Dudley Strategy for Tackling Health Inequalities 2010-15

achieved through transfer payments, rather than the taxation system. It is thereforeparticularly important to ensure that those entitled to benefits take them up.Marmot (2010) concludes that, in the current UK system, benefits are inadequate toprovide a healthy standard of living or have failed to reach those in need. They tendto be based on a black and white distinction between being reliant and non-reliant onvarious components of support, creating the so called „cliff edge‟ which discouragespeople from seeking work or staying in work.First time pregnant mothers in receipt of benefit remain vulnerable particularly if theyare under 25 and only receive lower age benefit rates, making it difficult to maintain ahealthy standard of living.The introduction of the minimum wage has had some effect on the distribution oforiginal income and the introduction of tax credits has increased support for workingpeople on low incomes. The working family tax credit introduction has been shownto be associated with reduction in single parent anxiety and improvement in afamily‟s income has been shown to have a particular impact on adolescent children;the gaps between them and other teenager‟s behaviour narrowed. (Rates of poorself esteem, unhappiness, truancy, smoking and the desire to leave school at 16 allhalved).However the initiatives have not succeeded in reaching all those who are entitledand there remain many citizens who do not have a sufficient income to live a healthylife. Marmot (2010) commends the concept of a minimum income standard (MIS) asa basis for assessing the adequacy of the benefits system. MIS includes sufficientincome for consuming a healthy diet; some allowance for expenses related toexercise costs; and costs related to social integration and support networks; inaddition to the items customarily included in the calculation of minimum income. TheMIS is different for people in different circumstances. For some groups the MIS ishigher than the currently defined poverty line (60% median income). Using the MIS,only 2/5ths of those with no children in receipt of income support meet MIS. Forcouples and single parents with children income support levels are approximately2/3 rd of MIS.A Healthy Standard of Living for All: What do we know for Dudley?Table 4 below shows the average weekly household income for Dudley andEngland, by national quintile. (Using national quintiles, it should be noted that thereare no households in Dudley which fall into the top quintile for England).42