Incomes and poverty

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on incomes and poverty. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
25.06.2013	The Living Wage
	The living wage is an hourly rate of pay set annually by reference to the basic cost of living in the UK and London. Unlike the National Minimum Wage, employers may choose to pay the living wage on a voluntary basis. This note explains the living wage and how it is calculated, provides an overview of the arguments for and against its adoption and discusses the position in North America, where the living wage has been implemented, in several states, through local state law. A list of further reading is provided at the end.
18.10.2012	Pensions and pensioners' incomes: Social Indicators page
	A summary of trends in pensioners' incomes.
18.10.2012	Agricultural incomes and subsidies: Social Indicators page
	Agricultural incomes and subsidies: Social Indicators page. By Oliver Hawkins and Rachael Harker. SN/SG/2613.
11.10.2012	Food Prices and Affordability
	Food prices have hit historic peaks in the last few years. This note sets out recent trends internationally, UK policy responses and the follow through to UK prices and spending habits.
29.05.2012	Regional house prices: affordability and income ratios
	In 2011 the ratio of lower quartile house price to lower quartile earnings in England was 6.5. The highest ratios are found in London (9.0), the South East (8.2) and the South West (7.8).

Research Papers

Date	Description
04.01.2013	Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill
26.07.2012	Olympic Britain
	Olympic Britain tells the story of the profound economic and social change in the UK since the two previous London Olympics, in 1908 and 1948, using statistics and expert analysis. The book can also be browsed using the Parliament website at www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/olympic-britain/
18.11.2010	Savings Account and Health in Pregnancy Grant Bill: Committee Stage Report
	The Bill gives effect to decisions made as part of the initial review of public expenditure undertaken soon after the 2010 General Election. This Paper summarises proceedings in the Commons Committee Stage of the Bill. Several amendments proposed but none were successful. The paper complements Research Paper 10/66, which was prepared for the Second Reading of the Bill.
24.02.2010	Sustainable Communities Act 2007 (Amendment) Bill [Bill 21 of 2009-10]
	The Bill seeks to amend the 2007 Act by setting a deadline for the Secretary of State to initiate the next round of proposals for enhancing the sustainability of local communities from local authorities under the Act. It provides for regulations to be made specifying the rules for this process. These are also to cover parish council involvement and the role of local petitioning. There is also provision for greater flexibility in decision-making on proposals.
03.12.2009	Child Poverty Bill: Committee Stage Report. Bill 10 2009-10.
	The Bill fulfils the Government's commitment made in September 2008 to enshrine the 2020 child poverty target in legislation. It establishes four separate child poverty targets to be met by 2020/21, requires the UK Government to publish a regular UK child poverty strategy, requires the Scottish and Northern Irish Ministers to publish child poverty strategies, establishes a Child Poverty Commission to provide advice, requires the UK Government to publish annual progress reports, and places new duties on local authorities and other 'delivery partners'' in England to work together to tackle child poverty.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
27.01.2010	Enforcement of the national minimum wage in Scotland.
	Government response. Scotland Office; Scottish Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
15.12.2009	Top pay in the public sector.
	Public Administration Select Committee report [Commons]
10.11.2009	Legislative scrutiny: Child Poverty Bill.
	Human Rights Joint Select Committee report [Commons and Lords]
14.10.2009	Enforcement of the national minimum wage in Scotland.
	Scottish Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
08.10.2009	Energy efficiency and fuel poverty.
	Government response. Department of Energy and Climate Change report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
13.10.2011	WINTER FUEL PAYMENT
	That this House recognises the serious problem of fuel poverty in the UK, especially amongst older people; acknowledges the adverse impact that rising fuel bills are likely to have ...
04.05.2011	INCOME INEQUALITY
	That this House notes the findings of the Equality Trust that societies with smaller income differences between rich and poor have fewer health and social problems, such as teenage ...
31.03.2011	ROYAL PALACE CLEANERS AND THE LONDON LIVING WAGE
	That this House notes that the Royal Family currently receive 30 million annually from the public purse, in part for the cleaning of the occupied Royal Palaces which include Buckingham ...
13.01.2011	POVERTY RATES
	That this House notes with concern the analysis by the Institute of Fiscal Studies that shows the Government's fiscal plans will increase poverty among children and working age adults ...
17.11.2010	MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY CAMPAIGN COST OF LIVING WITH MUSCLE DISEASE REPORT
	That this House welcomes a new report by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, The Cost of Living with Muscle Disease, which highlights the extreme financial hardship faced by many families ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
06.02.2013	Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill (HL Bill 78 of 2012-13)
	The Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill implements an announcement by the Chancellor in the 2012 Autumn Statement that increases in certain working-age welfare benefits and tax credits would be limited to 1 percent, rather than increasing them in line with inflation. This Library Note is intended to provide background information in advance of the Bill's second reading in the House of Lords on 11 February 2013.

POST Papers

Date	Description
17.09.2012	Measuring National Wellbeing
	This POSTnote summarises the latest research on measuring national wellbeing, its components and causes, and examines some policy implications.
01.03.2009	Delaying gratification, March 2009
	This POSTnote looks at the influence of time in decision making, and looks at the implications for policy domains such as pensions, health and consumer affairs.