倫敦政經學院接受英國政府委託，進行長達16個月的調查，2010年公布「英國經濟不平等解剖報告」（An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK）。報告指出，2007到2008年，英國的收入不平等創下自第二次世界大戰以來最嚴重紀錄，收入在全國前10%的家庭，年收入至少85萬3000英 鎊（約新台幣4000萬元），而收入最低的10%，年收入僅8800英鎊，貧富的差距近100倍。
如果將企業執行長、銀行家等高收入的族群也計算進去，貧富的差距就更大，這些金融界高收入者約占總人口的1%，全家年收入至少260萬英鎊。
報告指出，和其他工業國家相比，英國貧富差距的情況最為嚴重，出生在那一個社會階級的家庭，幾乎就決定了這個小孩日後的命運，貧窮家庭出生的小孩，法受到良好的教育，畢業後也找不到好的工作，惡性循環的結果，就是人生長期居於劣勢。
相反的，出生在貴族及富裕家庭的小孩，可以上私立學校，接受優質教育，就業也因為家世良好而有更好的機會，他們不需要為房產憂心，因為父母早就為他們安排好，這種含金湯匙出生的人，壽命也比那些窮人來得長。
研究人員進一步調查家庭的財富，全國前10%的高收入者，到退休時（約55到64歲），連同房地產與退休資產，財富達220萬英鎊，但收入在底層10%的家庭，只有8000英鎊，兩者天差地別 。
英國研究種族平等的智庫「The Runnymede Trust 」政策研究主任歐瑪汗（Omar Khan）指出，英國少數族裔的財富普遍低於白人。根據就業與養老金部門的報告，60%的黑人及南亞人家庭沒有任何儲蓄，33%的白人家庭則都有儲蓄。
2009年英國第一份財富與資產報告顯示，平均白人家庭約有22萬1000英鎊，加勒比海黑人家庭約有7萬 6000英鎊，孟加拉裔家庭2萬1000英鎊，非洲黑人家庭則是1萬5000英鎊。
歐瑪汗分析，黑人與南亞人財產少的原因，除了他們大都從事低薪低保障的勞動工作，無法獲得社會福利；他們也很少繼承房子或資產。
另一個原因是少數族裔擁有房地產的比例偏低，非洲黑人約28%是有屋階級，比例最低，孟加拉約38%，加勒比海黑人49%，白人則高達72%。
雪菲爾大學教授多林（Danny Dorling），在所著的「不公正：為何社會不公平持續存在」（Injustice: Why Social Inequality Persists）一書指出，倫敦是西方國家中，貧富差距最嚴重的城市。
他指出，倫敦1/10最有錢的人，平均財富達93萬 3563英鎊，較最貧窮的1/10市民的3420英鎊，幾乎達 273倍。
多林說，財富落差也造成社會階級分隔，如同印度的種姓制度，在倫敦，民眾只和與自己收入相當的人往來，不和與自己收入懸殊的人交往，「倫敦財富不平均的情況是自社會精英擁有奴隸制度以來首見」。
物質主義盛行使貧窮家庭父母面臨巨大壓力，他們擔心子女沒有和同學或朋友一樣的球鞋及電子用品，在同儕團體矮人一截，即使負債也會想辦法滿足子女的需要，以免遭「品牌霸凌」（brand bulling）。
一位14歲的青少年告訴研究人員，不管你有沒有錢，都要裝得你有錢，你可能住在垃圾桶裡，但只要你有 iPod、黑莓機，你就可以被接受。
社會學家以今年8月初從倫敦爆發的暴力事件為例，那些參與放火打劫商家的暴徒，搶的物品都是平常買不起的手機、電視和電子用品，還有不少人搶球鞋及酒，藉此滿足虛榮心。
倫敦政經學院教授貝爾（Brian Bell）指出，倫敦金融業支付員工高薪，是造成貧富差距擴大的主因。
他在調查研究時發現，1998年金融業員工的平均薪資為15萬1000英鎊，是全國平均薪資的7.5倍，到了 2008年平均薪資提高到31萬4000英鎊，則是全國平均薪資的10倍。
貝爾說，金融業從業人員的待遇一向優渥，但改變的關鍵是紅利的發放。
金融危機爆發前，業績好的金融業員工或高級主管可以領到數百萬英鎊的紅利，他們將這些獎金投資房地產，炒樓的結果造成一般薪資民眾買不起房子，財富愈趨集中在少數人，惡性循環，貧富差距加劇。
英國聯合政府為解決預算赤字問題，延續工黨前政府提出對年薪超過15萬英鎊的高收入者，課徵50%所得稅，主張讓高收入者付出更多，但受到反彈，成效也被質疑。
多位學者都認為，貧富差距是根深柢固的嚴重社會問題，原因盤根錯結，非一夕可以解決，但政府如果放任不處理，將會有更多動搖社會秩序的憾事發生。
Rising energy bills causing fuel poverty deaths
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Charlene Franklin talks to Simon Gompertz about fuel poverty: "There have been times when I wouldn't eat two or three times in the week"
Thousands of people die each year from illnesses linked to fuel poverty, according to an independent report.
