Trust for London

The five local authorities in the UK with the highest proportion of low-paid jobs are *all in outer London*. Redbridge, Bexley, Barking & Dagenham, Harrow & Enfield have the highest percentage of jobs paid below the real Living Wage in the country. In each of these boroughs, around 1 in 3 jobs are low-paid. Across London as a whole, 14.4% of jobs are low paid. That's more than half a million jobs in the capital, paid below what is needed for a decent standard of living. And paying a real Living Wage isn't just a moral imperative. New research from the Living Wage Foundation finds that if just a quarter of jobs currently paid below the real Living Wage were paid the real Living Wage, it would boost the economy by *£1.2 billion* Read Living Wage Foundation's report into the state of low pay in the UK: https://lnkd.in/eC2gMWMw

Last month, the new Procurement Act 2023 came into force. In our blog, Katharine Sutton of Aspire Community Works writes about the new act, why it matters for organisations fighting to tackle inequality, and what we can do to engage. She said: "If change is going to happen closed doors need to be opened, new conversations begun and new approaches adopted – not only within commissioning authorities but between commissioning authorities, civil society, social enterprises and the private sector. "We cannot leave it to central government, nor commissioning authorities alone, we have to be part of that change. We need more imagination and greater engagement from the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. All of us who believe that public procurement should be delivered for public good need to take active steps to deliver it, however small." Read her full blog here: https://bit.ly/4bqF2Ue

There has been lots of talk about the disability benefits bill in the news today. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has soared. In London alone, our Poverty Profile shows that 13.5% of working age residents are out-of-work and on benefits. This means that nearly *350,000 more Londoners* are out-of-work and on benefits than five years ago. For millions of Disabled people, these benefits are a lifeline. And for many, that lifeline is already threadbare. Benefit levels are so low that many are forced to go without essentials. The government’s ambition is to help more people into work. This is right – work is the best route out of poverty. But further cuts to disability benefits won’t achieve this goal. As Resolution Foundation set out in their useful policy briefing (https://lnkd.in/e7KMQExA), many of the drivers of the rising benefits bill sit outside of the benefits system. So do the solutions. Meaningful reform, not short term savings. And for those relying on benefits, including those who are unable to work, they will only pushed into deeper poverty by further cuts. Their rights must be protected, as set out in Scope's letter to the Chancellor this week. You can read the letter here: https://lnkd.in/eYBRNDW4. It was signed by a number of our partners, including Z2K - Fighting Poverty, who have also set up an ‘email your MP’ action. If you want to make your voice heard, do so with Z2K’s tool here: https://lnkd.in/ezdTYcuZ 

"Every year around the 8th of March I find myself cringing at the performative rituals of flower giving and momentary shout outs to recognise women’s contribution to society. A bouquet is lovely, but it’s hardly enough to match the demands of decent pay, rights and respect that we deserve every single day. "I too love to hear about women’s achievements and to see issues like violence against women and girls spotlighted – but why only around the International Women’s Day? The contrast is frustrating: a few days of celebration, while the rest of the year is filled with everyday sexism, violence and economic inequity. A bunch of roses doesn’t match up with the reality of a continued struggle for lasting improvements." After a weekend of celebratory #IWD posts filling our LinkedIn timelines, it's important to recognise that equality & ending gendered poverty is an everyday fight. Read Klara Skrivankova's blog on International Women's Day: https://lnkd.in/eJwRuUvJ

An opportunity for grassroots leaders to join Sounddelivery Media's Spokesperson Network! It's a free 7-month programme designed to bring the voices of those with lived experience to the forefront of public conversation, policy and practice, driving social change. Through training, mentoring, peer support & media opportunities, participants will develop the skills and confidence necessary to share their stories to a wider audience. Deadline 21 March. Find out more below.

