Visualisation made with flourish.studio
Poverty is caused by a combination of low income (from work or benefits, or both) and high expenditure (on housing, childcare, energy, food and other essentials, the costs of all of which are at historic highs and are continuing to increase). The rising cost of living, combined with falling real household incomes from work or benefits, is having a disproportionate effect on low-income households, and so is pushing millions more people into poverty. Added to that, inflation is actually higher for those on low incomes, and poorer households can pay more for the same products and services.
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Disadvantage undermines people’s capabilities and opportunities
Disadvantage undermines people’s capabilities and opportunities
Income inequality is high by historical and European standards 
Income inequality is high by historical and European standards
Many high earners are paid unreasonably large amounts of money
Many high earners are paid unreasonably large amounts of money
People from poorer backgrounds are less likely to get to and do well at university
People from poorer backgrounds are less likely to get to and do well at university
People from poorer backgrounds do less well at school
People from poorer backgrounds do less well at school
Poorer people don’t have a buffer against economic shocks
Poorer people don’t have a buffer against economic shocks
Socio-economic inequality leads to environmental inequality
Socio-economic inequality leads to environmental inequality
Socio-economic inequality leads to health inequalities
Socio-economic inequality leads to health inequalities
Socio-economic inequality leads to more crime and less effective criminal justice
Socio-economic inequality leads to more crime and less effective criminal justice
Socio-economic inequality leads to political inequality
Socio-economic inequality leads to political inequality
The best way to become wealthy is to be wealthy already
The best way to become wealthy is to be wealthy already
The education system can never totally compensate for disadvantage
The education system can never totally compensate for disadvantage
The rising costs of living hit poorer households harder
The rising costs of living hit poorer households harder
The structure of our economy leads to huge regional inequalities
The structure of our economy leads to huge regional inequalities
Too many people are on low incomes and in insecure work
Too many people are on low incomes and in insecure work
Wealth inequality is much larger than income inequality
Wealth inequality is much larger than income inequality