| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line 13:33 - Jan 7 with 17490 views | blueasfook |
That's a staggering (and shameful) 21% of the population. Absolutely disgraceful for one of the world's leading economies. |  |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:34 - Jan 7 with 7357 views | reusersfreekicks |
Is that relative poverty or absolute?
Where is the stat from pls |  | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:44 - Jan 7 with 7258 views | leitrimblue |
It is feck1n shocking. But never mind that,stop the boats or some other bullsh1te |  | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:44 - Jan 7 with 7257 views | reusersfreekicks |
Cheers
Looks like a relative measure and a consequence of growing inequality in the UK as in much of the world.
Then again any prospective govt saying they will equalise income more via taxes does not get voted in and the super rich threaten they will leave
Greed is good!!! [Post edited 7 Jan 13:45]
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:48 - Jan 7 with 7225 views | blueasfook |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:44 - Jan 7 by reusersfreekicks |
Cheers
Looks like a relative measure and a consequence of growing inequality in the UK as in much of the world.
Then again any prospective govt saying they will equalise income more via taxes does not get voted in and the super rich threaten they will leave
Greed is good!!! [Post edited 7 Jan 13:45]
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Well it does certainly seem to back up the statement that the gap between rich and poor is growing. Ermmm... regarding your second sentence, didnt Labour promise they would take more tax from the richest sectors of society? So far, they've just gone after pensioners and students. | |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 14:02 - Jan 7 with 7170 views | OldFart71 |
Agreed. It is a scandal and it brings into question why we give aid to Countries like India when we are the firth richest and they are the fourth richest in the World. May I say I am not against wealth and many who are wealthy keep millions in work and provide taxes for Government. Unfortunately we have had glutenous greed by many running Companies where bonuses and wages to those at the top have gone beyond what is considered fair whilst some of these Companies such as Water haven't been doing the job they are paid to do. I do believe current Governmental policies will make the situation worse in the short term. Whether in the long term things will improve I don't know as there are many arguments surrounding these policies. one thing is for sure and that is those that are wealthy will not suffer. |  | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 14:53 - Jan 7 with 7043 views | bsw72 |
That’s old data, and I would be interested to understand what definition of poverty line is being used.
The standard uk definition is 60% of the median income, which is the middle income of the UK population. The median salary in the UK is £37,340, so the poverty line is set at £22k.
While £22k is low, not sure that is my definition of the word poverty, which is a very powerful and emotive term when used without understanding the underlying definitions. |  | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 15:43 - Jan 7 with 6882 views | reusersfreekicks |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 14:53 - Jan 7 by bsw72 |
That’s old data, and I would be interested to understand what definition of poverty line is being used.
The standard uk definition is 60% of the median income, which is the middle income of the UK population. The median salary in the UK is £37,340, so the poverty line is set at £22k.
While £22k is low, not sure that is my definition of the word poverty, which is a very powerful and emotive term when used without understanding the underlying definitions. |
Good post cheers
Poverty is defined so differently in so many ways | | | |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 15:45 - Jan 7 with 6872 views | reusersfreekicks |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:48 - Jan 7 by blueasfook |
Well it does certainly seem to back up the statement that the gap between rich and poor is growing. Ermmm... regarding your second sentence, didnt Labour promise they would take more tax from the richest sectors of society? So far, they've just gone after pensioners and students. |
Labour had to pledge not to raise income tax or individual NI as otherwise the tabloids would go berserk and they wouldn't have got in.
Can't have it both ways | | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 15:47 - Jan 7 with 6856 views | You_Bloo_Right |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 14:53 - Jan 7 by bsw72 |
That’s old data, and I would be interested to understand what definition of poverty line is being used.
The standard uk definition is 60% of the median income, which is the middle income of the UK population. The median salary in the UK is £37,340, so the poverty line is set at £22k.
While £22k is low, not sure that is my definition of the word poverty, which is a very powerful and emotive term when used without understanding the underlying definitions. |
I usually turn to the JRF for this sort of thing:
https://www.jrf.org.uk/uk-poverty-2024-the-essential-guide-to-understanding-pove |  |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 15:52 - Jan 7 with 6828 views | NedPlimpton |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 14:53 - Jan 7 by bsw72 |
That’s old data, and I would be interested to understand what definition of poverty line is being used.
The standard uk definition is 60% of the median income, which is the middle income of the UK population. The median salary in the UK is £37,340, so the poverty line is set at £22k.
While £22k is low, not sure that is my definition of the word poverty, which is a very powerful and emotive term when used without understanding the underlying definitions. |
The definition of the word is 'the state of being poor'
I don't know about you but trying to pay rent, food, bills etc on 22k a year would probably make someone feel poor
I get where you're coming from and it is all relative, but the focus should be on the growing gap in wealth inequality rather than getting hung up on definitions |  | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 16:20 - Jan 7 with 6722 views | bsw72 |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 15:52 - Jan 7 by NedPlimpton |
The definition of the word is 'the state of being poor'
I don't know about you but trying to pay rent, food, bills etc on 22k a year would probably make someone feel poor
I get where you're coming from and it is all relative, but the focus should be on the growing gap in wealth inequality rather than getting hung up on definitions |
My point was not about the definition of the word, but how the poverty line is an over-simplified definition for the ease of statistical analysis - and therefore being below the "poverty line" of £22K is very different for a single 25 year old compared to a married couple with 2 young children, yet both households are reportedly below the line . . .
