Commenting on the release of the latest statistics showing the number of Households Below Average Income in the UK, CEO of the Legatum Institute and Chair of the Social Metrics Commission, Philippa Stroud said:

“It’s concerning when any child grows up in a household with relatively low income. That’s one of the reasons why I have been calling for both an end to the freeze on benefit levels, and a comprehensive Government strategy to tackle all forms of poverty.

Importantly, that strategy needs to be based on more than just an understanding of income inequality. The work of the SMC shows that both the resources that families have and the inescapable costs they face need to be considered. By doing this, the Commission’s work has provided much greater detail about who is in poverty in the UK today, including that nearly half of all people in poverty live in a household where someone is disabled. It is this kind of analysis that is needed to drive forward a renewed focus on tackling poverty in the UK. I look forward to the Commission’s new work on poverty being released in the summer.”

2019 Households below average income (HBAI) statistics