Prosperity

Nearly 1 in 4 people in Wales is struggling to make ends meet.

We believe everyone should be able to have a decent standard of living.

People should be able to meet their basic needs of adequate shelter, food and warmth, and also enjoy the things and activities that many of us take for granted.

Why it matters

Poverty casts a long shadow over people’s lives. It affects educational attainment, employment prospects, health, relationships and life expectancy to name but a few. Dealing with poverty costs the Welsh public purse around £3.6 billion a year – a fifth of all public spending.

Poverty has remained stubbornly high for many years and there are signs it’s on the rise: pensioner poverty has already gone up, and child poverty is forecast to reach nearly 40% by 2021. Looking ahead:

• In the next 6 months another 43,000 families will be forced to get help from food banks

• 300,000 families face two more years of frozen benefits while prices rise

• Each year, 22,000 more children will fall into poverty

Our aim

Our ambition is that more people in Wales want to solve poverty, understand it and take action.  By 2030, we want the rate of poverty to fall to 10% of the population and to make sure that nobody is ever destitute.

What we’re doing

We’re working hard to understand the root causes of poverty, develop practical solutions and persuade decision-makers, practitioners and people experiencing poverty to take action.

Our recent and current projects include:

• The future of housing for those on low incomes in the Valleys

• Can growth sectors reduce poverty?

• After Brexit: ideas for a fair Wales

• What should be done about Universal Credit

What we’ve already done

Our solutions are already creating change.

• We’ve put prosperity on the Welsh agenda.

• We’ve secured growth hubs in the Valleys.

• Our recommendations for new Welsh taxes are currently being considered by the Welsh Government.

Wales is No Place for Poverty!

Please help us end poverty in Wales by supporting us today

Find out about our new Prosperity Partner, the OU in Wales »