The poor in the United Kingdom are wrestling with the same hardships they were facing 15 years ago. As per a new report by&nbsp;the Centre for Social Justice, an independent think-tank, there’s a “yawning gap between those who can get by and those stuck at the bottom”.

<h2>Divide despite wealth</h2>

In a 300-page report published on Sunday, the think tank showed evidence of a deep divide in Britain.&nbsp;

As per CNN, it shows that the nation's economic stagnation has made tackling poverty harder. Furthermore, the cost-of-living crisis has made hardships experienced by those least well-off harder.

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Sophia Worringer, Deputy Policy Director at the Centre for Social Justice, emphasised the stark contrast and said, "We have uncovered a nation of two halves."&nbsp;

"The general public for the most part can get by, and then there is this cohort of people whose lives are marked by family breakdown, physical and mental ill-health; who live in crime-ridden communities and experience multiple barriers to work."

<h2>Echoes of the Victorian Age</h2>

The think tank warns that the UK is "sliding back into the two nations of the Victorian era, marked by a widening gulf between mainstream society and a… poverty-stricken underclass."

Drawing parallels between the current situation and the Victorian Age, it says that the modern Britain is becoming similarly "entrenched" with extreme social inequality marked by poverty, family breakdown, joblessness, addiction, educational failure and more.&nbsp;

<h2>Stagnant wages, pandemic and more</h2>

"For too many, Britain is broken and the gap between the haves and have-nots is in danger of becoming a chasm," says the report's foreword, signed by Mervyn King, a former Bank of England governor, and others.

The report points out that average weekly wages in Britain have remained more or less the same since the 2008 financial crisis.

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Furthermore, the pandemic lockdowns worsened key drivers of poverty, and had a "catastrophic effect on the nation’s social fabric."

During lockdowns, domestic abuse helpline calls surged by 700 per cent, and mental health issues escalated, especially among young people.

"One in 5 young people were left facing mental health challenges after the pandemic."

It also found that severe school absence increased by 134 per cent, while welfare payments rose significantly to 1.2 million people availing it.&nbsp;

The report warns that if the current trend continues, by 2030, a quarter of children between the ages of five and 15 will suffer from a mental health disorder. 
&nbsp; 
Authors of the report, as per CNN, are working on "an ambitious suite of policy recommendations" which will be released next spring to help tackle "the root causes of poverty". Without a strategy to do so, "our future is looking very poor," warned Worringer.

(With inputs from agencies)

The poor in the United Kingdom are wrestling with the same hardships they were facing 15 years ago. As per a new report by the Centre for Social Justice, an independent think-tank, there’s a “yawning gap between those who can get by and those stuck at the bottom”.

The poor in the United Kingdom are wrestling with the same hardships they were facing 15 years ago. As per a new report by the Centre for Social Justice, an independent think-tank, there’s a “yawning gap between those who can get by and those stuck at the bottom”. Divide despite wealth In a 300-page report published on Sunday, the think tank showed evidence of a deep divide in Britain. As per CNN, it shows that the nation's economic stagnation has made tackling poverty harder. Furthermore, the cost-of-living crisis has made hardships experienced by those least well-off harder. Also read | Your anxiety is lying to you! Saying 'no' to plans isn't all that bad, finds study Sophia Worringer, Deputy Policy Director at the Centre for Social Justice, emphasised the stark contrast and said, "We have uncovered a nation of two halves." "The general public for the most part can get by, and then there is this cohort of people whose lives are marked by family breakdown, physical and mental ill-health; who live in crime-ridden communities and experience multiple barriers to work." Echoes of the Victorian Age The think tank warns that the UK is "sliding back into the two nations of the Victorian era, marked by a widening gulf between mainstream society and a… poverty-stricken underclass." Drawing parallels between the current situation and the Victorian Age, it says that the modern Britain is becoming similarly "entrenched" with extreme social inequality marked by poverty, family breakdown, joblessness, addiction, educational failure and more. Stagnant wages, pandemic and more "For too many, Britain is broken and the gap between the haves and have-nots is in danger of becoming a chasm," says the report's foreword, signed by Mervyn King, a former Bank of England governor, and others. The report points out that average weekly wages in Britain have remained more or less the same since the 2008 financial crisis. Also read | Epic Games' 'epic' win: Jury finds Google guilty of monopolistic practices in antitrust trial Furthermore, the pandemic lockdowns worsened key drivers of poverty, and had a "catastrophic effect on the nation’s social fabric." During lockdowns, domestic abuse helpline calls surged by 700 per cent, and mental health issues escalated, especially among young people. "One in 5 young people were left facing mental health challenges after the pandemic." It also found that severe school absence increased by 134 per cent, while welfare payments rose significantly to 1.2 million people availing it. The report warns that if the current trend continues, by 2030, a quarter of children between the ages of five and 15 will suffer from a mental health disorder. Authors of the report, as per CNN, are working on "an ambitious suite of policy recommendations" which will be released next spring to help tackle "the root causes of poverty". Without a strategy to do so, "our future is looking very poor," warned Worringer. (With inputs from agencies)

