More than a million unpaid UK carers living in poverty, research finds | Carers
More than one million unpaid carers looking after disabled, infirm or sick relatives in the UK are living in poverty, with one in ten experiencing extreme hardship that means they cannot afford to feed themselves or heat their home, a new survey has found. Campaigners said carers, regularly praised by politicians as unsung heroes who […]
Support planned for UK households struggling with winter energy bills | Fuel poverty
Ministers have pledged to help households struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills this winter after energy bosses warned that consumer debt had risen to more than £3 billion. With Labour facing criticism for scrapping the universal winter fuel allowance for pensioners, ministers met energy industry bosses on Wednesday to discuss ways to help […]
US elections live: Harris to unveil plans to expand child tax credit to fight poverty and help first-time homebuyers | US elections 2024
Harris to propose tackling child poverty, helping first-time homebuyers in major policy speech Good morning to all readers of the US Politics Blog. Kamala Harris He is due to deliver a key economic speech today in the battleground state of North Carolina, where he will seek to underline his lead in the polls. Donald TrumpAccording […]
Soaring UK mortgage rates have pushed 320,000 adults into poverty, thinktank says | Poverty
A leading think tank has said that 320,000 British adults have been pushed into poverty by the steepest rise in mortgage costs since the 1980s. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) highlighted the damage caused by the UK’s mortgage time bomb, saying individuals who have had to renew their mortgage or take out new borrowing […]
Keir Starmer indicates he will consider scrapping two-child benefit cap | Poverty
Amid widespread opposition from Labour MPs, Chancellor Keir Starmer has indicated for the first time that he would consider removing the cap on second child benefit. The Prime Minister backed comments from Education Minister Bridget Phillipson, who said removing the cap was one of the measures the Government would consider as part of its child […]
UK general election live: study finds ‘huge rise in working households pushed into poverty’ under Tories | General election 2024
Important Events Conservative Party suffers electoral setback as resources are diverted to defend ministerial seats Eleni Kourea As the Conservatives retreat to safer ground, they are reallocating resources to defend at least three seats held by ministers with a majority of more than 20,000. Conservative activists and candidates in the neighbouring area have been busy […]
Southern Poverty Law Center has ‘gutted its staff’ despite nearly $1 billion in reserves, union says
The Southern Poverty Law Center has “wiped out its staff” despite having nearly $1 billion in reserves, the center’s union said. The SPLC union posted the following on Wednesday: X“Today @splcenter, an organization with nearly $1 billion in reserves and an F rating from Charity Watch for ‘hoarding’ donations, cut its staff by a quarter.” […]
In Lebanon, poverty levels tripled in a decade, says World Bank
According to the World Bank, poverty in Lebanon has tripled in 10 years. The percentage of people living below the poverty line in Lebanon rose from 12% in 2012 to 44% in 2022, according to a World Bank report. In 2019, Lebanon’s currency collapsed, inflation soared and gross domestic product (GDP) plummeted, effectively erasing many […]
Car insurance firms agree to crack down on ‘poverty premium’ | Insurance industry
Insurers have vowed to correct their behavior following criticism over “poverty premiums,” which charge punitive interest to spread the cost on customers who can’t afford to pay for car insurance all at once. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has announced that its members have agreed to an action plan aimed at controlling the cost […]
Paxton asks Texas’s high court for ’emergency’ action on poverty relief program
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is betting on third time’s charm in his campaign to block a guaranteed basic income program in the Houston area. On Tuesday, Paxton’s office filed an emergency petition with the Texas Supreme Court asking a judge to block Harris County’s basic income program, Uplift Harris. “Harris County officials cannot […]