Thread by @EqualityForumUK

UN special rapporteur Philip Alston giving press conference now after his time investigating #poverty in the UK: on benefits there is 'a sense that we should make the system as unwelcoming as possible'.

.@Alston_UNSR on impact of Brexit on UK #poverty, says 'those on the lower income levels are really going to suffer' - calls for much more attention to be paid to this.

.@Alston_UNSR on the risks of paying #universalcredit to only one partner in a household: 'the impact on many women is extremely problematic: it puts them at risk of domestic violence'

Now @Alston_UNSR speaks of a wider picture of 'damage to the very fabric of British society - to the sports centres that have been closed down, to the libraries - those on lower incomes will have nowhere to go'

Some good news? @Alston_UNSR says that if anyone is interested that 'the harshness - the worst aspects - of these policies could be changed overnight - and for very little money'.

Cites as examples the waiting time for benefits, the two-child limit.

.@Alston_UNSR adds that the picture of UK #poverty is 'inconsistent with Britain's basic #humanrights obligations'

In response to question on immigration @Alston_UNSR says 'Expecting asylum seekers to survive without access to any government services, and on £37 a week, is not realistic' - calls for government to #lifttheban on working while waiting for decision on asylum claims.

(You can read more on the case for removing the ban on the right to work at our website: edf.org.uk/lift-the-ban-r… #lifttheban)

.@Alston_UNSR: 'they have convinced themselves that employment is all that matters...they need to do a serious accounting of the extent of in-work #poverty'

For anyone following today's press conference on UK #poverty: you can read more about the new measure of poverty @Alston_UNSR mentioned here: edf.org.uk/social-metrics…

Under the new measure, 14.2 million people in the UK are living in poverty, including 4.5 million children.