Meeting the challenge of poverty

Meeting the demands of poverty means meeting the challenges of deficit, demography and degraded public

discourse

Julia Unwin, Chief Executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and

Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust

What we do

search

demonstrate

influence

Our work programmes and aims

Our aim:To identify the root causes of poverty and injustice

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Our aim:To support resilient communities where people thrive

Our aim:To respond positively to the opportunities and challenges of an ageing society

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Poverty across the UK

Trends and forecasts deeply troubling

Deficit

Reducing the deficit = spending cuts

Deficit

Child and working age poverty to 2020

© Sam Atkins

Deficit

Future of the UK Labour Market

Deficit

Minimum Income Standards

What do we do about this?

• Make sure benefits don’t fall behind

• Target existing resources on households

• Look at combined impact of benefits, taxes and costs

Demography

An Ageing Society

Demography

• Increase in single person households

• Differences between working-age and pensioner budgets

• Dementia

• Loneliness

• Regulation

Discourse

Public and media attitudes towards poverty

Conclusions

• Anti Poverty Strategies

• Focus on people and places in poverty

• Honesty about impact

@jrf_uk

@juliaunwin

JosephRowntreeFoundation

www.jrf.org.uk