Professor John Hills has called for a new definition of the problem, which focuses on people with low incomes driven into poverty by high fuel bills.
His report found that in 2004, fuel-poor households faced a shortfall of £256 to heat their homes and avoid poverty, but in 2009 it was £402.
Recent bill increases may make the problem worse this year, he warned.
Fuel poverty gap
The government commissioned Prof Hills to examine how serious a problem fuel poverty is and how it should be measured.
He argues that fuel poverty poses serious public health and environmental issues.
His report is the first to measure the shortfall that some households face in heating their homes, which he calls the fuel poverty gap.
Further increases in bills since then are likely to have widened this gap, he warned.
DeathsThe report argued this shortfall had serious implications for health.
There are 27,000 extra deaths in the UK each winter compared to other times of year, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics. The report found most of this was due to cold weather.
That figure is one of the highest in Europe and worse than Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway and France.
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Prof John HillsThere are people dying, maybe more people die each year than on the roads”
Prof Hills drew on a seperate independent report - the Marmot review - which found that about one-fifth of these additional winter deaths occurred in the coldest quarter of homes, with further evidence suggesting a link between fuel poverty and cold homes.
And an expert meeting of the World Health Organization suggested that about half of winter deaths are due to cold indoor rather than cold outdoor temperatures.
This meant, the Hills report concluded, that an estimated 2,700 people die each year because of health conditions, such as respiratory infections or cardiovascular problems, linked to fuel poverty.
"It's a very serious problem," said Prof Hills. "There are people dying, maybe more people dying each year than die on the roads, it's a problem of hardship for low-income families who are having to pay out more when they've got hard-to-heat houses and it's a problem for countering climate change."
Low-income households are unable to invest in energy efficiency measures, hindering efforts both to reduce their bills and to lower UK carbon emissions.
Changing definitionHowever, Prof Hills found that the way we define fuel poverty may need to change.
By the old definition, a household was defined as being in fuel poverty if 10% of its income was spent on fuel each year.
The latest figures from the Department of Energy and Climate change suggested four million English households fitted into this category in 2009, in a sharp increase from 1.2 million in 2003.
Estimates from the Centre for Sustainable Energy suggest that number has risen to 5.5 million for England and an estimate of 6.6 million for the UK.
But Prof Hills suggests the current definition did not focus tightly enough on fuel poverty.
Instead, he suggested people be defined as fuel-poor only if their bills were relatively high and if paying those bills would push them below the poverty line.
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Derek Lickorish Fuel Poverty Advisory GroupInsulating the homes of the poor is the only long term and sustainable solution”
That would mean that in 2009, fewer people were classed as fuel-poor - 2.7 million in England.
However, the problem appears less variable, with roughly the same number categorised as fuel poor in 2003, more than double the estimate for that period on the current definition.
Government measuresThe government says it is already taking measures to tackle the issue.
It has recently announced the Warm Homes Discount on energy bills, which includes reductions of about £120 to the poorest pensioners in addition to winter fuel payments.
Energy suppliers are also obliged to offer free or reduced packages on home insulation to some high-risk groups, using money recouped from a charge on energy bills.
However, some government measures, such as the Warm Front Scheme designed to help insulate low-income homes, are due to end next year.
Derek Lickorish, chair of the Government's Fuel Poverty Advisory Group (FPAG), called the figures for the number of deaths due to fuel poverty a "disgrace".
"Insulating the homes of the fuel poor is the only long-term and sustainable solution to solving this problem, but they will need financial help to make this happen and this takes time. Urgent action must start today," he said.
An opposition debate on fuel bills is due to take place on Wednesday.
Can you afford to heat your home? Are you in fuel poverty? Do any of your friends or family members suffer as a result of rising energy costs? Send us your stories using the form below.