For all our followers in the charity sector, make sure you check out London Calling - a new website from London Plus and Resource For London. You'll find hundreds of upcoming events, training & open funding opportunities for the voluntary sector in London. london-calling.org.uk

More than 60,000 households in London are homeless and living in temporary accommodation. When someone becomes homeless, their local authority has a duty to provide accommodation. While waiting for a home, people are often housed in temporary accommodation (TA). As the name suggests, TA was only ever meant to be temporary, but people can be stuck in TA for a year, or even longer. *What does the data show?* Since 2011 the number of households in TA in London has increased significantly. In 2023 – the last year we have full data for – 61,000 households were in TA, 50% higher than 10 years ago. The data from the first half of 2024 suggests this is set to increase again. *Why does it matter?* Living in TA long term has a damaging impact on people’s lives. Research from organisations including Groundswell - Homelessness Charity UK & Positive East shows that people in TA are often living in dangerous, unfit conditions, sometimes for years, and facing deteriorating health and wellbeing. Alongside the human impact, the TA crisis is financially unsustainable. With council budgets already stretched, local authorities are spending huge proportions of their budgets on TA. London Councils found that London’s boroughs are spending £114 million a month on providing temporary accommodation for residents. *What needs to change?* We need to tackle the homelessness crisis at its root. Housing benefit levels need to be immediately raised so that people can afford a stable home. We also need to build significantly more social housing. And when people do have to rely on TA, their stays should be as short, safe and healthy as possible. For this, we need national regulation and enforcement of quality standards. We're proud to support a number of organisations as they campaign for better standards in TA. These organisations include Z2K - Fighting Poverty, The Magpie Project, London Gypsies and Travellers, Furnishing Futures, South West London Law Centres, Creating Ground CIC and Justlife Foundation. Read our blog to explore London's temporary accommodation crisis in more depth: https://lnkd.in/eV9_KRkv

Are you looking for a new role in London's charity sector? A number of our partners are hiring: Generalist Advisor, Citizens Advice Hillingdon (3 March): https://lnkd.in/d-ErqHmf Project & Casework Coordinator, HARINGEY MIGRANT SUPPORT CENTRE (5 March): https://lnkd.in/erND3ady Research Director, Social Market Foundation (5 March): https://lnkd.in/e2qucemA Organiser, United Voices of the World (7 March): https://lnkd.in/eFxiAi8E Interim Director, Sounddelivery Media (9 March): https://lnkd.in/dBrkjAhT Principal Legal Officer, Free Representation Unit (10 March): https://lnkd.in/ekahUNfJ Head of Community Research & Impact, High Trees Community Development Trust (12 March): https://t.co/2EuzDCJIvq People Manager, Public Interest Law Centre (12 March): https://lnkd.in/ejkmx8aw CEO, YESS Law (14 March): https://lnkd.in/gBnY4Emm Executive Director, Tax Justice UK (19 March): https://lnkd.in/etGW3d7n Advice Services Manager, Citizens Advice Barnet (20 March): https://lnkd.in/dMcwHg7i Applications are also open for Sounddelivery Media's Leadership Spokesperson Network, deadline 21 March: https://lnkd.in/ecjghqTU #CharityJobs #CharityOpportunities #LondonJobs

8am starts should come with coffee and medals. This morning, I was at the launch of the London Growth Plan — a bold attempt to get productivity back on track and make London fairer, safer and greener. I always feel a sense of nostalgia when I come into London — the city has shaped so much of my journey, so it’s always a bit special to be part of conversations about its future. It was also great to see that some of the work and thinking from Trust for London’s Racial and Economic Justice Fund partners helped shape discussions around what good jobs actually look like — and who gets them. There’s still plenty to figure out (the “how” always bites), but it’s encouraging to see these issues on the table. Bonus highlight — catching up with the brilliant Muna Yassin MBE Rooted Finance who’s doing important work tackling the poverty and Ethnicity premium and preparing for the Parliamentary launch of the Racial Justice Network in Finance. One to watch! Some key bits from the plan: New inclusive talent strategy to open up access to good jobs; Investment into local businesses, housing, skills and training; £20 million to breathe life into high streets; New innovation corridors to drive growth Lots to do — but good to see ambition in the air (and yes, coffee in hand). #LondonGrowthPlan #RacialJustice #InclusiveEconomy #FairerLondon #TrustforLondon

Around 1 in 5 (18.3%) Londoners are in deep poverty. This is compared to 14.3% of people in the rest of England. Deep poverty goes beyond the standard poverty rate to show us how many people are experiencing the most severe poverty. People in deep poverty often face extreme hardship and struggle to afford even the basic essentials. Children are the most likely to be in deep poverty. In London, nearly *one in four children* (24%) are growing up in deep poverty. Pensioners are the least likely to be in deep poverty (14.4%). But a higher proportion of pensioners in London are in deep poverty than 26 years ago (13.7%). Note: In the UK, the official poverty line is 60% of the median income. To calculate how many people are in deep poverty, we look at the number of people whose total income is 50%, or less, than the median income.