A report said that the government's strategy against poverty and social exclusion had lost momentum, and was in urgent need of a major rethink. Out of 50 indicators of poverty and social exclusion, there had recently been a worsening in 9, mainly in the key areas of income and work. These had been offset by improvements in 7, chiefly related to primary education, premature death, and homelessness. The most serious setback was the increase of 200,000 children living in poverty in 2005-06 compared to the year before: as a result, there had been no sustained progress on child poverty for three years.
Source: Guy Palmer, Tom MacInnes and Peter Kenway, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2007, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | CPAG press release | NCH press release | Telegraph report | BBC report | FT report
Date: 2007-Dec
A think-tank report examined income inequality trends in Europe and the United States of America. It said that a more radical approach, including measures to prevent the escalation in pay inequalities, was needed to lower the high levels of inequality in the United Kingdom.
Source: Sotirios Zartaloudis, Equality: A Political Choice, Policy Network (020 7340 2200)
Links: Report | Policy Network press release
Date: 2007-Dec
A collection of essays drew together contributions from a conference on a range of subject areas relating to the overarching theme of criminal justice and social justice.
Source: Rebecca Roberts and Will McMahon (eds.), Social Justice and Criminal Justice, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies/King's College London (020 7848 1688)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Dec
An article said that many problems associated with relative deprivation were more prevalent in more unequal societies. It summarized previously published evidence suggesting that this might be true of morbidity and mortality, obesity, teenage birth rates, mental illness, homicide, low trust, low social capital, hostility, and racism. It added new analyses which suggested that this was also true of poor educational performance among school children, the proportion of the population imprisoned, drug overdose mortality, and low social mobility.
Source: Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, 'The problems of relative deprivation: why some societies do better than others', Social Science & Medicine Volume 65 Issue 9
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Nov
The government published a periodic report on the implementation in the United Kingdom of the United Nations agreement on economic, social, and cultural rights.
Source: International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Fifth Periodic Report from the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies, the British Overseas Territories, Ministry of Justice (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Oct
A new book examined the changing role of the state in the provision of welfare since 1940. The final chapter focused on the strategy of the New Labour governments since 1997.
Source: Robert Page, Revisiting the Welfare State, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Oct
A report said that variations in life expectancy among social classes persisted, according to new data derived from the ONS Longitudinal Study for the period 2002-2005. Although life expectancy had risen for all social classes over the previous 30 years, people in professional occupations had the longest expectation of life, and people in unskilled manual occupations had the shortest expectation of life.
Source: Trends in Life Expectancy by Social Class 1972-2005, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report | ONS press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Oct
The government published annual indicators for 2007 which showed that: 600,000 fewer children were living in poverty compared to 1997; a fall in the number of children living in homes that did not meet the set standard of decency from 41 per cent to 23 per cent; 1.1 million fewer pensioners living in poverty; and an increase in the employment rates for many disadvantaged groups.
Source: Opportunity For All: Indicators Update 2007, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | DWP press release
Date: 2007-Oct
The opposition Liberal Democrats put forward a plan to reduce poverty and inequality. Proposals included: introducing a 'pupil premium', with extra money targeted at the children with the greatest need; reforming tax credits by ending the overpayments crisis and taking higher earners out of the system altogether; increasing child benefit in order to lift 150,000 children out of poverty; replacing Jobcentre Plus with a new 'First Steps' agency serving as a single 'one stop shop' for all benefit and tax credit claims, while outsourcing properly funded employment support to the private and voluntary sector; immediately restoring the earnings link to the basic state pension and in the long run introducing a citizens' pension.
Source: Freedom from Poverty, Opportunity for All: Policies for a fairer Britain, Liberal Democrats (020 7222 7999)
Links: Plan | LD press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Sep
A new book examined the history of debates over 'transmitted deprivation', and their relationship with recent initiatives on social exclusion. It highlighted the 'striking similarities' between the government's most recent attempts to tackle social exclusion and child poverty, and earlier debates.
