<p class="text-align-justify">It has been an issue in the United Kingdom for a long with a decade of public service layoffs driving many families farther into poverty. Many people's lives were rendered even more difficult by the Covid-19 issue, as many were laid off, lost revenue due to the furlough program, and suffered higher living expenses while in isolation.</p>

<p class="text-align-justify">Before the COVID-19 pandemic, median household net income had been gradually increasing for two years, increasing by 3% from 2017–18 to 2019–20. But, in 12 years before 2007–08, before the latest recession, this still amounted to only a 9% increase overall. If the pre-financial-crisis rate of 2.2% annual growth had persisted after 2007–08, median income would already have risen over 20% by 2019–20.</p>

<p class="text-align-justify">However, several indicators of poverty increased as the outbreak began. The percentage of persons admitting to being behind on at least one of several household expenses increased by 22% from 2018–19 to April–May 2020.&nbsp;</p>

<p class="text-align-justify">Many people struggled to buy their food and were compelled to rely on food banks. Food banks were used by 1.9 % of the total population in April–May 2020, up from 1.7% in February.</p>

<p class="text-align-justify">Households experiencing relative income poverty before the outbreak (assessed from 2016 to 2019) experienced the greatest increases in privation when the pandemic first started. Almost all of the indicators showed minimal change in households that were not poor before the pandemic. The percentage of poor households that were behind on their bills increased from 15% in 2018–19 to 22% in April–May 2020, compared to a considerably lower increase from 5% to 6% in pre-pandemic households.</p>

<p class="text-align-justify">The UK was already suffering from poverty but the pandemic has exacerbated the situation. The country is gradually returning to normal as the lockdown is lifted. The UK government must, however, do something to alleviate poverty.</p>
