Lack of income kills off Low Pay Unit

A prominent charity which for 29 years has been campaigning on
behalf of people with low incomes, closed last Friday because of a
lack of funding.

Richard Towers, director of the Low Pay Unit, blamed an
increasingly tight economic situation for the closure, which he
said was having an impact on all charities.

He added that the unit was particularly affected because of the
type of work it did – research and campaigning. He admitted that,
in hindsight, it was probably funded on too narrow a base.

The unit will continue to be registered as a charity and, Towers
said, it could come back into existence in future years. He said
that their work would be missed, with nobody else campaigning
specifically for the low paid. “At the time of growing inequalities
there will be nobody there to speak for the working low paid. There
is going to be a big hole in the sector,” he added.