Source: John Welshman, From Transmitted Deprivation to Social Exclusion: Policy, poverty, and parenting, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Sep
A think-tank report called for a reformed welfare system that was based on the needs and circumstances of the citizen. There was an opportunity to deliver a welfare contract that was more fair, simple, and empowering. Such a system would be capable of placing the citizen at the centre and in doing so would move further down the road to full employment and social justice.
Source: Jim Bennett and Graeme Cooke (eds.), It's All About You: Citizen-centred welfare, Institute for Public Policy Research (020 7470 6100)
Links: Report | Summary | IPPR press release
Date: 2007-Sep
A paper examined the fact that most people appeared to accept widespread social and economic inequalities. Evidence from a small-scale pilot qualitative study suggested that social comparisons were narrow, and that knowledge of the true extent of inequality was limited. What comparisons people did make appear to be based on lifestyle and consumption – hence, they were neither resentful of the super-rich, nor of others closer to themselves who had done better in life. However, they were very aware of their advantages compared with less fortunate members of society.
Source: Ray Pahl, David Rose and Liz Spencer, Inequality and Quiescence: A continuing conundrum, Working Paper 2007-22, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper | ISER press release
Date: 2007-Sep
A new book provided an evidence-based introduction to social and health inequalities. It examined what was meant by health inequalities and socio-economic inequalities; what evidence there was to support the link between socio-economic status and health; why these links persisted over time, between and within societies, and across people's lives; and the part played by policies in the persistence of social and health inequalities.
Source: Hilary Graham, Unequal Lives: Health and socioeconomic inequalities, Open University Press (01280 823388)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Sep
A new book examined whether courts could make a more effective contribution to the protection of socio-economic rights with the assistance of appropriately tailored constitutional provisions.
Source: Ellie Palmer, Judicial Review, Socio-Economic Rights and the Human Rights Act, Hart Publishing (01865 517530)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Sep
A think-tank report examined the role of fraternity in the philosophy of conservatism. 'Compassionate conservatives' had placed great emphasis on fraternity, and on a 'connected society' in which intermediate institutions between the state and the individual could flourish.
Source: Jesse Norman, Kitty Ussher and Danny Alexander, From Here to Fraternity: Perspectives on social responsibility, CentreForum (020 7340 1160)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Sep
A report said that the homes in which children were brought up, their parents' jobs, and their family's income, all had a huge impact on their future prospects. Before a child reached secondary school, it was possible to predict how likely they were to struggle financially and socially as an adult, turn to drugs and alcohol, be obese, suffer long-term depression, or no qualifications.
Source: Leon Feinstein, Barbara Hearn and Zoe Renton with Caroline Abrahams and Mary MacLeod, Reducing Inequalities: Realising the Talents of All, National Children's Bureau (020 7843 6029), Family and Parenting Institute, and Institute of Education
Links: NCB press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Sep
A discussion paper said that, in the period 1983-2004, a rise in income inequality had not been associated with increased redistribution. The demand for redistribution, having shown considerable variation over time, was at an all-time low: this could mostly be accounted for by an increasing belief in the importance of incentives.
Source: Andreas Georgiadis and Alan Manning, Spend It Like Beckham? Inequality and redistribution in the UK, 1983-2004, DP816, Centre for Economic Performance/London School of Economics (020 7955 7673)
Date: 2007-Aug
Researchers used the British Household Panel Survey to create a multi-dimensional measure of poverty. The decline in poverty in Britain between 1991 and 2003 was driven by falls in material deprivation: but more especially by reduced financial stress, particularly during the early 1990s.
Source: Mark Tomlinson, Robert Walker and Glenn Williams, Measuring Poverty in Britain as a Multi-Dimensional Concept, 1991 to 2003, Barnett Paper 2007/6, Department of Social Policy and Social Work/University of Oxford (01865 270325)
Links: Paper
Date: 2007-Aug
A report analyzed the movements around the income distribution by individuals in Great Britain during the period 1991-2005, and the extent to which individuals living in low-income households were persistently experiencing low income. The level of persistent poverty for pensioners and children in 2002-2005 was lower than at any time since 1991-1994.