‘A nation of two halves’: UK’s persistent wealth inequality, poverty pushing it back into Victorian era

London's thinnest house&nbsp;which is just 5 feet 6 inches&nbsp;(1.6 metres) at its narrowest point&nbsp;is currently on the market for $1.3 million or&nbsp;1.1 million euros.

Wedged between a doctor's surgery and a hairdressing salon, London's thinnest house is only identified by a streak of dark blue paint.&nbsp;Blink and you could easily miss it.&nbsp;

<img alt="uuu" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="24262ec1-3d45-48e0-881c-65cca2379319" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%287%29_52.jpg" />

The unusual property, originally a Victorian hat shop with storage for merchandise and living quarters on its upper floors, was built sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century.

In a nod to its past, the house still has an old-fashioned glass shopfront with a lamp in the shape of a bowler hat.

David Myers, an assistant sales manager at Winkworth estate agents which is selling the property, said the house was worth its price tag because it's "a unique part of London history".

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a276fa60-8869-4d8e-9fcd-1689a1c9f418" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%286%29_56.jpg" />

Different sizes

The dimensions of the house differ throughout.

While the kitchen at the end of the lower ground floor is the house's narrowest spot, it opens up into a dining area that's nearly double the size.

<img alt="aa" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="09560f46-405c-46e1-8044-8ea0fa921455" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_92B7RN.jpg" />

A 16 foot-wide garden lies beyond behind French windows.

The ground floor, which now contains a reception where the old shop would have been, and the first floor are of similar sizes.

The first floor -- where a bedroom and study can be found -- also has a roof terrace with commanding views over the roofs and chimney pots of west London.

Spiral stairs lead from the second floor -- the location of a bathroom and shower room -- up to the master bedroom on the third.

It is accessed by a hatch which opens through the floor to save on space and the bed, which is built-in, takes up an entire end of the room, fitted into the walls on either side.

Myers said the house was for a "young couple or an individual" who "sees the beauty for what it is and will snap it up".

With what the London estate agent described as "unique" period features mixed with art deco and other eclectic interior designs, the house would appeal to buyers who were "arty" or "bohemian".

"There are no houses in London that are 5ft 6in. There are houses in London that are five storeys but don't have such a unique space, such individuality," Myers said.

"From the owners that have owned it in the past, they've all put their own stamp on it," he added.

The price of the house is prohibitive for most in Britain, where the average house price is £256,000, but typical of London's property market.

"It's more expensive because we have everything going on. From somewhere like Shepherd's Bush we can be in the very heart of (London) in within 10 to 15 minutes," the estate agent said.

Thinned-out market

If it meets its asking price, the house will have doubled in value since 2006 when it was sold for £488,500, according to the UK's land registry.

By Myers' estimations, the house is worth more because of its dimensions.

"(In) a lot of parts of London people will use the pound per square footage mark and use it as a benchmark for what are properties going to be worth," he said.&nbsp;

"It doesn't always work like that. When you've got something as individual as this, the price has to be reflected on that."

The impact of the Covid pandemic, which Myers said had been an impetus for families, in particular, to move out of London and take advantage of the space afforded by lower property prices outside the capital, meant the house was unlikely to sell right away.

