Inequality in the UK

The estimated number of homeless people in Britain is broadly comparable to the population of Iceland

The calculation includes the number of people living in temporary accommodation, hostels and those sleeping rough.

The UK’s poverty rate is around average for the EU

A viral tweet misleadingly suggests the UK poverty rate is higher than certain other European countries’ by using a different measure for the UK.

BBC Question Time: Recap and Factcheck

Question Time was set in the Staffordshire town of Cannock this week and discussed Brexit, gambling and homelessness.

BBC Question Time: Recap and Factcheck

Question Time on 1 November came from Clacton-on-Sea. Topics covered included income tax changes, austerity, early elections, policing priorities, and the impact on Brexit of the investigation into Arron Banks.

How have wages changed over the past decade?

The UK average weekly wage has fallen from around £540 to £520 in real terms over the past 10 years. Wages have levelled off since 2016.

BBC Question Time: Recap and Factcheck

Question Time on 25 October 2018 came from Barrow-in-Furness. Topics covered included Brexit, austerity, Trident and non-disclosure agreements.

Has austerity hit the most vulnerable the hardest?

Austerity policies have impacted the poorest households most. Despite this, since 2010 the poorest households have seen their post-tax incomes rise the most.

One measure of inequality makes the UK look far less equal than other countries—it’s not

The UK is about average among similar high-income countries when it comes to income inequality.

Child poverty is increasing and decreasing at the same time—here’s why

Over the long term, UK absolute child poverty is down while relative child poverty is stable. Each measure has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Do benefit fraud investigators outnumber super-rich tax inspectors 8:1?

The ratio is lower than this, and it’s hard to compare staffing levels for fundamentally different jobs.

Is Universal Credit driving people to food banks?

Trussell Trust research shows increases in food bank use in areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out. It’s difficult to measure the extent that one is causing the other.

Does the UK have the poorest regions in northern Europe?

The UK has six of the poorest 10 regions comparing GDP per person against nearby countries, but this doesn’t mean the people who live there are poorer.

Gender pay gap: what do the new figures tell us?

New figures reveal the gender pay gap among 10,000 UK employers.

Poverty in the UK: a guide to the facts and figures

Relative poverty, absolute poverty, and how the UK is faring.

Do the top 1% of earners pay 28% of the tax burden?

There aren’t any readily available figures for what proportion of all taxes the top 1% pays. This claim is just referring to income taxes.

How many children are homeless in England, Scotland and Wales?

How many children are living in temporary accommodation?

Are 400,000 more children in absolute poverty since 2010?

It’s not correct that absolute child poverty has risen by this much since 2010.

Social mobility and universities

We looked at the proportion of private school pupils going to Oxford and getting top jobs and the proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds going to university.

About one in five people live in absolute or relative poverty if their housing costs are included

An estimated one in five people in the UK lives in absolute or relative poverty, after housing costs are taken into account.

Did 500,000 children need emergency food supplies last year?

About 437,000 emergency supplies were given to children last year.

Do women earn less than men in the UK?

In 2017, the median hourly wage for women working full time was about 9.1% less than the median hourly wage for men (excluding overtime). That’s £1.32 less per hour.

Are people in work using food banks?

15% of households that use Trussell Trust foodbanks include at least one person with some work or employment income.

Was the private sector hit hardest by the recession?

Private sector wages dropped much more rapidly than public sector wages during the recession. They began recovering as public sector wages slowed. In recent years the gap between the two has narrowed again.