Why fight poverty?

In her new book Why Fight Poverty? Julia Unwin, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, challenges those who argue that the current levels of poverty in the UK are acceptable and inevitable.

Tragically and unnecessarily, poverty is increasing. The UK has the seventh wealthiest economy in the world yet has increasing poverty and stark inequalities, both of income and wealth. Individuals and families move in and out of poverty.

There has been a tendency amongst politicians and elements of the media to stigmatise the poor.  The political lexicon now contains terms such as ‘shirkers’ and scroungers’. Julia Unwin suggests that this narrative wants us to believe that poverty is a result of laziness, fecklessness, drug and alcohol abuse, big families and often associated with benefit fraud.  Of course, the latter, while wrong, costs the Treasury many times less than corporate and individual tax avoidance and evasion.

Unwin argues that the causes of poverty are much more complex. The vast majority of people who find themselves in poverty have not chosen this lifestyle. The same is the case for the vast majority of those in receipt of benefits. People move in and out of poverty.

Language in this area is so important as are evidence and facts. I cringe every time I hear the current public sector and public policy mantra ‘troubled families’.  Why cannot we use positive rather than negative words when our aim is to raise aspirations and outcomes?  The same goes for so much of the public discourse on poverty and the related social and economic condition of inequality.

Poverty can be both absolute and relative. I believe that it cannot be divorced from a debate about inequalities of both opportunity and outcomes; or from a debate about the nature of society and the role of the state, and state and voluntary collectivism and solidarity.

Poverty is greatest among some groups such the elderly, disabled people, former prisoners and young families with two or single parents. Current government policies to reform the welfare and benefits system, to address worklessness and to reduce public expenditure on core services such as children’s centres including Sure Start are not making lives and opportunities easier for the poorest in society.

Unwin makes the case that stigmatising, stereotyping and prejudice make the situation worse for too many people. It makes some reluctant to claim their entitlements. It makes others less likely to find employment or to benefit from educational opportunities or to avoid long term illness and early death. It creates too much human misery.

She makes the case for regarding poverty as a waste for society and the economy.  This is true at national, local and neighbourhood levels. Recent polling by IPSOS Mori suggests that there is a mood change in public opinion with more people expressing concerns about rising poverty and inequality. However, these remain in the minority – maybe a result of the media and political campaigns to stigmatise?

I suspect that: the almost exponential growth in food banks across all parts of the country; the debate on the ‘bedroom tax’; the return of rickets to some parts of the UK; the current Shelter campaign based on 80,000 children being homeless this Christmas; and the growing fear that one might lose one’s job – have all contributed in some way to shifting public opinion. As perhaps have the contrasts between the prospects for the poorest and those for ‘city elites’ and other high income groups. The rise in poverty is accompanied by ever greater social and economic divisions and inequality across our society.

In this excellent short book, Julia Unwin analyses the causes of poverty and its implications for society, cohesion and the economy.  This analysis is very accessible and compelling.  She makes the case that one can argue for reducing and indeed eliminating poverty without being emotional.  I, for one, feel that there is a strong case based for addressing poverty and social injustice based on a combination of economics, emotion, politics and morals.

Unwin also sets out a policy agenda that would require serious political will from governments. The elimination of poverty is technically possible and desirable. To do this, however, will require concerted collective action at both national and local levels.  An increasing number of local authorities (like York Council where the Joseph Rowntree Trust is based) are committed to strong long-term systematic strategies to tackle poverty and its underlying causes.  The voluntary and community sector has a major role to contribute too as do all employers. The adoption of the living wage would make a significant impact as well as boosting local economic activity. Good sustainable work paying decently and not based on zero hours contracts is an important way out of poverty for many people and economic growth is important but it will not provide the solutions for everyone. There has to be a holistic approach including adopting progressive policies in respect of benefits, pensions, education (what about restoring the education maintenance allowances?), other public services, social housing and rent controls, energy prices, redistributive taxation, effective trade unionism and much more.

Unwin ends the book with a quote from Nelson Mandela which should be recited daily by every local and national politician as well as faith, community and voluntary sector leaders.

Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.

The same politicians and leaders should also read Unwin’s book, in which she calls for ‘a new agreement that recognises a shared interest in reducing poverty’ and a more rational discussion about the sort of society we want to address ‘the greatest social challenge facing social policy in the twenty first century and to maximise the skills and contributions of all our citizens’. Unwin is right that this is one of the greatest challenges for social policy.

However, poverty is an even greater challenge for those families having to choose between eating and heating! Now is the time for a new way. Julia has set the challenge to politicians, employers, the voluntary and community sector – indeed to all of us. I hope that we will have the political guts and will to meet this challenge.

• Why Fight Poverty? by Julia Unwin is published by the London Publishing Partnership