The latest official figures on UK poverty reveal that the number of people living below the poverty line in working households has risen by 1.5 million since 2010/11.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) attributes this increase to the Conservative government’s policies that favor wealth over work.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak comments on the situation: “If you work hard, you shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet. But working poverty has rocketed under Conservative governments since 2010.”
Nowak explains the reasons behind this rise in working poverty: “It’s clear why this has happened. The Conservative approach has been to reward wealth instead of work. Pay and social security have been held down year after year, while the rich get tax breaks and bankers get unlimited bonuses.”
He emphasises the need for a change in government policy that focuses on increasing pay across the economy and rewarding work instead of wealth.