SOCIAL ISSUES - wealth inequality

Question 1

unemployment & benefits
PEE

Answer 1

• one of the first factors people consider that may increase risk of experiencing poverty is unemployment
• people argue those who are suffering in poverty is due to them not working
• there is turret to this as if you are unemployed, you aren’t earring money to supply basic needs.
• those who are unemployed are also more likely to claim state benefits > affect austerity buys and dont keep up with inflation rates
  EG > Joseph rowntree foundation poverty report in 2017 showed that 60% of working age adults living in workless households were in poverty compared to 16% of people in working households

Question 2

success of benefits
REE

Answer 2

• the government has been successful in reducing the unemployment rate over the last decade (2012 was 8%)
• risen in covid
• in may 2023 unemployment rate was 4.3%
• government interventions post covid have been successful in ‘flattening the curve’ as unemployment has remained stable fir the last year
• economy ha started to grow > avoiding recession
  EG - JRF commented on the positives of universal credit system saying it would take 30k working families out of poverty as well as seeing 5.5million people increase their income.

Question 3

low wages in the UK
PEE

Answer 3

• in the UK the idea that working will protect you from poverty has been challenged in the last decade
• since the 2008 banking collapse the uk has been faced with austerity measure which saw the biggest cuts to state spending since WW2
• cost of living crisis & inflation rising faster than wages
• real term pay for NHS nurse has decreased by 8% since 2010.
• rise in inflation compared other wage rises makes it challenging for families to cover essentials
  EG - around 68% of working age adults in poverty live in a household where at least one adult is in work

Question 4

types of employment
REE

Answer 4

• although the lack of wage increases in the public sector have contributed towards the idea of wealth inequality , types of employment may give a better indicator of poverty
• poverty rates by employment sector vary
• companies are increasing uses of zero hour contracts > increase poverty for individuals
• part time vs full time poverty rates
  EG - part time work shows poverty rates of 23% vs full time employment is only at 10%

Question 5

education
PEE

Answer 5

• direct link between attainment at school and progression through to tertiary education
• higher qualifications are associated ira higher earning jobs and better employment > reducing risk of poverty
  EG - just over 1 in 10 working - age adults with an undergraduate degree or above are living in poverty compared with more than 4 in 10 working - age adults with no qualifications

Question 6

geography
REE

Answer 6

• education is a devolved power
• in scotland , uni is free > less concern about affording education fees
• education can be affected by existing inequality > not all funded the same
• private vs public
• 21% of people who receive free education go onto university compared to 85% for those in private school
• children in deprived areas are struggling
  EG - children living in the most deprived ares of Scotland are around two years of schooling behind their peers at age 15