London 5 September 2024: Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) expresses deep concern over the lack of vision demonstrated by the new UK government in addressing the critical issues of poverty and social inequality. Despite widespread calls for action, the government's current policies fall short of creating the structural changes necessary to lift millions of people out of poverty and provide meaningful support for the most vulnerable.
Failure to Address the Real Crisis
While political leaders continue to promise economic growth, their plans have largely ignored the urgent social crisis that is affecting millions of families across the UK. Rising housing costs, inadequate social security, and escalating energy prices have left too many people struggling to make ends meet. The new government's approach does little to offer hope for those caught in this vicious cycle of poverty.
Reform is desperately needed to ensure that low-income individuals and families receive the support they need to thrive, rather than merely survive.
TAP Calls for Immediate and Long-Term Solutions
Taxpayers Against Poverty is calling on the UK government to adopt a bold, forward-thinking approach to tackling poverty. Our vision for meaningful change includes:
1. Affordable Housing for All
The government must invest in truly affordable housing by increasing the stock of social housing and regulating the private rental sector. Strong rent controls and protections for renters are urgently needed to prevent people from losing their homes and becoming trapped in precarious housing situations.
2. A Fair Social Security System
Social security benefits must be reformed to ensure they provide a real safety net. This includes raising the basic allowance of Universal Credit to reflect the true cost of living and ensuring timely access to benefits without unnecessary delays or sanctions.
3. A Real Living Wage
Every worker in the UK deserves a wage that meets the cost of living. TAP urges the government to implement the Real Living Wage that is deemed sufficient to cover housing, food, utilities, and other essentials. This is key to reducing the working poor population.
4. Energy and Food Security
Immediate action is needed to cap energy prices and ensure that families do not face the impossible choice between heating and eating. Support for food banks, alongside policies aimed at reducing the need for them, must be central to the government’s strategy.
5. Empowering Local Communities
Local councils need greater funding and autonomy to develop tailored, community-based solutions to poverty. Devolving power will enable more effective decision-making that directly reflects the needs of local populations.
Tom Burgess, Chair of Taxpayers Against Poverty said:
“The new government’s lack of vision on these key issues is not just a policy failure—it’s a moral failure. We need leadership that prioritises the needs of ordinary citizens over abstract economic goals. It’s time to invest in people by building an economy that works for everyone, not just a select few.
Growth is not good unless it is inclusive growth benefitting all. Growth is meaningless to those in poverty suffering every day. Taxpayers Against Poverty urges the government to engage with civil society organizations, local communities, and those living in poverty to co-create policies that are both practical and humane. Only through bold, inclusive leadership can we achieve a fair and just society for all.”
TAP will announce policy proposals to address poverty over coming weeks
For more information, visit our website at www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk
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Media Contacts
Tom Burgess, Taxpayers Against Poverty, 0788 772 4285 tom@tomburgess.com