Claim: Just 15% of people who begin low-paid work in the UK will rise out of low pay during their working lives. This is the worst rate in the developed world.
Fact-check: Sir Iain Duncan Smith is wrong to say that only 15% of people ever move above low pay - Full Fact
Verdict: this claim is based on eu data from 2004-2011 showing the proportion of workers moving upwards from any skill level over four years, not in their lifetimes. the same data shows 35-40% of people rising out of low pay in the uk over a four-year period. the uk's rate is low compared with other eu countries, but not the lowest.
Organisation: Full Fact
Author: Leo Benedictus
Date published: 2020-02-03T00:00:00