In his final report to the UN, Philip Alston, the former Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and...
Europe
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22/08/2012
Inequality undermines social solidarity
People living in more unequal countries show less social solidarity towards others, a new study has suggested.
The study investigated the relationship between income inequality and solidarity (defined as a willingness to contribute to the welfare of other people) in 26 European countries, using data from the 1999 European Values Study.
Category: Reports -
21/08/2012
Tax-based child benefits ‘less generous’ than universal systems
Child benefit systems based on the tax system tend to be less generous than those structured around a universal benefit, according to a new study.
The study looked at the changing social and fiscal policy mix of child benefit systems in developed (OECD) countries from 1960 to 2005.
Category: Reports -
17/08/2012
Sweden
A presentation on poverty measurement in Sweden was made by Björn Halleröd, University of Gothenburg, at the Second Peter Townsend Memorial Conference, Measuring Poverty: The State of the Art, in 2011.
In 1992, Halleröd undertook a study looking at which aspects of Swedish standards of living were seen as necessities and those who could not afford these items. The table below gives a summary of the findings (final sample size 793 persons).
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17/08/2012
Finland
A presentation on poverty measurement in Finland was made by Veli-Matti Ritakallio, University of Turku, at the Second Peter Townsend Memorial Conference, Measuring Poverty: The State of the Art, in 2011.
Category: -
07/08/2012
Material deprivation linked to economic stress
Basic deprivation is the key dimension associated with economic stress, according to a study funded by the European Commission.
Researchers examined the relationship between material deprivation and economic stress in European countries, using data from the 2009 European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). Stress was measured by reference to how difficult households felt it was to make ends meet.
Category: Reports -
16/07/2012
‘Serious failure’ of Europe 2020 over anti-poverty strategies
The Europe 2020 project has so far failed to promote coherent anti-poverty strategies, campaigners say. And the UK is ranked below the average on its approach to most poverty and social exclusion issues.
The European Anti-Poverty Network has looked at all the available reports submitted by member countries on progress towards the Europe 2020 goals (to reduce poverty and/or social exclusion by at least 20 million by 2020). They then rank countries on issues such as the effectiveness of policies to tackle child poverty, and measures to ensure an adequate minimum income and social protection.
Category: Reports -
14/07/2012
UK unemployment benefits ‘relatively tight’
Unemployment benefit conditions in the UK are ‘relatively tight’ compared with other EU countries, according to researchers in Germany.
The researchers propose a methodology for benchmarking EU unemployment benefits systems, to help assess how well they achieve their objectives.
Category: Reports -
07/07/2012
Impact of crisis on wages and working conditions in Europe
Wage moderation, pay freezes and sometimes pay cuts have been experienced in most EU member states in recent years, according to a report. The global crisis has hit vulnerable groups particularly hard.
The study, by a Dublin-based research group, examines the relationship between trends in earnings and working conditions in Europe since the crisis of 2008–2010.
Category: Reports -
27/06/2012
Tackling child poverty and social exclusion in Europe
Europe’s social and economic future depends on tackling child poverty and breaking the ‘transmission of disadvantage’ across generations, according to an official advisory report.
The report is designed to feed into an important statement on child poverty by the European Commission, expected later in 2012. It begins by examining key developments and policy drivers relating to child poverty and social exclusion in Europe. It then goes on to make suggestions for policy principles, an indicators-based monitoring framework and implementation/monitoring arrangements.
Category: Reports -
13/06/2012
Damaging effect of crisis on well-being in EU
Vulnerable groups in the EU have experienced a considerable drop in their well-being during the economic crisis, according to researchers in Dublin. The worst affected are those who are unemployed, elderly or retired, as well as those already suffering material deprivation.
The paper looks at whether the global crisis has affected the quality of life of EU citizens, over the period 2007–2010. ‘Quality of life’ reflects income, housing, health, education and employment, as well as family life, social capital, quality of public services, and subjective well-being.
Category: Reports
