High housing costs driving up poverty among public service workers, says UNISON  

High rents and mortgage payments are a cause of major financial stress for nearly a third of public service workers including cleaners, care staff and teaching assistants, says UNISON today (Friday). A report commissioned by the union, based on a survey of more than 2,600 public service workers in the UK, shows housing costs have increased for more than three in five (63%). The document Through the Roof highlights how a rapid rise in rent and mortgage payments is taking a significant toll, says UNISON. The survey aimed to identify which groups were hardest hit by asking how many paid 60% or more of their household income on accommodation. Almost a third (32%) of private renters did so, for housing association tenants it was a quarter (25%), council tenants a similar figure (24%), and nearly one in five (19%) of those paying a mortgage. The high cost of housing combined with low pay means that nearly one in four (23%) public service workers are really struggling financially and cutting back on food and essentials. Workers in the NHS, social care and local authority schools are among those worst affected, according to the findings. The impact for public service staff of the high price of keeping a roof over their heads is that some are forced to live a long way from their workplace, says UNISON. More than one in ten (12%) believe they are living too far from work but have little choice because they cannot afford to move closer. As a result they must spend a large pro...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: News Press release housing public service pay Source Type: news