Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls time on in-work poverty
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has outlined how the government can ‘call time on the injustice of in-work poverty’
The Quaker-founded Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has outlined how the government can ‘call time on the injustice of in-work poverty’ following recent proposals to tackle the problem.
Mike Hawking, policy and partnerships manager for JRF, welcomed the announcement by Amber Rudd, the secretary of state for work and pensions, that she wanted to support people to progress in-work, but said that the proposals ‘fall short of the bold action that is required to unlock opportunities for working people trapped in poverty’.
The two proposals outlined by Amber Rudd, in a speech on the future of the labour market, aim to help Universal Credit claimants make good decisions about moving jobs, and to boost the JobCentre Plus’ capacity to engage with local employers about progression and flexible working.
Mike Hawking wrote that evidence in this area is ‘weak’ and said: ‘There remains concern about whether JobCentre Plus is best placed to deliver these programmes, particularly given how overstretched work coaches already are and low employer satisfaction with existing JobCentre Plus and Universal Job Match services.’
His recommendations include ‘a bold vision for the long-awaited Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) to boost the prospects of places with weaker economies’ and to ‘make changes to Universal Credit to ensure it is providing a public service that supports people to get on at work, not just get into work’.
Mike Hawking also said that increasing the minimum wage to two thirds of the median hourly wage, which the chancellor is recently reported to be considering, would not necessarily solve the issue of in-work poverty. He writes: ‘Despite the introduction of a higher National Living Wage, in-work poverty rates have continued to increase.’
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