According to Oxfam:
How many people in the UK live in poverty?
Just under 1 in 4 people in the UK � or nearly 13 million people � live in poverty, according to the latest figures. This includes nearly 1 in 3 children (almost 4 million).
How were these figures calculated?
Poverty is measured here as below 60 per cent of contemporary median net disposable income in 2000/01. This is the �poverty line� which has been accepted recently across the European Union to measure the extent of poverty in member states.
These figures don�t mean very much by themselves -- they only refer to low incomes relative to the rest of the population in the UK.
What kinds of poverty are people living in?
One recent survey showed that about 6.5 million adults go without essential clothing, such as a warm waterproof coat, because of lack of money.
Over 10.5 million people live in financial insecurity: they can�t afford to save, insure their house contents, or spend even small amounts on themselves. About 9.5 million can�t afford adequate housing � heated, free from damp, and in a decent state of decoration.
We also know what a dark shadow poverty casts, particularly over children�s lives and their futures. Eighteen per cent of children go without two or more items that the majority of the population says are necessities, such as adequate clothing, toys, or three meals a day.
One in five non-working families on low or moderate incomes reported being unable to afford some basic food items on most days in 2000.
Children from poor homes are more likely to die as a baby or a child, and have lower life expectancy overall. They also have a greater likelihood of bad health, a greater risk of unemployment, and a lower chance of high educational achievement.