Low-income voters in Scotland could be crucial in determining whether Labour or the Conservatives win the next general election, a think tank has suggested. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) claimed the major parties must "reboot" their policy offerings to this group in a bid to boost support. It said, however,…

A so-called "yellow card" system of benefit sanctions has been dropped by the Government after research suggested it was not worth the extra time and cost. Ministers have instead said they will consider a written warning system for first time offenders rather than penalising them by docking their benefits. Sanctions…

A double-decker bus offering refuge to rough sleepers in Windsor has been impounded ahead of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, a charity has said. Thames Valley Police said the The Ark Project's 10-bed bus was seized from the town centre on Thursday due to an issue with the driver's…

A new village has opened to provide stable accommodation to homeless people as part of campaign to eradicate the issue in Scotland. Social Bite Village launched on Thursday in Granton, Edinburgh to provide a place to live and support for up to 20 people. The project, believed to be the…

Older adults in England with fewer financial resources are more likely to develop dementia, according to new UCL and University of Exeter research. Researchers analysed data from over 6,000 adults born between 1902 and 1943 and found that the 20% most deprived adults were 50% more likely to develop dementia…

A homeless charity offering refuge to rough sleepers on a double-decker bus has been seen driving through Windsor ahead of Saturday's Royal Wedding. The Ark Project, which until recently was based solely in Reading, operates out of a bus which includes 10 beds and a kitchen to prepare warm food.…

The Government is failing to meet its commitment to put disabled people at the heart of its aid programme, a watchdog has warned. Ministers pledged to make disability inclusion in developing countries central in work to help the world's poorest, but there is still a "considerable distance" to go, the…

Austerity and immigration policies imposed by the Government have made the UK a more racist country, a UN inspector has said.Tendayi Achiume, the UN's Special Rapporteur on Racism, criticised the Government's adoption of "sweeping austerity measures" since 2010, which have "disproportionately" affected ethnic minorities.Ms Achiume's preliminary findings, which included criticism…

An attempt to provide fairer access to more affordable credit for people living in poverty moves a stage further on Friday.A Bill put forward by Lord Bird, founder of The Big Issue magazine, will reach the committee stage in the House of Lords, moving it closer to being considered in…

Big Issue vendors are being offered free tickets to see a documentary about a group for homeless people in a notorious area of Los Angeles, made in partnership with the magazine. Skid Row Marathon will be screened across the UK on Wednesday, telling the story of a running group formed…

Children's services have suffered their own Windrush moment, according to a University of Huddersfield professor when he spoke to a committee of MPs. Paul Bywaters, who is Professor of Social Work, believes that austerity measures and policies that place too much emphasis on seeking out children at risk rather than…

A lawyer has questioned whether an unmarried mother at the centre of a legal battle to access widowed parent's allowance is being made an example of. Special needs classroom assistant Siobhan McLaughlin, 46, from Armoy in Co Antrim, was with her partner John Adams, a groundsman, for 23 years. The…