Everyday rights
In the UK today too many people are missing out on the key building blocks for a fair and dignified life. It should not be this way. That’s why Amnesty is campaigning to change UK law so our everyday rights to food and health, housing and social security, and work are protected.
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1 in 3
children in the UK live in poverty
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1 in 8
people in the UK are in insecure work
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354,000
people experiencing homelessness in England today
Key issues
Social security
Right now in the UK, millions of people can’t afford the basics - food, rent, bills. That's why we're calling on the government to invest in social security and make sure everyone has enough to live on.
Right to housing
Everyone should have the right to a safe and secure place to call home but for too many people in the UK this is not a reality. We support people with lived experience of homelessness to shape the solutions towards dignified living conditions in the UK.
Children's rights
Amnesty defends children’s rights in the UK and globally, empowering young people to lead change through our Children’s Human Rights Network - campaigning, educating and amplifying youth voices for justice.
What are everyday rights?
No one can thrive without somewhere safe to live, access to basic goods and services, and a way of improving their life through work or education. If we want to build a country we are all proud to call home, we must protect people’s everyday rights.
Everyday rights cover a range of issues including:
- Access to decent housing, food, clothing, and other essentials
- The right to help when you need it, to stop you or your family falling into poverty
- Access to quality health whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever you earn
- The opportunity to be educated, so you can participate in society and get on in life
- The right to work that is safe, secure and fairly paid
Recognised but not protected
The UK has signed up to a UN treaty which says governments should promote and support our basic everyday rights. But UK law does not currently guarantee these basic rights. This means we can’t challenge the government if things go wrong or our rights are violated.
It shouldn’t be this way. Amnesty talked to people from different backgrounds across the country to uncover the consequences of living without this essential protection.
The picture they painted was bleak. Hundreds of thousands of people are living in substandard housing, temporary accommodation or on the streets. For people on social security or in low paid work, the cost of living crisis has forced them to choose between heating and eating.
Without access to their basic everyday rights, too many people are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and exclusion. This is deepening existing inequalities and holding the whole country back.
We will keep fighting
The cost of not having our rights protected is simply too high. That’s why Amnesty is campaigning to change the law so that everyone can live healthy, dignified lives and aspire to a better future.
No one deserves the shame, fear and disadvantage that come from being denied their everyday rights.
We need to come together to demand our government meets its responsibility. Until our basic rights are protected in law, too many people will be forced to live in unfair and unsustainable conditions.
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