Income inequality has been shown to underpin inequalities in health.
Income inequality and health
London has greater levels of income inequality than other parts of the UK, so reducing income inequalities and the negative health impact of relative poverty is a key aim for this strategy.
On income inequality and health the Mayor is committed to working with partners to:
- Tackle barriers to employment, and promote access to work for excluded groups.
- Maximise incomes for those not in paid employment by raising awareness and supporting take-up of entitlements, with better access to advice in a wider range of community settings.
- Work towards achieving levels of household income necessary to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
- Improve financial inclusion and literacy and increase financial security for people at points of transition in their lives.
- Work with partners to improve the affordability of opportunities that promote health and well-being.
The Mayor will be working towards reducing income inequalities and the negative health impact of relative poverty through his other major strategies and programmes. Beyond this, the Health Inequalities Strategy will initiate new partnership actions where we have identified gaps. Some areas that will be see early attention are to:
- secure commitment to the London Living Wage from key London employers;
- influence and support primary care commissioners to include provision of welfare entitlement advice in all new polysystems
- work with London’s financial institutions to teach responsible finance skills to young people
- define a living income for Londoners not in paid employment
- identify and showcase examples of best practice where boroughs have provided free or affordable access to their facilities.
London Health Inequalities Strategy
