4. Poverty in London:
10 years ago and now
Total number in poverty
has hardly changed.
But they are not the same
people, or at least the
same type of people.
8. Housing and welfare reform
• The proportion of households in London
claiming housing benefit 26% in 2012 (20% for
England in 2012)
• Average housing benefit amount £132 per
week (£92 for England)
• …Impact of reforms will be boarder and
deeper in London
9. Housing options: the national caps
Singles and couples without
children
Couple with one child and single
with two children
Couple with two children
Inner London is ‘unaffordable to small families, all
of London is ‘unaffordable’ to larger ones
17. Behind the statistics
• Capacity: less help from support/advice
agencies?
• Complexity: tougher eligibility and application
process make getting benefits harder
• Compliance: (lone parents proving that they
are working 16+ hours a week)
• “Compositional fallacy”: even if anyone can
get a job that doesn’t mean everyone can
19. Key points
•
•
•
•
Solving poverty or shifting poverty?
London’s growing gap from the North
Housing, housing, housing
Local implications of changing demand for
services
• What are the options for London’s
organisations and powers to reduce poverty?
• What is the role of UK government?
