Wales is facing a "rising tide of poverty" which has been worsened by Covid, according to a new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).
It found low pay, unaffordable housing and a lack of childcare was trapping 700,000 people in poverty, including 180,000 children. The pandemic had hit low-paid workers in Wales particularly hard.
Before coronavirus struck, almost a quarter of people in Wales were living in poverty, the Poverty in Wales report said. But since then many people have lost their jobs and by August the number of Universal Credit claimants had almost doubled from the start of the year.
By June around 400,000 people in Wales had fallen behind on their bills, with 200,000 falling behind on rent or mortgage payments, the report said. And the situation is expected to worsen in Wales as the Covid recession gathers pace.
Dr Victoria Winckler, director of the Bevan Foundation think tank, said: "It's not right that so many people are trapped in poverty in Wales today. Coronavirus has had a huge impact on all our lives but people on low incomes have been disproportionately affected."
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54753695
South Wales Branch (Swansea)
Meets 2nd Monday 7.30pm, Unitarian Church, High Street, SA1 1NZ
(except January, April, July & October)
Contact: Geoffrey Williams, 19 Baptist Well Street, Waun Wen, SA1 6FB
01792 643624
South Wales Branch (Cardiff)
Meets 2nd Saturday 12noon, Caffè Nero, Capitol Shopping Centre, Queen Street, CF10 2HQ
(January, April, July & October)
Contact: Richard Botterill, 21 Pen-Y-Bryn Road, Galbalfa, CF14 3LG
02920 615826
botterillr@gmail.com
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