There were an estimated 13.40 million individuals in households below the poverty line in the year 2024/25, according to the latest Government data published this morning
The figures show a rise of almost half a million
Households where income is less than 60% of the median national average, after housing costs, are considered to be living in poverty.
The figures showed a slight fall in the number of children living in poverty.
There were an estimated 4.03 million children in relative low income after housing costs in the year 2024/25, compared with an estimated 4.04 million the previous year.
Lord John Bird, founder of the Big Issue, said: “With around a third of our nation’s children growing up in poverty, it’s time to treat this like the national emergency it is.
“This government has good intentions. Ending the two-child benefit limit is a welcome start. It could be a first step to a more radical plan to cut the cycle of poverty being handed down from one generation to the next. But a national emergency demands more than tinkering. We need action on a scale not seen in Westminster since the creation of the welfare state.
“Until we unite all government’s energies and resources to truly prevent and cure poverty, we will continue to fail this next generation. To this end, I’m calling for the creation of a new Commissioner for Ending Poverty – someone to bang heads together, drive action and hold Whitehall to the mark.”
There has also been an increase of 200,000 pensioners living in poverty.
Morgan Vine Independent Age Director of Policy and Influencing said
“New figures released today are extremely concerning as they show that the number of pensioners living in poverty in the UK increased by 200,000 in just one year. We now know that 1.7 million older people are in poverty, with 1 million more sitting just above the poverty line. That’s far too many people in later life facing financial hardship, and the situation is only getting worse.
“Behind the figures, there are real people forced into making difficult decisions just to get by. Many tell us they are only having one small meal a day, sitting in cold, dark homes, and missing out on seeing loved ones as they cannot afford to socialise. This cannot be allowed to continue.
“Today’s new statistics, using new more accurate methodology, show that pensioner poverty is a huge and growing problem. If the UK Government is serious about tackling the high cost of living and lifting people out of poverty, it needs to introduce policies that protect older people on low incomes. Despite some positive interventions, more action is needed.
“High energy costs are a concerning driver of pensioner poverty, and we are living in an increasingly volatile world. In the short-term, we believe the Warm Home Discount should be increased to £400 to better reflect the rising cost of energy. But the best way to provide long-term protection against fuel poverty is an energy social tariff that lowers bills for everyone in financial hardship.
“We also want to see Local Housing Allowance uprated, to ensure older private renters are not forced into dangerous sacrifices simply to keep a roof over their head. And the delivery of a comprehensive, all entitlement take-up strategy which can overcome the barriers that prevent people in later life from accessing the vital financial support they are entitled to. With the political will, a future without pensioner poverty is possible.”
