The Scottish Executive announced 10 new targets aimed at delivering better life chances for Scotland's vulnerable people and deprived communities. The targets included: increasing employment and tackling worklessness; tackling aspects of in-work poverty by providing employees with the opportunity to develop skills; reducing the proportion of young people aged 16-19 not in education, training or employment; reducing health inequalities; regenerating the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods; and ensuring that children and young people who needed it had an integrated package of appropriate health, care and education support.
Source: Press release 9 December 2004, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: SE press release
Date: 2004-Dec
A report described the different experiences of social groups in six key areas: education, work, income, living standards, health, and participation. Household income and educational attainment had improved overall, but the gaps remained large. Employment rates for most key groups that had been disadvantaged in the labour market had improved recently, and at a greater rate than for the population overall. Nevertheless, a significant minority of people were affected by a lack of material resources, and the inequality in the health of the population had widened over the previous few decades.
Source: Penny Babb, Jean Martin and Paul Haezewindt (eds.), Focus on Social Inequalities, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
A series of studies explored the relationship between the housing market and fundamental inequalities of incomes, lifestyles and life chances. Children from poorer families were being priced out of the best schools by wealthier parents, who were willing to spend up to a 30 per cent premium on houses in their catchment areas.
Source: Paul Cheshire and Steven Sheppard (eds.), 'The Price of Access to Better Neighbourhoods', Economic Journal, November 2004, Royal Economic Society (0117 983 9770)
Links: RES press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
A study reviewed existing evidence on how people escaped from poverty. There was considerable mobility of income from one year to the next, with people moving into and out of poverty: but most did not move far up or down the income distribution scale. Work was the most important route out of poverty for working-age people, but not a guaranteed one: but there was evidence of a 'low pay, no pay' cycle of moving from unemployment into low-paid work and back again. For some economically inactive people, especially severely disabled people, paid employment was not a realistic option: in these cases, increases in social security benefits could be the most important ladder out of poverty.
Source: Peter Kemp, Jonathan Bradshaw, Paul Dornan, Naomi Finch and Emese Mayhew, Routes out of Poverty: A research review, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings N94 | JRF press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A report said that rapidly rising house prices were creating an unprecedented wealth gap - trapping millions of people in poorer areas, while rewarding those on the property ladder in the south.
Source: Bethan Thomas and Danny Dorling, Know Your Place: Housing wealth and inequality in Great Britain 1980-2003 and beyond, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report (pdf) | Shelter press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Nov
A new book examined the meaning and experience of poverty in the contemporary world. It explored the relational, cultural, symbolic, as well as material, dimensions of poverty; and it made links between poverty and other concepts such as well-being, capabilities, social divisions and exclusion, agency and citizenship.
Source: Ruth Lister, Poverty, Polity Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Oct
A new book provided a comprehensive and critical analysis of 'Third Way' social policy and policy processes in the welfare systems of industrialized economies, and examined the extent to which Third Way ideology and institutional structures converged or varied in different national settings. It explored the implications of the new politics of welfare for theorizing inequality, social justice, and the future of welfare.
Source: Jane Lewis and Rebecca Surender (eds.), Welfare State Change: Towards a Third Way?, Oxford University Press (01536 741727)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Oct
A new book examined trends in inequality in the United Kingdom. It analysed the dramatic widening of the income distribution since the end of the 1970s, the growth of poverty, and the factors that had driven them. It examined how government affected distribution through social spending and taxes, and how this had changed under the Labour government. It described the constraints and pressures on future policies, and the dilemmas facing policy-makers in attempting to reduce poverty and inequality, alongside competing and growing demands on social spending.
Source: John Hills, Inequality and the State, Oxford University Press (01536 741727)
Links: Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
The number of jobs paid below the national minimum wage was 272,000 in the spring of 2004, amounting to 1.1 per cent of all jobs in the labour market. (The estimate was produced using a new methodology based solely on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, which replaced the New Earnings Survey.)
Source: Press release 28 October 2004, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: ONS press release (1) (pdf) | ONS press release (2) (pdf) | ONS press release (3) (pdf) | Survey results | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
A paper discussed a variety of approaches to examining the extent to which differences in educational performance were caused by income itself rather than parental ability. It was found that even relatively small estimated income effects could lead to large amounts of educational inequality.
