Great wealth exists in the UK alongside unimaginable poverty

Since 2009 executive pay has soared and the number of billionaires has increased, while food bank use has rocketed and pay for ordinary workers has fallen

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Explaining the data

The data on UK billionaires is taken from the Sunday Times rich list, which can be read on-line, for a subscription fee. The data on executive pay was compiled for the High Pay Centre by Incomes Data Services, who looked at pay for Directors of FTSE 350 companies, the 350 biggest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. You can read the full report here. The Office for National Statisticsrecords figures for wages across the whole UK workforce. Both directors’ and workers’ pay has been adjusted for inflation. Finally, the number  of people given at least 3 days worth of food by a Trussel Trust foodbank is taken from the Trust’s website.

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The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. What a surprise!

Between 2007 and 2013, cash benefits paid to the richest fifth of the population increased by 42%. For the poorest fifth, benefits fell by 5%

To download the full pdf, click here

Explaining the data

Here we have relied on a dataset produced by the Office for National Statistics. This data tracks the effects of taxes and benefits on household income over time. The series runs from 1977 to 2013 and is available here (table 14a). These figures are produced based on the average amount of cash benefits, original income and gross income received by households across the income distribution. We have rounded figures to the nearest whole number for clarity, but for accuracy the bottom, middle and top income quintiles of the income distribution saw an average real-term change in their receipt of cash benefits by 4.6%, 3.3% and 41.6% respectively. Calculations are based on RPI deflation

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Incomes increased for the richest last year, but fell for everyone else

The richest fifth of the UK population saw their incomes increase by £940 in 2013. But incomes were down by £250 for the other 80% of the population... and by £381 for the poorest fifth.

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Explaining the data

This data compares the ‘equivalised disposable household income’ for 2011/12 and 2012/13. It was published by the Office for National Statistics as part of ‘the effects of UK tax and benefits on household income 2012/13 study.’ ONS have found that the recession did have a small effect on reducing inequality, but it now looks as though inequality maybe set to increase. The figures are available online via http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-333039 

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Though the UK's total wealth is amongst the highest in the world, many more people cannot afford to eat.

To download the full pdf, click here

Explaining the data:

This data comes from ‘Hard to Swallow’ a report funded by Kellogs and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and published in March 2013 – and chart data from the Trussell Trust available via http://www.trusselltrust.org/stats 

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Millions of children go without essential items

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Explaining the data:

This data comes from a recent study by the Poverty and Social Exclusion research project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The largest ever study of poverty conducted in the UK, it identifies people falling below what the public agrees is a minimum standard of living. It shows that over 30 million people (almost half the population) are suffering to some degree from financial insecurity. The full report can be found at http://www.poverty.ac.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/The_Impoverishment_of_the_UK_PSE_UK_first_results_summary_report_ March_28.pdf 

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How big a problem are never-working households?

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Explaining the data:

This information comes from the ONS Labour Force Survey, April-June 2010. In 0.5% of all households containing more than one generation all adult members reported never having had a paid job. In one third of these households, the members of the younger generation reported leaving full-time education less than a year ago.

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UKIP Shipping Forecast

There is trouble ahead....





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Keep your millions offshore? Want a new yacht?

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Anti-Bedroom tax action in Wellingborough

A  protest against the bedroom tax will be held on Saturday July 27th 2013 at 1.00pm in Wellingborough town centre. There will be a stall, leafleting and and a petition.

Also on Tuesday, July 30th at 6.30pm @ the Council offices, Swanspool, Doddington Road, there will be a protest in support of a motion at the Council meeting that evening calling on housing associations not to evict tenants who get into debt as a result of bedroom tax.

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Wellingborough protests against the "Bedroom Tax": Saturday April 27th

On Saturday April 27th at 1.00pm there will be a protest against the "Bedroom tax", other attacks on social welfare, and the demonisation of the poor and disabled. 

Meet in Wellingborough town centre (by the Pagoda/opposite Hind Hind Hotel). Please tell others about it. We will have placards, leaflets to distribute and speakers.

Artwork with thanks to Another Angry Voice

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