Define poverty

[Coldicote]

In the current financial crisis there are many references to poverty and in particular to the prospect of thousands more children falling into poverty. Does any know what definition of poverty is being used in this context and why is the emphasis on children. The problems also affects parents.

[jno]

A family is considered to be officially poor if they are living on less than 60% of Britain's median (average) level of household income.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4788270.stm

So it's relative.. which isn't much help as someone's got to be poorest

[LazyGun]

Here is a definition of sorts - pretty sure I have also read somewhere that poverty is defined as less than 50% of the average weekly wage.

The reason child poverty is of especial interest lies in the fact that children can do very little to address their own circumstances, and have had no say in being born into poverty in the first place.

A measure of how civilised a society is is how well they treat the least able, the weakest, the most helpless within their society - child poverty falls squarely into this bracket.

http://www.barnardos....y_what_is_poverty.htm

[237SJ]

Poverty is nation subjective as well. Ever been to India and observed children picking over rubbish tips, looking for something to eat/sell to passing motorists at road junctions?

[owdhamer]

Poverty is when your whippet starts chewihg your cloth cap through hunger

[Old_Geezer]

When one uses an average of all your national incomes then you have little chance of lifting everyone out of poverty. It is a foolish measure to use. But what does one expect?

[jno]

I suppose it's about the only measure that makes any sense, though, OG. £50,000 a year may be a fortune in Cornwall and penury in Chelsea; so the only way to set a nationwide standard is to measure it against another one.

Ah to be in Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average.

[Coldicote]

Interesting answers here thank you. This seems to me an area where the media could do more to identify what they are talking about.

[Old_Geezer]

A better measure would be to define that which is deemed a necessity in your society, and that which are luxuries, and calculate the income required to achieve all the necessities.

[askyourgran]

The children can't do anything to help their situation. I hate to see some 'poor' families who seem to be able to afford gold chains and have tattoos all over their bodies smoking endless cigs. Not all parents are like that of course some are genuinely afraid their families will be split by divorce or crime because of the poverty trap.

[scotman]

"Ah to be in Lake Wobegon,"

Nice one.

Given the variation in regional wealth it would seem to me to be more relevant to address poverty in relation to a minimum wage.

[pa___ul3]

I personally think a different term should be used as calling it poverty, to me, devalues the term when considering real poverty i.e. that in India / East Africa etc.
Calling it poverty just seems to serve sensationalism.

[ladybirder]

I agree pa___ul3, I think that every time I hear the word used.

[sandyRoe]

Would most people living on benefits here in the UK have a level of income that meant they were classified as living in poverty?

[keyplus90]

Rich - Has everything from basic necessities to luxuries and has more than what is needed to survive.

Middle Class – Has almost all of the basic necessities but very few luxuries.

Poor – Do not even have basic necessities to survive and luxuries are a word from dreams.

[starone]

I would like you all to go back to the thirties depression to see what real poverty was like. Boys - Patches in the only pair of trousers you have (or holes), no pants (what are pants?) cardboard in your shoes to try and keep out some of the wet (hopeless), socks (if you have them) full of holes or darns and held together by dirt. Girls - one dress which is washed, dried and worn again even if it is a bit damp, same as the boys with socks and shoes. Perhaps two pairs of knickers. You could only change once a week. I shudder to think what I smelled like, but since everyone else in the neighbourhood was the same you didn't notice. My parents must have been desperate although they never showed it. My father was jubilant when he found potatoes growing on the tip and dug them up to go with our dinner. My mother could make a stew out of bones begged from the butcher "for the dog" which we didn't have. Sorry about the rant but when I see stories about other countries it makes me mad that we went through the same sort of life but were ignored. The only time I had a new pair of shoes was when the charity which we called "the Lord Mayor's Shoes" handed them out to us and then I got a boys style and some of the boys had girls shoes. I give up, I really do!

[Coldicote]

I hope MPs, press etc. might be made aware of these comments and realise the need to be more specific when they speak of poverty. Without clarification it can be difficult to take what they say seriously.

[Meg888]

I have been poor, whereby all of my monthly income was at one point being spent paying bills and inflated mortgage payments, and I could barely survive, literally scraping the back of the sofa for loose change - even walking the 3 miles to work as I had no busfare. My daughter, never knew this - somehow, she was always fed, and clothed. My sister went through a similar phase years ago when she had her young boy. We borrowed to get by and it was shameful at the time but thankfully we both managed to get ourselves out of this rut. Now neither of our children recall those desperate times. As long as parents, no matter how little money they have can keep their children fed and warm - most kids are oblivious to it. I wouldn't class this as poverty though - desperate, unhappy times. But IMO real poverty is having no home, no food and no way out of it. I'm not sure how the government can bleat on about poverty, when they keep most scroungers in a very comfortable lifestyle, but those who work are struggling to make ends meet with little or no help at all from the government.

[piggynose]

So am i poor? i barely earn enough to pay for rent and food etc. some months i walk to work as i cant afford public transport. my bank account rarely exceeds 100 euros. always book hols well in advance, stay in very cheap hotels. i rarely drink. by the way not complaining, quite happy actually. cant afford internet at home, always go to cheap bars, buy a cheap coffee, get hours of free internet.

[Coldicote]

I have some recollection of a lady politician years ago declaring that there was no poverty in this country. Not sure now who she was but it is probably as true today as it was then.