Sam is a Lead Analyst, undertaking analysis for JRF’s work on social security, communities and place, and the wider economy. Sam was previously a Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation, predominantly working on social security and housing policy, and before that was a Senior Analyst at Policy in Practice. Sam holds a Masters in Mathematics from the University of Bath.
Email: sam.tims@jrf.org.uk
Investment in social security will reduce poverty this April, but progress will stall without a comprehensive set of actions for more than economic growth alone.
New evidence from JRF shows there has been no let-up for low-income families over the last year, with millions of households still struggling to afford life’s essentials, such as food, heating and basic toiletries.
Measures in the Budget, especially removing the two-child limit, ease some pain and significantly reduce child poverty, but incomes are projected to fall more in this parliament than any on record.
New JRF figures but the same old story: the Government needs to address the cost of living crisis overwhelming millions of UK households to deliver growth, with fairness at its heart.
The Government said its child poverty strategy will focus on severe and acute poverty, so it must prioritise large families, lone parents and disabled people.
A new safety net in Universal Credit would limit hardship from debt deductions and the benefit cap, giving 130,000 people a lifeline out of poverty.
Adding a protected minimum floor to Universal Credit and removing the two-child limit will reverse declining living standards for families with children and get child poverty falling.
Average incomes are expected to fall by £550 over this parliament, meaning the Government risks having the worst living standards performance of any parliament on record.
A year into the new Labour Government, key hardship measures show no improvement - over 7 million low-income families are still going without essentials.