Monday, 12 May 2014

'In-Work Poverty' Soars By 59% As More Employees Claim Housing Benefit

The number of people in work and claiming housing benefit has rocketed by 59 per cent since the Coalition came to power and will cost taxpayers an extra £5 billion by next year’s general election. The figures, compiled by the House of Commons Library, highlight the growth of “in-work poverty” in recent years while wages fell in real terms and rents continued to rise. They also undermine claims by some Conservatives that benefit claimants are “skivers” because many people qualify for state help even though they are in jobs.  The number of housing benefit claimants in work rose from 650,561 in May 2010 to 1.03 million by the end of last year. The Commons Library estimates the cost of the extra claims at £4.8 billion by May 2015. Read more on the Independent website.

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