Source: Low-Income Dynamics 1991-2005 (Great Britain), Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | DWP press release | Help the Aged press release
Date: 2007-Aug
An article examined key dimensions of social justice – conceptualized as distribution and recognition claims – with particular reference to poverty, inequality, disability, and the perceived tension between diversity and solidarity in the welfare state. It provided an overview of a number of social justice issues below and above the (nation) state.
Source: Ruth Lister, 'Social justice: meanings and politics', Benefits, Volume 15 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jul
A report (by an advisory group to the opposition Conservative Party) said that social breakdown resulted in costs to the country of £102 billion per year – with family breakdown taking up £24 billion, crime £60 billion, and educational under-achievement £18 billion. It said that taxes and benefits should be transformed in order to strengthen families – with tax breaks for some married couples, a trebling of child benefit for the first three years, and steps to get more lone parents off benefits earlier. Other proposals included raising taxes on alcohol to tackle binge drinking; reclassifying cannabis as a 'class B' drug; and raising the gambling age limit from 16 to 18.
Source: Breakthrough Britain: Ending the costs of social breakdown, Social Justice Policy Group/Conservative Party (020 7222 9000)
Links: Report | Conservative Party press release | CPAG press release | NCH press release | OPF press release | Fawcett Society press release | NCVO press release | Carers UK press release | BBA press release | CSV press release | RCP press release | DEF press release | Addaction press release | Leonard Cheshire press release | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined public attitudes to economic inequality, and related issues of poverty and redistribution. Over the previous 20 years, a large and enduring majority of people (73 per cent in 2004) had considered the gap between high and low incomes to be too large.
Source: Michael Orton and Karen Rowlingson, Public Attitudes to Economic Inequality, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | Bristol University press release
Date: 2007-Jul
An article examined the work of the Welsh Assembly Government in the field of social justice. A set of 'distinctive and internally coherent' principles could be seen in operation across the responsibilities which the Assembly discharged. These included a belief in the usefulness of government; a commitment to progressive universalism; a preference for co-operation rather than competition as a means of improving standards of public services; and the pursuit of equality of outcome, rather than simply opportunity.
Source: Mark Drakeford, 'Social justice in a devolved Wales', Benefits, Volume 15 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined the geographical distribution of poverty and wealth in Britain. The analysis was based on five household groupings: the 'exclusive wealthy' – able to exclude themselves from the norms of society; those who were rich but not exclusively so; those who were neither rich nor poor; the 'breadline poor'; and the 'core poor' – who experienced a combination of severe income poverty, material deprivation, and subjective poverty. The report said that Britain 'was moving back towards levels of area inequality in wealth and poverty last seen more than 40 years ago'.
Source: Daniel Dorling et al., Poverty, Wealth and Place in Britain, 1968 to 2005, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | CPAG press release | Shelter press release | Church Action on Poverty press release | Bristol University press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Socialist Worker report
Date: 2007-Jul
The opposition Liberal Democrat Party published proposals designed to reduce poverty and tackle inequality. A 'pupil premium' would give more money to pupils from the poorest backgrounds, and help bring funding in the most needy state schools up to private school levels. Tax credits would be reformed by taking higher earners out of the system altogether. Child benefit would be increased by around £5 per family per week, taking 150,000 children out of poverty. Jobcentre Plus would be replaced by a new 'First Steps' agency, a single one-stop-shop for all benefit and tax credit claims: employment support services would be outsourced to the private and voluntary sector. The earnings link would be restored to upratings of the basic state pension.
Source: Freedom from Poverty, Opportunity for All: Policies for a fairer Britain, Liberal Democrats (020 7222 7999)
Links: Paper | LD press release | CPAG press release | EDCM press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jul
A new book examined social issues facing the Catholic Church, and the relationship between theology, social justice, and 'social spirituality'.
