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Working families on the 'breadline' would need to work eight days a week to escape poverty

New analysis by Action for Children suggests 300,000 low-income families with children are trapped in poverty despite parents working full-time.
The analysis by Action for Children finds adults within low-income working families would need to work eight days a week to lift them out of poverty, PHOTO: Adobe Stock
The analysis by Action for Children finds adults within low-income working families would need to work eight days a week to lift them out of poverty, PHOTO: Adobe Stock

It finds that an ‘average’ low-income family where every parent is already working full-time would need to squeeze in an extra 19 hours a week to escape the breadline – equivalent to working an eight-day week.

As well as looking at the number of extra hours needed to escape poverty, the research looked at earnings. It found the average (median) low-income family where every parent worked full time would need a weekly pay rise of £168 (£8,736 more a year) to clear the poverty line – and over a quarter (28 per cent) would need to earn more than £300 extra a week (over £15,600 more annually).

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