Poverty and Inequality in the uk!

Poverty in the uk facts and figures

Poverty needs to be understood in relation to typical living standards.

Income poverty

A widely used measure of poverty is where household income is below 60 percent of the median uk income after housing costs have been paid. Every year the government publishes a survey of income poverty in the uk. HBAI is households below average income

The hbai survey shows that 13.4 million people in the uk are income poor. Of those 13.4 million people:

53 percent of these are in households which include at least one child

32 percent of these are in households of people of working age without children

15 percent are in pensioner households.

Poverty Line

Household type	Household income £ per week
Single person	119
Couple	206
Lone parents with 2 children	247
Couple with 2 children above 5	333

Causes of poverty are inadequate income

Unemployment

Low wages

Inadequate benefits

Who Lives In Poverty

Some groups of people have a much greater than average risk of experiencing income poverty.

Unemployed adults

Bangledeshi people

Black people

The group least likely to be in poverty are couples both working full time!

The impact of poverty

Poverty makes people lives shorter and more brutal than they need to be. Poverty is not simply about being on a low income and going without. It is also being denied power, respect, good health, education and housing, basic self esteem, and the ability to participate in social activities. 

The impact of social participation

Poverty isolates people, reducing there ability to engage in social and community life. In a study comparing the poorest 5^th of household, poorer children had fewer opportunities for activities and entertaining friends.

How can we end child poverty

The government has pledged to half child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020, but it is unlikely they will manage it!

Ten steps for ending child poverty

Protect jobs, mend the safety net, move away from means tests, remove barriers to work, stop in poverty , put in place a child first strategy, end the classroom divide, provide fair public services, end poverty .

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