Source: Philomena Cullen, Bernard Hoose and Gerard Mannion (eds.), Catholic Social Justice: Theological and practical explorations, Church House Publishing (020 7898 1451)
Links: Summary | Catholic Church press release
Date: 2007-Jul
An article (by an opposition Conservative Party spokesperson) said that the generation born immediately after World War Two had benefited from a favourable macro-economic environment throughout their lives, while the relatively small generation following them would bear the brunt of paying for the pensions and healthcare of their predecessors. Such extreme differences in the benefits and burdens of different generations over their life-cycles might need to be ameliorated in order to avoid a breakdown in the informal intergenerational social contract, which had sustained support for the welfare state over several decades.
Source: David Willetts, 'Social justice across the generations', Benefits, Volume 15 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jul
A study reportedly found that 53 per cent of the 500 most influential people working in politics, the media, medicine, law, and business had attended fee-paying private schools (compared with just 7 per cent of the general population). The significance of private schooling for career success had declined only slightly during the previous 20 years.
Source: Research by Sutton Trust, reported in The Guardian, 29 June 2007
Links: Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jun
A collection of essays clarified and defended the claim that freedom from poverty was a human right with corresponding binding obligations on the more affluent to practice effective poverty avoidance.
Source: Thomas Pogge (ed.), Freedom from Poverty as a Human Right: Who owes what to the very poor?, Oxford University Press (01536 741727)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Jun
A new handbook provided a 'definitive resource' for understanding key concepts and measurements relating to socio-economic position and inequalities.
Source: Mary Shaw et al., The Handbook of Inequality and Socioeconomic Position: Concepts and measures, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Jun
A collection of essays, marking ten years of Labour government, outlined what the next phase of the progressive agenda should be and how it could be achieved.
Source: Nick Pearce and Julia Margo (eds.), Politics for a New Generation: The progressive moment, Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Summary | IPPR press release
Date: 2007-May
A think-tank report examined the Labour government?s progress since 1997 on increasing equality. It found enduring and even growing inequalities in key policy areas including health, wealth, work, housing, children, education, gender, and race. Some progress had been made on child poverty, parental rights, childcare, and rights for gay people.
Source: Closer to Equality? Assessing New Labour?s record on equality after 10 years in government, Compass (020 7463 0633)
Links: Report | Compass press release | Regeneration & Renewal report
Date: 2007-May
In 2005-06, original income (before taxes and benefits) of the top fifth of households in the United Kingdom was sixteen times greater than that for the bottom fifth (£68,700 per household compared with £4,200). After redistribution through taxes and benefits, the ratio between the top and bottom fifths was reduced to 4:1 (average final income of £49,300 compared with £13,500). These ratios were unchanged from the previous year.
Source: Taxes and Benefits: The Effect on Household Income, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: Report | FT report | Telegraph report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-May
A paper examined trends in income inequality using the 'GB2' statistical model, for the period 1994-95 to 2004-05. The results suggested that the principal changes over the decade in income distribution occurred at the very top of the distribution.
Source: Stephen Jenkins, Inequality and the GB2 Income Distribution, Working Paper 2007-12, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2007-May
A paper examined the major new directions in the analysis of inequality and poverty over the previous 30-40 years. It drew attention to developments under seven headings: changes in the extent of inequality and poverty; changes in the policy environment; increased scrutiny of the concepts of ?poverty? and inequality? and the rise of multidimensional approaches; the use of longitudinal perspectives; an increase in availability of and access to data; developments in analytical methods of measurement; and developments in modelling.
Source: Stephen Jenkins and John Micklewright, New Directions in the Analysis of Inequality and Poverty, Working Paper 2007-11, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2007-May
A new book argued that democracy was in crisis, threatened by the penetration of the public sector by market and quasi-market principles. It considered the challenge of eliminating poverty and social inequality; the role of education in building a collective society; whether democracy was at odds with efficiency; and whether citizenship was at war with class, gender, or ethnicity in the making of an ethical socialist country.
Source: A. H. Halsey (ed.), Democracy in Crisis: Ethical socialism for a prosperous country, Politico's Publishing (0870 850 1110)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Apr
A new book examined what the next Labour Prime Minister should do to maximize the chances of the party achieving a fourth term in government. Britain was too unequal a society to compete effectively in the world marketplace, and a 'new egalitarianism' was needed as a condition for longer-term economic growth. Blairite policies in health and education should be radicalized and generalized rather than rolled back: lower-income groups should be given a real voice and choice over services through decentralization and devolution.