Source: Jo Blanden and Paul Gregg, Family Income and Educational Attainment: A review of approaches and evidence for Britain, Discussion Paper 41, Centre for the Economics of Education/London School of Economics (020 7955 7285)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
A think-tank report said that if the rise in economic inequality were not reversed, little headway could be made towards the government s other goals of alleviating poverty, widening opportunities and overcoming social exclusion.
Source: Ben Jackson and Paul Segal, Why Inequality Matters, Catalyst, available from Central Books (020 8986 4854)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
On 1 October 2004 the main rate of the minimum wage was raised to 4.85 an hour, from 4.50 an hour; the youth rate of the minimum wage for workers aged 18 to 21 (inclusive) was raised to 4.10 an hour, from 3.80 an hour; and a new rate for workers under the age of 18 who had ceased to be of compulsory school age was introduced, at 3.00 an hour.
Source: National Minimum Wage: A short guide for workers, Department for Transport (0870 1226 236)
Links: Guide (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
The sixth annual Opportunity for All report was published by the government, showing progress in tackling poverty and social exclusion. It focused in part on area-based disadvantage and partnership. Two new indicators were included, covering childhood obesity and families living in temporary accommodation. The government said that, overall, the 58 indicators used showed a 'significant improvement' on the previous year, with more of the trends going in the right direction.
Source: Opportunity for All: Sixth annual report 2004, Cm6239, Department for Work and Pensions, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 13 September 2004, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | DWP press release | CPAG press release | SCF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
A survey of 22,000 adults found that 75 per cent preferred a fairer income distribution. Women were more likely to favour income equality than men; and better-educated people were more tolerant of income inequality. Only the very rich favoured income inequality. Geography was important, with the Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish all more likely to prefer a more equitable income distribution.
Source: Marc Cowling and Rebecca Harding, The Desire for Income Equality amongst the UK Adult Population, Work Foundation (0870 165 6700)
Links: Report (pdf) | Work Foundation press release
Date: 2004-Sep
A House of Commons Library briefing paper presented findings on income and income distribution/inequality data.
Source: Ian Townsend, Income, Wealth and Inequality, Research Paper 04/70, House of Commons Library (web publication only)
Links: HOC Library research paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Sep
A new book charted the changing experience of poverty, in the transition from a society of producers and universal employment to a society of consumers, in which life projects were built around consumer choice rather than work, professional skills or jobs. It considered the extent to which traditional means of fighting back advancing poverty and mitigating its hardships were fit or unfit to tackle the problems of poverty in this new form.
Source: Zygmunt Bauman, Work, Consumerism and the New Poor, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Sep
A think tank published an audit of social injustice. It said the Labour government had a good record on poverty, but not on inequality; a better one on income inequality than on wealth inequality; had helped working parents, but done less for poor people without children; and had cut crime, but left the poorest as more likely to suffer crime and the fear of crime.
Source: Will Paxton and Mike Dixon, The State of the Nation: An audit of injustice in the UK, Institute for Public Policy Research, available from Central Books (0845 458 9911)
Links: IPPR press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Aug
A new book by policy specialists in the opposition Liberal Democrat Party proposed the rejection of nanny state liberalism, a cap on public spending, support for stable and secure families, and a tougher prisons regime.
Source: Paul Marshall and David Laws (eds.), The Orange Book: Reclaiming Liberalism, Profile Books (020 7404 3001)
Links: Summary | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Aug
A report (based on results from the British Household Panel Survey) analysed the movements around the income distribution by individuals over the period 1991-2002, and the extent to which individuals living in low-income households were persistently experiencing low income. Slightly over half of all individuals spent at least one year in households with below 60 per cent of median household income (before housing costs); 1 in 5 spent at least five years below this income level; and 1 per cent spent all twelve years below 60 per cent of median household income. Estimates after accounting for housing costs were broadly consistent, albeit somewhat higher.
Source: Low Income Dynamics 1991 to 2002, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report (pdf) | DWP press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Aug
An article provided an overview of academic debates and recent research on the dynamic perspective on poverty and anti-poverty policy. It concluded that dynamic analysis and the role of agency had had a significant impact, but that this should not be interpreted as leading to an abandonment of policies for structural reform aimed at redistributing resources to the poor.
