Information Bulletin

Summary of Reports, Statistics and Policy News from the Week ending 16 January 2015

JRF Activity
Blog from Katie Schmuecker - We still need more work to raise the poorest people's living
standards.

Poverty
The Archbishops of York and Canterbury are launching a book of essays next week 'On Rock
or Sand?', which heavily criticise the Coalition for widening the gulf between rich and poor and
for creating a country where London and the South East forge ahead, while much of the rest of
the country is still trapped in apparently inevitable decline. They argue that economic growth is
not the answer to Britain's social problems.
There have been major problems with the implementation of local welfare schemes in England,
with considerable variations in provision across the country, concludes a new report from the
Centre for Responsible Credit. In 2013/14 just under half of the total allocation for local welfare
provision went unspent. The report examines the performance of local authorities in delivering
local welfare schemes following the abolition of Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans in
April 2013.
A new report for the Local Government Association Local Authority Schemes Supporting
People Towards Work, claims that many of the hardest-to-reach jobseekers, such as young
people or those with complex needs, are not receiving any government help into work. The last
18 months has seen a 28% increase in the proportion of unemployed people not claiming
benefits. The report uses case studies of nine work support programmes run by local authorities
which recognise that health, housing and other issues can restrict progress into work.
Since 2010 the number of 16-20 year-olds illegally not being paid the minimum wage has
increased by 35,000 or 52%, according to TUC analysis.
The Princes Trust has published its annual Youth Index 2015, which measures happiness and
confidence among 16-25 year olds. They survey of over 2,200 young people found that
confidence in physical health, as well as relationships with friends, fell to the lowest level in
seven years. More than 13% of young people feel too anxious to leave the house and this
increases to 35% among NEETs.
The Commission on Inclusive Prosperity, co-chaired by Ed Balls, has published its 'inclusive
prosperity' report, which aims to offer a progressive outlook on the world economy. They have
also published a UK policy briefing with recommendations from the report.

Place
Big Issue Invest partner has been selected to receive 10 million from the Mayor of Londons
Housing Covenant Fund to turn 400 empty properties into affordable homes over a ten year
period. The programme will also create work opportunities for adults with a history of
homelessness or long-term unemployment.

Homeless Link has published Lets make the Difference, a manifesto based on expert views
from across the homelessness sector, with which it aims to end homelessness. It calls on the
government to adopt a long term strategy to prevent single homelessness, ensure there are
housing options for everyone, put even more commitment into preventing rough sleeping and
repeat homelessness and more support to help homeless people achieve their job aspirations.
The poorest 10% of UK households have seen their energy bills rise by 39.7% since 2010,
compared to 22.2% for the average household, according to analysis from the House of
Commons library.
Initial analysis of a survey of 800 people who took part in the Warm Homes Oldham retrofit
programme, suggests emergency hospital admissions fell by 32% in the first nine months. The
scheme has helped 1,000 people since it started in August 2013 and is one of the first coinvestment retrofit programmes involving an NHS Clinical Commissioning Group and a group
of social landlords. (If login required - username: sarah.carrette@jrf.org.uk password:
foundation1904)
The stock of social rented homes in England fell by twice as much in the year to April 2014 as
the previous year, with the loss of 43,850 homes, 36,000 of which are from housing association
homes. The figures will be contained in the shortly to be published UK Housing Review 2015
from the Chartered Institute of Housing.
The Residential Landlords Association has published a manifesto for the private rented sector,
calling on politicians to introduce new measures to encourage investment in homes to rent,
including changes to planning regimes and tax changes. It also recommends a new right for
tenants to renew their tenancies for up to five years to provide more security.
The average UK house price was unchanged in November, while the average London property
fell by 3,000, according to ONS figures. Meanwhile, the Council of Mortgage Lenders has
reported that the number of house purchase loans fell by 12% in November compared to the
previous month and by 13% compared to a year earlier.

An Ageing Society
New analysis for Age UK, Dashboards and Jam Jars, warns that the pension reforms coming
into effect in April which will allow people to withdraw money from their pension savings could
lead to significant numbers of older people running out of money, unless stronger safeguards
are put in place. One example based on a person with a 29,000 pension pot, shows that
withdrawals of 3,000 a year (non-index linked) from the age of 65, and where returns on the
remaining savings were 3%, savings would run out at the age of 75.
Public Health England is examining life expectancy trends, after an extremely unusual
reduction in life expectancy reported for the over 85s in one area of North West England.
Possible explanations for the decline include government cuts to councils social care budgets,
a lack of capacity in the GP sector or pressure on hospitals.
In the first five years of the new flat-rate state pension system, which starts in April 2016, only
45% of new pensioners will be entitled to the full pension, government figures show. Pensioners
who are contracted out of some of the state second pension or have a gap in their National
Insurance contributions will receive a lower amount.

A new report Making the system fit for purpose from the International Longevity Centre found
that in a survey of people less than 1 year from retirement, more than 4 in 10 had still not made
a financial plan. In the overall survey, conducted with 5000 people aged 55-70 who are yet to
retire or draw on their private pension, many struggled with pension knowledge only half those
with a DC pension understood what an annuity is quite or very well.
This Information Bulletin is produced on a weekly basis as an update for staff at the Joseph Rowntree
Foundation (JRF) and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT) for the purposes of their work it is not
intended to be comprehensive but represents a selection of news and reports appearing in the last week.
The items contained in this Bulletin are for information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of
the JRF and JRHT.