Fellow Campaigners Invited to Join National Campaign to Shift UK from Managing Poverty to Preventing It

London, 31 March 2026 – Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) recently launched its national Prioritise Poverty Prevention campaign—an urgent push to reposition poverty prevention at the centre of UK economic policy.

As part of the campaign, TAP today announced the Prioritise Poverty Prevention Partner Programme, inviting like-minded organisations to join a coordinated effort to drive political, public, and policy change.

The Prioritise Poverty Prevention campaign is built on a simple, evidence-backed proposition: The UK cannot afford to keep managing poverty—it must start preventing it.

Despite rising public spending, poverty remains persistently high. TAP says this is the result of a system focused on late, expensive intervention rather than early, effective prevention.

Tom Burgess, CEO of TAP, said:“We are spending billions dealing with the consequences of poverty while failing to prevent it. That is not just unjust—it is economically irrational. This campaign is about fixing that.”

The Partner Programme is a core part of the wider campaign—designed to bring together organisations already working on these issues and amplify their impact through collective action.

Partners will:

·       Amplify their voice through a coordinated national campaign

·       Strengthen political influence via the Prioritise Poverty Prevention Pledge, with MPs supported through policy, media, and messaging

·       Mobilise public support through a national petition

·       Shape policy direction through shared, evidence-based solutions

·       Gain visibility as part of a credible, cross-sector coalition

TAP will actively support MPs who sign the pledge with briefings, media opportunities, and practical tools—creating a direct route from campaign to policy influence.

The programme is flexible, aligned and immediate designed for maximum impact with minimal burden:

·       Support the campaign publicly

·       Share messaging and the petition through your channels

·       Collaborate on opportunities where aligned

No heavy structures. No duplication. No loss of independence.

The campaign is grounded in the Nicolson Report: The Poverty Scandal, which shows that preventing poverty is significantly more effective—and less costly—than managing its consequences.

The Prioritise Poverty Prevention campaign turns that evidence into:

·       Political commitment (MP pledge)

·       Public demand (petition)

·       Practical policy pathways

With rising costs, growing inequality, and increasing pressure on public services, TAP says this is a defining moment.

“This is not about joining another campaign,” Burgess said. “It is a moment to lead, not follow. It’s about being part of the shift that finally makes prevention the priority. The organisations that step forward now will help define that change.”

Like minded organisations are now invited to join the Prioritise Poverty Prevention Partner Programme and help drive a coordinated national push for change.

ENDS

For more information or to partner on the campaign: campaigns@taxpayersagainstpoverty.org

For media enquiries, interviews, or comment: Tom Burgess, CEO, Taxpayers Against PovertyEmail: media@taxpayersagainstpoverty.orgWebsite: www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org

About Taxpayers Against PovertyTaxpayers against Poverty is a UK-based independent advocacy group dedicated to tackling poverty, inequality, and economic injustice TAP seeks to influence national and local policy by promoting practical economic proposals that have a positive effect on reducing poverty and unnecessary financial hardship using a direct approach to decision makers and other influencers.

TAP was founded by the late Rev Paul Nicolson and is led by Tom Burgess, author of From Here to Prosperity, a new political agenda for a sustainable economy and greater social justice, which proposes taxing wealth more and income less. TAP’s sister organisation is Compassion in Politics which seeks to bring more honesty, respect and compassion into political life.