Source: Pete Alcock, 'The influence of dynamic perspectives on poverty analysis', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 33 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Jul
A new book examined the impact of labour and product market reforms in the United Kingdom during the 1980s and 1990s on productivity, employment and inequality. It considered how the United Kingdom managed to stave off falling earnings for lower-paid workers; the role of the reforms in increasing income inequality and poverty; and the effect of the reforms on reduced unemployment and the accelerated growth of real wages.
Source: David Card, Richard Blundell and Richard Freeman (eds.), Seeking a Premier Economy: The economic effects of British economic reforms, 1980-2000, University of Chicago Press (01243 779777)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Jul
A paper investigated the multi-dimensional aspects of poverty in the population of Great Britain from 1991 to 2000. It said that a methodology which took into account multi-dimensional aspects made it possible to provide a better view of longitudinal aspects of poverty and deprivation - such as persistence of the phenomena, the estimation of exit and re-entry rates, and the time spent in poverty by the population.
Source: Guido Maggio, Multidimensional Analysis of Poverty Dynamics in Great Britain, Working Paper 2004-10, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jul
An article said that education had not been the powerful equalising force that it might otherwise have been. Children from poor backgrounds increasingly got left behind in school in the 1970s and 1980s, were less likely to go on to university, and subsequently did less well in the labour market.
Source: Stephen Machin, 'Educational inequality: the widening socio-economic gap', Fiscal Studies, Volume 25 Number 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: IFS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
An annual analysis (for 2002-03) examined how taxes and benefits redistributed income between various household types in the United Kingdom.
Source: Caroline Lakin, 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income, 2002 03', Economic Trends, June 2004, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
A report said that, when living standards were measured by income, the gap between rich and poor grew slightly over the 1990s: but when measured by household spending, it fell. Overall, these findings suggested a halt in the large and sustained growth in inequality in income and spending that took place in the 1980s - but also that the trend had not been much reversed, and remained at a 40-year high.
Source: Alissa Goodman and Zoe Oldfield, Permanent Differences? Income and expenditure inequality in 1990s and 2000s, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: IFS press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
A new book argued that people's position in the social hierarchy was intimately related to their chances of getting ill and to how long they lived. Health could be predicted 'to an astonishing extent' by being poor, feeling poor, and being made to feel poor. The differences between top and bottom were getting bigger.
Source: Michael Marmot, Status Syndrome: How our position on the social gradient affects longevity and health, Bloomsbury Publishing (020 7440 2475)
Links: Summary | Observer report | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
An article said that, since 1998, large real-terms increases in means-tested benefits and tax credits had significantly reduced inequality, but had not so far been sufficient to offset the effect of the two previous decades during which benefit rates lagged behind earnings growth.
Source: Tom Clark and Andrew Leicester, 'Inequality and two decades of British tax and benefit reform', Fiscal Studies, Volume 25 Number 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Abstract | IFS press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
The government published figures showing the estimated number of workers to benefit directly from the national minimum wage, between its introduction and the next uprating in October 2004.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 26 May 2004, columns 77WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2004-May
A report examined how taxes and benefits redistributed income between various groups of households in the United Kingdom. In 2002-03, the original income of the top fifth of households was around 15 times greater than for those in the bottom fifth ( 60,300 per household per year compared with 4,000). This compared with ratios of 18:1 in the two previous years. However, after adjusting for taxes and benefits the ratio was reduced to 4:1 for final income, unchanged from previous years. The types of households that gained from this redistribution tended to be one-adult households with children, two-adult households with three or more children, and retired households. There had been no consistent trend in the inequality of disposable income since the start of the 1990s: inequality was fairly stable in the first half of the 1980s then increased during the second half of the decade.
Source: Caroline Lakin, The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income, 2002-03, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
An article explored social class inequalities in health among adults aged between 25 and 64, using data from the 2001 Census. There were large geographical inequalities, with rates of poor health generally increasing from class 1 (higher managerial and professional occupations) to class 7 (routine occupations). Women generally had poorer self-rated health than men in the same social class. Wales and the North East and North West regions of England fared particularly badly, with high rates of poor health for all seven social classes.
Source: Tim Doran, Frances Drever and Margaret Whitehead, 'Is there a north-south divide in social class inequalities in health in Great Britain?: Cross sectional study using data from the 2001 census', British Medical Journal, 1 May 2004
Links: Article | BMJ press release
Date: 2004-May
A literature review examined theory and evidence relating to the inter-generational transmission of educational success. Parental education and income were found to be the most important factors; occupational status and family size were also important.
