Poverty Prevention Partners – Calling on Business to Help Prevent Poverty Before It Starts

New initiative invites socially responsible companies to pledge practical action on financial security and opportunity while supporting the wider campaign to prevent poverty

London, 12 October 2026 – Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) is launching Poverty Prevention Partners, a new initiative bringing together socially responsible businesses committed to taking practical action to help prevent poverty and unnecessary financial hardship.

The scheme is built around four simple principles:

Pledge. Act. Report. Support.

Participating businesses will sign a Poverty Prevention Partner Pledge, commit to at least one meaningful poverty-prevention action each year, report on what they have achieved and financially support TAP's wider work to make poverty prevention a national priority. In return, participating businesses will be able to use the Poverty Prevention Partner designation and logo and become part of a growing network of businesses and organisations working for practical change.

Tom Burgess, Chief Executive of Taxpayers Against Poverty, said:

“Government has an essential role in preventing poverty, but it cannot do it alone. Businesses make decisions every day that affect people's financial security—from pay and employment conditions to training, recruitment, pensions, procurement and support for local communities.

“Poverty Prevention Partners is about recognising businesses that are prepared to do something practical. We don't want another badge that companies can simply buy. To become a Partner, you have to act.”

Practical action, not box-ticking

Businesses will be able to choose poverty-prevention actions appropriate to their size and circumstances. These could include paying the independently calculated Real Living Wage, improving employment security, creating apprenticeships and progression opportunities, recruiting people facing barriers to employment, providing financial wellbeing support, establishing employee hardship funds, improving pensions for lower-paid workers, paying small suppliers promptly or supporting disadvantaged entrepreneurs and local communities. The scheme is deliberately flexible so that small businesses can participate alongside major employers.

Tom Burgess continued:

“A ten-person business obviously cannot do what a company employing 10,000 people can do. What matters is that both can make a genuine contribution. One company might create an apprenticeship. Another might improve support for employees facing financial difficulty. Another might recruit people who have struggled to get into work. Collectively, relatively small actions can have a very significant impact.”

Preventing poverty is good economics

The initiative forms part of TAP's wider campaign to shift the national debate from managing poverty to preventing it.

TAP argues that poverty prevention is not simply a social responsibility. Financial insecurity, homelessness, ill health, unemployment and debt can create substantial costs for individuals, businesses, public services and taxpayers. Its Prevention Dividend policy proposes that Government should consider both the future public costs avoided and additional prosperity created by successful preventative action.

TAP believes business should be part of the same conversation.

“For business, poverty prevention can mean employees who are more financially secure, better skills and progression, stronger communities, healthier local economies and more people able to participate productively,” Tom Burgess said. “This isn't anti-business. Quite the opposite. Successful, responsible businesses are essential to creating the prosperity that ultimately prevents poverty.”

Target: 100 Poverty Prevention Partners

TAP's initial ambition is to recruit 100 businesses to the initiative.

Partners will make an annual or monthly contribution to TAP, with suggested contributions scaled according to company size so that participation remains accessible to smaller businesses. The contribution level will not determine Partner status.

Every participating company will make the same fundamental commitment: take practical action to prevent poverty.

Partners will be invited to share their experiences, participate in relevant policy discussions and events, and connect with other responsible businesses, charities, campaigners and specialists through TAP and the wider Real Agenda Network.

TAP also plans to highlight examples of effective business action so that successful ideas can be shared and adopted by other employers.

An invitation to business

TAP is now seeking an initial group of Founding Poverty Prevention Partners ahead of the programme's wider rollout.

Tom Burgess concluded:

“We want to demonstrate what can happen when business, government and civil society stop treating poverty as somebody else's problem. Imagine 100 businesses making 100 practical commitments—better pay, better jobs, apprenticeships, financial support, opportunities for excluded people, stronger local procurement or support for entrepreneurs. Then imagine that becoming 500 businesses, and eventually thousands. Poverty isn't inevitable. Business can help prevent it.

Make the pledge. Take action. Help create change.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

Poverty Prevention Partners is an initiative of Taxpayers Against Poverty. Participating businesses sign the Poverty Prevention Partner Pledge, undertake at least one recognised poverty-prevention action each year, report their progress and financially support TAP's wider poverty-prevention work. Companies that meet the requirements can use the Poverty Prevention Partner designation and logo during their participation in the scheme.

For businesses interested in becoming a Founding Poverty Prevention Partner media enquiries, interviews, or comment:

Tom Burgess, CEO, Taxpayers Against Poverty

Info: info@taxpayersagainstpoverty.org 

Media: media@taxpayersagainstpovery.org 

Website: www.taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk 

About Taxpayers Against Poverty Taxpayers against Poverty is an independent, non-partisan organisation campaigning for practical policies that prevent poverty, reduce inequality and unnecessary financial hardship, and create better long-term value for taxpayers. Its current policy programme includes The Prevention Dividend, Connected Britain, Green Prosperity, Location, Location plus tax reform, housing, transport, and inclusive economic growth.

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 is part of Real Agenda Network, a not-for-profit social enterprise bringing together campaigns, research, media and public engagement to tackle poverty, inequality and the barriers preventing people from thriving, this includes Compassion in Politics which seeks to bring more honesty, respect and compassion into political life; The Progressive Policy Unit (PPU) which develops practical, evidence-based proposals on poverty prevention, economic fairness, taxation, public services and social wellbeing; Purple Shoots which helps people excluded from mainstream finance start sustainable microbusinesses by providing small ethical loans alongside practical support and mentoring, creating income, independence and stronger local economies as well as Real Agenda Radio (RAR) which is the network’s media platform, providing podcasts, interviews and commentary that amplify under-reported issues, challenge conventional thinking and give a voice to people working for positive social change.