tax credits

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2011

This report comes at a time when the UK government has outlined its main policy intentions and its strategy to reduce poverty. Although the statistics presented in this report still almost entirely reflect the policies of the previous government, the Labour record is the Coalition inheritance.

This commentary discusses the implications of that record for the current government in the light of its commitments on child poverty and social mobility set out in strategy documents published in 2011.

Achieving our potential : a framework to tackle poverty and income inequality in Scotland

Scottish Government document laying out priorities for action and investment to lessen poverty by reducing income inequalities, instituting longer-term measures to combat poverty and the causes of low income, supporting those experiencing poverty or at risk of experiencing poverty and making the tax credits and benefits system work better for Scotland.

Take up the challenge: the role of local services in increasing take up of benefits and tax credits to reduce child poverty

Ministers asked the Take Up Taskforce to develop ways to help local services to support parents to access all their relevant benefit entitlements, in order to help tackle child poverty.

Many poor families are not taking up all of the financial support to which they are entitled and there are particularly low rates of take up by families where at least one parent is working. Lack of awareness of available in-work financial entitlements can present a barrier to parents entering and sustaining work.