Rowntree study examines the impact of Policy on poverty and inequality since 1997

This study examines what has happened to different aspects of inequality in Britain, and how this relates to policies adopted since 1997 assertying that:

• There is no simple picture of success or failure in progress towards the objective of ‘a more equal society'. Compared to the period before 1997, trends have improved in more policy areas than they have worsened in, but what has happened has varied between areas and over time.
• Notable successes in the last decade included:
  - reduced child and pensioner poverty;
  - improved educational attainment for the poorest areas and schools; and
  - a narrowing of economic and other divides between deprived and other areas.
• However, health inequalities continued to widen, as did gaps in incomes between the very top and very bottom.
• Where specific policy initiatives were taken, some progress was made, particularly in education, employment and neighbourhoods, and through tax-benefit reform. However, effects were often small in relation to the scale of the problems, and were sometimes offset by external changes.
• In several policy areas there was a marked contrast between the period up to 2002 or 2003 and since then, when progress has been slower or has even stalled. As growth in living standards as a whole slowed and public finances became more constrained even before the current recession, policy momentum was lost.

The study concludes that the period surveyed was more favourable towards egalitarian objectives than seems likely in future, even beyond the immediate effects of recession: public attitudes have become less favourable towards redistribution and an ageing population will put pressure on public finances.      Download Summary PDF, 6 pages, 0.09 MB