunak really isn’t bovvered https://t.co/WMv5pa2rMt https://t.co/4X5q1q4qYW
What a shameful day for @DWPgovuk. 3.6m kids now in absolute poverty thanks to 2 child limit & benefits cap. This disgrace of a Government has brought the country to its knees. And Rishi still dares to tell destitute people their plan is working and we've turned a corner? https://t.co/OqU25dyxDz
This is what happens when you cut public services to the bone, freeze people’s wages, and cut funding to education in the name of protecting public finances. Absolute poverty has now seen the biggest rise in 30 years — this is the Tory legacy. https://t.co/n6OxtfSiWM