Women ‘brutally exposed’ to cost of living crisis after bearing the brunt of soaring poverty Business News

Women have been left “brutally exposed” to the cost of living crisis as they have been disproportionately affected by soaring poverty levels over the past decade, according to new figures.

Data, shared exclusively with The Independentrevealed that between 2010-2011 and 2019-2020, the proportion of people living in relative poverty jumped by nearly 1.5 million.

Analysis of Department for Work and Pensions statistics, carried out by Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s shadow secretary for women and equality, found women made up almost 890,000 of that number.

This represents around 60% of the total, while women make up 51% of the UK population.

Researchers said there are now more than 7.5million women living in relative poverty across the UK, almost a quarter of all women living in the country.

Some 6.8 million men are in the same situation, which means that 14.4 million people live in relative poverty, or 22% of the population of the United Kingdom. Relative poverty is defined as household incomes 50% below the average.

Ms Dodds said: ‘The Conservatives have spent a decade pushing women into poverty, leaving them brutally exposed to the cost of living crisis engulfing Britain today.

“The government’s own statistics show that women feel less likely to face a sudden increase in bills than men, which is why we desperately need action from ministers to help them cope. Instead, the Prime Minister and Chancellor are too preoccupied with saving their own skins. »

Ms Dodds warned the Conservative Party was failing women by saying ‘labour is on their side’.

She added: “That’s why we’re calling for an emergency budget to help the millions of women bearing the brunt of this crisis, with a one-time tax on oil and gas companies to cut energy bills by up to to £600 for the most needy households – many of which are headed by women.

And Labour’s new deal for workers will support millions of women in the workplace, with more family-friendly rights, equal pay comparisons between employers and measures to tackle workplace harassment. .”

Ms Dodds’ office has warned that women now face the burden of the Tory Government failing to tackle the cost of living crisis – with data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that women are often feel less able to cope with a sudden increase in bills than men.

The ONS Cost of Living survey found around three in 10 women said their household would not be able to afford an unexpected payment of £850, while around a quarter of men have said. Labor argues this means 1.6 million more women than men feel unable to afford the extra payment.

The Labor Party predicts soaring tax, mortgage, energy, food and petrol prices will cause family finances to fall by an average of £2,620 a year – with Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labor Party, demanding an emergency budget to meet the cost of living crisis.

It comes after research last year found that women living in the north of England have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic-triggered recession.

Researchers from IPPR North have found that nearly half of currently working women in the North work in sectors that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus emergency, such as retail and hospitality. By comparison, men make up only about a quarter of the workforce in these industries.