Source: Anthony Giddens, Over to You, Mr Brown: How Labour can win again, Polity Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | Guardian article
Date: 2007-Mar
A briefing paper provided an update on trends in living standards, income inequality, and poverty (based on the latest figures for households below average incomes in 2005-06).
Source: Mike Brewer, Alissa Goodman, Alistair Muriel and Luke Sibieta, Poverty and Inequality in the UK: 2007, Briefing Note 73, Institute for Fiscal Studies (web publication only)
Links: Briefing Note | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Mar
The number of people in relative poverty (living in households with income below 60 per cent of the median, after housing costs) rose from 12.1 million in 2004-05 to 12.7 million in 2005-06 - the first such increase since 1996-97.
Source: Households Below Average Income (HBAI) 1994/95-2005/06, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | Statistical press release | Hansard | DWP press release | IFS press release | CPAG press release | Age Concern press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Mar
The government accepted a recommendation (by an independent advisory body) that the minimum wage should increase by 17p (3.2 per cent) an hour to £5.52 in October 2007. Hourly pay for people aged 18-21 would rise by 15p to £4.60; and for those aged 16-17 it would rise by 10p to £3.40.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 7 March 2007, column 136WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | National Minimum Wage: Low Pay Commission Report 2007, Cm 7056, Low Pay Commission, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | DTI press release | LPC report | LPC press release | TUC press release | UNISON press release | CBI press release | EFA press release | CIPD press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2007-Mar
A paper said that 75 per cent of the total adult population supported a higher degree of income equality. This proportion varied substantially according to gender, education, actual income, and geography.
Source: Marc Cowling and Rebecca Harding, The Desire for Income Equality amongst the UK Adult Population, Working Paper 1, Institute for Employment Studies (01273 686751)
Links: Paper
Date: 2007-Feb
An article in a think-tank journal said that big increases in public spending on health, education, and welfare had not produced the expected improvements in services; and, rather than empowering people, they had deepened welfare dependency.
Source: David Green, 'Market liberalism after Thatcher and Blair: why we should work towards a 'membership state'', Civitas Review, Volume 4 Issue 1
Links: Article | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Feb
A report examined communications ideas which could increase public sympathy towards poverty and inequality. Opinion research indicated that poverty needed to be shown in new ways to reflect changed realities and avoid 'compassion fatigue'.
Source: Sarah Castell and Julian Thompson, Understanding Attitudes to Poverty in the UK: Getting the public's attention, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Feb
A new book examined the growth of the meritocratic society. It said that wealth was again becoming more concentrated, and warned that government policies might not be helping.
Source: Geoff Dench (ed.), The Rise and Rise of Meritocracy, Blackwell Publishing (01235 465500) and Political Quarterly
Links: Summary | Young Foundation press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jan
A paper examined how the scale and nature of the state?s redistributive role had changed over the previous 70 years. The really big changes in the final distribution of income since 1937 had been driven by changes in the original distribution of labour market incomes, despite the growing scale of the welfare state: nonetheless in absolute terms the modern welfare state was reducing the scale of inequality by considerably more than it was in 1948.
Source: Howard Glennerster, Tibor Barna: The Redistributive Impact of Taxes and Social Policies in the UK 1937-2005, CASEpaper 115, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Paper
Date: 2007-Jan
A paper examined the size of health differences that existed among men in England and the United States, and how those differences varied by socio-economic status in both countries.
Source: James Banks, Michael Marmot, Zo? Oldfield and James Smith, The SES Health Gradient on Both Sides of the Atlantic, Working Paper W07/04, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Date: 2007-Jan
An article examined the concept of relative deprivation and restated its relevance and potential to extend the theoretical boundaries of criminology.
Source: Craig Webber, 'Revaluating relative deprivation theory', Theoretical Criminology, Volume 11 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jan