Poverty and inequality are financial challenges for local authorities and threaten the cohesion of their communities.
This 2014 report published jointly by Church Action on Poverty, the Trussell Trust, and Oxfam, compiles data from a wide range of sources in an attempt to build up a comprehensive picture of the extent and causes of food insecurity in the UK. The report’s publication follows the creation of an All Party Parliamentary Group…
In May 2014 the Webb Memorial Trust (WMT) published two reports on approaches to tackling poverty and inequality in the UK. The first of these examines approaches and initiatives by civil society and Fairness Commissions. The Second provides more detail about Fairness Commissions and enlarges on the section on Fairness Commissions in the first report.…
This report, published on 7 May summarises the Work and Pensions Committee’s inquiry into government efforts to reduce losses to the exchequer through error and fraud in the benefits system. The government believes that the introduction of Universal Credit (UC) will help to tackle fraud and error by reducing complexity. The Work and Pensions Committee…
Enabling Enterprise in Libraries reports on the first phase of a project commissioned by ACE. The project explores how library services can widen their area of operations to generate significant income - without compromising the library service ethos. The income would be used to improve services.
The 2014 Immigration Act received Royal Assent on 14 May 2014 and is now law. The Act covers the whole of the UK. The Act aims to make the UK the ‘least attractive destination for illegal immigrants by; * simplifying rules on the removal of illegal immigrants * extending powers of the immigration authorities to…
* This briefing – the first of two – provides a summary of the research carried out by the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) over the five years of its existence and comments on the implications for local authorities. * The TSRC was a five year initiative launched in 2008 to address the lack of…
* The review is part of a series by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (written by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) ) which aims to analyse the social justice implications of climate change in the UK. Using a rapid research assessment method to analyse literature, it also makes recommendations related to existing mitigation and adaptation…
On Your Radar provides regular updates on information from central government and other key organisations; looks back over the last period, ahead at what could be hitting the headlines and comments on issues relevant to local government that will be influencing the political landscape over the coming months. This edition contains: Government consultations Select Committee…
The Smith Institute's recent report "Poverty in Suburbia" examines the growth of poverty in the suburbs of towns and cities in England and Wales, particularly in the major conurbations. It argues that policy makers have glossed over poverty issues outside the inner cities and rural areas; suburbia is still perceived as relatively prosperous whilst in…
The Statistical Digest of Rural England is a regular Defra publication covering a range of economic and social phenomena including employment, education, health, poverty, accessibility to services, and crime. This latest edition was published in March 2014. On a range of indicators, including health and poverty, rural areas tend to perform better than rural areas.…