"(In) a situation such as Covid, where all the fish in the sea have thinned out quite considerably, there are not so many buyers out there.

"And there are fewer buyers for a unique, individual property such as this."

But ultimately the London estate agent was undeterred. "It's chic, it's beautiful, and that's why this house will sell," he said.

London's thinnest house which is just 5 feet 6 inches (1.6 metres) at its narrowest point is currently on the market for $1.3 million or 1.1 million euros. Wedged between a doctor's surgery and a hairdressing salon, London's thinnest house is only identified by a streak of dark blue paint.

London's thinnest house which is just 5 feet 6 inches (1.6 metres) at its narrowest point is currently on the market for $1.3 million or 1.1 million euros. Wedged between a doctor's surgery and a hairdressing salon, London's thinnest house is only identified by a streak of dark blue paint. Blink and you could easily miss it. The unusual property, originally a Victorian hat shop with storage for merchandise and living quarters on its upper floors, was built sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. In a nod to its past, the house still has an old-fashioned glass shopfront with a lamp in the shape of a bowler hat. David Myers, an assistant sales manager at Winkworth estate agents which is selling the property, said the house was worth its price tag because it's "a unique part of London history". Different sizes The dimensions of the house differ throughout. While the kitchen at the end of the lower ground floor is the house's narrowest spot, it opens up into a dining area that's nearly double the size. A 16 foot-wide garden lies beyond behind French windows. The ground floor, which now contains a reception where the old shop would have been, and the first floor are of similar sizes. The first floor -- where a bedroom and study can be found -- also has a roof terrace with commanding views over the roofs and chimney pots of west London. Spiral stairs lead from the second floor -- the location of a bathroom and shower room -- up to the master bedroom on the third. It is accessed by a hatch which opens through the floor to save on space and the bed, which is built-in, takes up an entire end of the room, fitted into the walls on either side. Myers said the house was for a "young couple or an individual" who "sees the beauty for what it is and will snap it up". With what the London estate agent described as "unique" period features mixed with art deco and other eclectic interior designs, the house would appeal to buyers who were "arty" or "bohemian". "There are no houses in London that are 5ft 6in. There are houses in London that are five storeys but don't have such a unique space, such individuality," Myers said. "From the owners that have owned it in the past, they've all put their own stamp on it," he added. The price of the house is prohibitive for most in Britain, where the average house price is £256,000, but typical of London's property market. "It's more expensive because we have everything going on. From somewhere like Shepherd's Bush we can be in the very heart of (London) in within 10 to 15 minutes," the estate agent said. Thinned-out market If it meets its asking price, the house will have doubled in value since 2006 when it was sold for £488,500, according to the UK's land registry. By Myers' estimations, the house is worth more because of its dimensions. "(In) a lot of parts of London people will use the pound per square footage mark and use it as a benchmark for what are properties going to be worth," he said. "It doesn't always work like that. When you've got something as individual as this, the price has to be reflected on that." The impact of the Covid pandemic, which Myers said had been an impetus for families, in particular, to move out of London and take advantage of the space afforded by lower property prices outside the capital, meant the house was unlikely to sell right away. "(In) a situation such as Covid, where all the fish in the sea have thinned out quite considerably, there are not so many buyers out there. "And there are fewer buyers for a unique, individual property such as this." But ultimately the London estate agent was undeterred. "It's chic, it's beautiful, and that's why this house will sell," he said.

In pics: London's 'thinnest' Victorian-era house is on sale for $1.3 million

Pop star Katy Perry patiently watched and smiled off to the side as her fiance took selfies and signed autographs with fans lined up for the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon's latest series, "Carnival Row" (21 AUG 2019).

A smiling Katy Perry joins Orlando Bloom for the premiere of ‘Carnival Row’

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‘A nation of two halves’: UK’s persistent wealth inequality, poverty pushing it back into Victorian era

In pics: London's 'thinnest' Victorian-era house is on sale for $1.3 million

A smiling Katy Perry joins Orlando Bloom for the premiere of ‘Carnival Row’