A Closer Look at Poverty Challenges

Recent findings from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation “UK Poverty 2024” report highlights significant poverty issues in the UK.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Widespread Poverty: Over 14 million people, including 4.2 million children and 2.1 million pensioners, are living in poverty.
• Deepening Poverty Levels: The situation is worsening, with 6 million people in very deep poverty.
• Children Highly Affected: Children, especially in larger and lone-parent families, are at higher risk.
• Increasing Destitution: Around 3.8 million people, including 1 million children, experienced destitution in 2022.
• Rural Challenges: Unique rural issues such as higher living costs, limited job opportunities, and inadequate services exacerbate poverty.

The report highlights the different challenges in different regions of the UK, explaining how variations are drive by differences in labour markets, housing markets and rates of benefit receipt, alongside wider demographic factors of the population.

Kerry Booth, Chief  Executive of the Rural Services Network says: “Exploring poverty at this wider regional level, or even at local authority level, however, can hide the hidden deprivation experienced in many rural communities. The Rural Services commissioned research into that ‘hidden deprivation’, marked by isolation and higher living costs. The research into the rural cost of living underscores these challenges, revealing the disproportionate impact of rising living costs on rural residents.  Read more at this link The “UK Poverty 2024” report is however an essential tool in understanding and tackling poverty and we need to explore the data at lower levels to help understand the challenges that communities face to help drive informed action and support for rural communities.”

You can read the full Report here.