Source: Leon Feinstein, Kathryn Duckworth and Ricardo Sabates, A Model of the Inter-generational Effects of Parental Education, Research Report RCB01, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
There was significant income growth, in real terms, at the lower end of the income distribution between 1994-95 and 2002-03, and between 1996-97 and 2002-03. Between 1996-97 and 2002-03 the median income of the bottom 20 per cent of the population grew by 18 per cent in real terms (before housing costs - 25 per cent after housing costs). There was a fall of 1.6 million in the number of working-age adults below 60 per cent of 1996-97 median income (before housing costs), from an initial level of 4.9 million: after housing costs, there was a fall of 2.3 million from an initial level of 6.8 million. There was a fall of 1.0 million in the number of pensioners below 60 per cent of 1996-97 median income (before housing costs), from an initial level of 2.1 million: after housing costs, there was a fall of 1.8 million from an initial level of 2.7 million. From 1996-97 to 2002-03, the income growth observed at the lower end of the income distribution was accompanied by similar growth across the income distribution as a whole. A think-tank commentary on the figures said that the Labour government s tax and social security changes had been redistributive, in that they had tended to favour the less well-off more than the better-off: although the government had not reduced inequality, its tax and social security changes had slowed its increase.
Source: Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2002/03, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176) | Mike Brewer et al., Poverty and Inequality in Britain: 2004, Commentary 96, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Report | Statistical press release (pdf) | DWP press release | IFS report (pdf) | IFS press release (pdf) | CPAG press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Mar
A new book explored the concepts of dependency, responsibility and rights and their significance for social citizenship; drew together findings from a range of recent research that had investigated popular, political, welfare-provider and welfare-user discourses; discussed the relevance of the Human Rights Act for social policy; and presented arguments in favour of a human rights based approach to social welfare. It said that arguments that social and welfare support should be seen as part of the human rights agenda were not backed by popular opinion, or by those directly involved in the field.
Source: Hartley Dean (ed.), The Ethics of Welfare: Human rights, dependency and responsibility, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | ESRC press release
Date: 2004-Mar
A think-tank pamphlet argued that public displays of empathy, such as wearing ribbons in support of a good cause or mourning the deaths of famous people, were empty gestures which actually made it easier for people to avoid the bother of actually doing anything caring.
Source: Patrick West, Conspicuous Compassion: Why sometimes it really is cruel to be kind, Civitas (020 7401 5470)
Links: Civitas press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Feb
A report on Northern Ireland's economic performance and prospects highlighted concern over widening social inequality.
Source: Working Together for a Stronger Economy: First review, Economic Development Forum/Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (028 9087 7777)
Links: Report (pdf) | NICVA summary
Date: 2004-Feb
Catholic bishops called on the public to recognise the payment of taxes as a sign of 'our solidarity with one another and our humanity' and of 'social health and a moral good'.
Source: Taxation for the Common Good, Catholic Church in England & Wales, available from Colloquium Press (020 7901 4805)
Links: Catholic Church press release | Times report
Date: 2004-Feb
A report brought together contributions from five leading think tanks on long-term policy prescriptions for tackling disadvantage. It identified a range of innovative approaches for policy makers to consider. Contributors differed over the types and combinations of policy that would be needed: income redistribution and the proper balance between universal and means-tested benefits were among the disputed areas, as were the merits of targeting disadvantaged communities, rather than low-income families and individuals.
Source: Nicholas Timmins, IPPR, Social Market Foundation, Policy Exchange, Scottish Council Foundation and Institute of Welsh Affairs, Overcoming Disadvantage: An agenda for the next 20 years, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary | JRF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Feb
A paper examined the causal connections underlying links between low socio-economic status and ill-health. It suggested that the importance of 'reverse causation' from health to economic status needed to be given greater emphasis.
Source: James Smith, Unraveling the SES-Health Connection, WP04/02, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jan
The Northern Ireland Executive published a report on the work carried out from April 2002 to March 2003 in connection with its 'New Targeting Social Need' policy. It set out further commitments to ensure that relevant policies and services could be targeted effectively at the most needy in the community.
Source: New TSN: Annual Report 2003, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 3164)
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2004-Jan
A new book described the evidence for the social determinants underlying the social gradient in health.
Source: Richard Wilkinson and Michael Marmot (eds.), Social Determinants of Health: The solid facts (2nd edition), World Health Organization (publicationrequests@euro.who.int)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jan