Arabic version: تقرير المملكة المتحدة عن ارتفاع مستويات الفقر، الحكومة تخطط لاتخاذ إجراءات
New government figures reveal that more than 13.4 million people in the UK are living in relative poverty, an increase of half a million from the previous year. This includes approximately four million children, with the number of pensioners in poverty rising from 1.49 million to 1.69 million. According to BBC News, the definition of relative poverty applies to those living in households earning below 60% of the median average income.
Work and Pensions Minister Diana Johnson described the poverty levels as “wholly unacceptable” and stated that the government is taking “robust action to change the course”. The percentage of the overall population living in poverty has only seen a slight increase from 19% to 20% between 2023/24 and 2024/25.
Despite the increase in poverty figures, analysts from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation noted that child poverty statistics remained relatively unchanged during the first year of the Labour government. They expressed hope that the government’s decision to remove the two-child benefit cap in April 2026 would lead to a decrease in child poverty numbers.
The latest data also reflects a revision in how poverty levels are calculated, with improvements made to account for underreported benefit incomes in previous surveys. This has led to a downward revision of child poverty figures, with the number of children in relative poverty last year estimated to be 400,000 lower than previously thought.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies acknowledged that the changes in measuring benefit income address long-standing weaknesses in official data, although they warned that further adjustments may still be needed. Opposition parties have criticized the government’s benefit policies, with some arguing that the two-child cap perpetuates poverty rather than alleviating it. Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the upcoming policy change, stating that it would help to reduce poverty levels among children.
