Keeping healthy on a minimum wage: is not easy in the United Kingdom

The national minimum wage was a flagship policy of the United Kingdom's Labour party during the 1997 election campaign—a century after Fabians Sidney and Beatrice Webb first advanced the idea. From April 1999 the policy set a main minimum wage of £3.60 per hour for those aged 22 and older and a lower rate of £3.00 for those aged 18-21. Reviewed annually, the main rate now stands at £5.05 and the youth rate at £4.25 per hour. People aged 25 or over and working at least 30 hours a week can also receive working tax credits after means testing. Has the policy reduced poverty and, in turn, improved public health?