· A quarter of the population is living below the breadline.
· 24% cannot afford 3 or more necessities (up from 14% in 1983).
· Poverty rates have risen at a time when the majority of people were getting richer.
· Gap between rich and poor is at highest level for 10 years.
· In more than one sixth of households no one works.
· About a fifth of adults have problems reading and writing and are innumerate.
· One of lowest levels of adult literacy in the industrialised world.
· One in three young people leave school at 16 with inadequate basic skills.
· One in 10 households has no bank or building society account.
· More than 3 million households are in debt to door-to-door money lenders.
If you haven't already guessed, have a look at this Observer article (Sunday 8th July 2001), Closing the gap between rich and poor
8 Jul 2001