Poverty

• Childhood poverty set to hit ‘record highs’

  The proportion of children living in poverty risks hitting a record high by the end of the parliament, a shocking new report has revealed.

  

• Scottish government must eradicate ‘extreme fuel poverty’, committee says

  A Holyrood committee has called on the Scottish government to eradicate ‘extreme fuel poverty’ over the next two decades.

  

• Poverty and the digital divide

  Phil Walker explores how councils can help close the digital attainment gap for children living in poverty.

  

• Teachers warn of ‘Dickensian’ levels of poverty

  Teachers have warned they are seeing increasing levels of 'Dickensian' poverty among children in their classrooms.

  

• Leeds first council to provide free sanitary products

  Councillors in Leeds are to consider providing free sanitary products in schools and libraries throughout the city in a bid to end 'period poverty'.

  

• A million young children will be deprived of basics this Christmas, charity warns

  A million children face a miserable Christmas without warm clothing, fresh food or celebrations, poverty campaigners have warned.

  

• One in five people are living in poverty, report warns

  Britain has suffered a 'relentless rise' in the number of working families struggling to make ends meet over the last five years, according to poverty campaigners.

  

• Campaigners calls for action on rule-breaking bailiffs

  Campaigners are calling for action to stop bailiffs causing people increased stress, anxiety and financial hardship.

  

• Council workers borrowing money to cope with low pay

  Council staff are being forced to rely on credit cards, pawn possessions and borrow money from friends and family due to low pay, a new survey has revealed.

  

• Poverty can lead to self-harm and violent crime, study shows

  Children from poorer families are at ‘significantly greater risk’ of being involved in violent crime and harming themselves later in life, new study shows.