Wealth inequality and being below the poverty line are related concepts but they represent different challenges and have distinct implications.
While wealth inequality focuses on the disparities in wealth distribution across society, being below the poverty line specifically addresses the challenges faced by individuals and families who lack the financial resources to *meet their basic needs* - this cannot be measured accuately by a simple income figure without factoring in other socioeconomic characteristics.
Both issues are interconnected, as wealth inequality can contribute to higher rates of poverty, as it potentially pushes up the median salary which pushes up the poverty line, but they require different approaches and solutions to address their unique challenges. | | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 17:30 - Jan 7 with 6586 views | WD19 |
Wait until you realise that more or less half of the population are below average. It should never be allowed to happen in the 21st century. |  | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 17:44 - Jan 7 with 6525 views | BlueBadger |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 14:02 - Jan 7 by OldFart71 |
Agreed. It is a scandal and it brings into question why we give aid to Countries like India when we are the firth richest and they are the fourth richest in the World. May I say I am not against wealth and many who are wealthy keep millions in work and provide taxes for Government. Unfortunately we have had glutenous greed by many running Companies where bonuses and wages to those at the top have gone beyond what is considered fair whilst some of these Companies such as Water haven't been doing the job they are paid to do. I do believe current Governmental policies will make the situation worse in the short term. Whether in the long term things will improve I don't know as there are many arguments surrounding these policies. one thing is for sure and that is those that are wealthy will not suffer. |
Foreign aid is not what is keeping people(and by extension, the country) poor. A lack of infrastructure, affordable housing, healthcare, education and an obsessive focus on making cuts, offering tax breaks to the wealthiest and demonising the most vulnerable in society from 2010 to 2024(?) are far more to blame. [Post edited 7 Jan 23:18]
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 17:48 - Jan 7 with 6499 views | Swansea_Blue |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:44 - Jan 7 by leitrimblue |
It is feck1n shocking. But never mind that,stop the boats or some other bullsh1te |
I wish I could upvote this more |  |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 17:56 - Jan 7 with 6474 views | DJR |
This is a link to a House of Commons Library research briefing about poverty from last year.
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN07096/SN07096.pdf
• Relative low income: This refers to people living in households with
income below 60% of the median in that year.
• Absolute low income: This refers to people living in households with
income below 60% of median income in a base year, usually 2010/11.
This measurement is adjusted for inflation.
Median income is the point at which half of households have lower income
and half have higher income. Income can be measured before or after
housing costs are deducted.
It shows that in 2022/23, 11.4 million people were living in households with relative low income before housing costs, and 9.5 million in households with absolute low income. After housing costs, the respective figures are 14.3 million and 12 million.
The report includes at the end some alternative measures of poverty.
And of course, people can quibble about the methods of measurement, but I am just glad I don't fall within these statistics, and sympathise with those that do. [Post edited 7 Jan 18:04]
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 17:58 - Jan 7 with 6456 views | Swansea_Blue |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 14:53 - Jan 7 by bsw72 |
That’s old data, and I would be interested to understand what definition of poverty line is being used.
The standard uk definition is 60% of the median income, which is the middle income of the UK population. The median salary in the UK is £37,340, so the poverty line is set at £22k.
While £22k is low, not sure that is my definition of the word poverty, which is a very powerful and emotive term when used without understanding the underlying definitions. |
If that's a household income, then it's probably at the point where decisions between eating and heating have to be made (especially if there are kids in the house). A mortgage or rent of ~£1k/month and energy bills of ~£160/month would leave £150 per week for everything else. Not a lot, especially if that job has a commute.
I couldn't run a household on £22k/yr. But absolutely, it's not in the same league as people who have literally nothing or maybe just a shack to live in. But it's still not pleasant. If you're working hard and struggling to get by, people can probably rightly wonder what the point is. You need an income to cope with the costs that exist in the society you live in. | |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:07 - Jan 7 with 6400 views | blueasfook |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 17:44 - Jan 7 by BlueBadger |
Foreign aid is not what is keeping people(and by extension, the country) poor. A lack of infrastructure, affordable housing, healthcare, education and an obsessive focus on making cuts, offering tax breaks to the wealthiest and demonising the most vulnerable in society from 2010 to 2024(?) are far more to blame. [Post edited 7 Jan 23:18]
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Let's see if things are drastically better in 4 years time. I doubt they will be. Starmer has already pushed more pensioners and students into poverty. But hey, junior doctors already on 40k salaries got a nice pay rise so there's that. | |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:16 - Jan 7 with 6359 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:48 - Jan 7 by blueasfook |
Well it does certainly seem to back up the statement that the gap between rich and poor is growing. Ermmm... regarding your second sentence, didnt Labour promise they would take more tax from the richest sectors of society? So far, they've just gone after pensioners and students. |
If you are taking the Labour government to blame for that stat, you are clearly not thinking that data through.
See also for example: Conservatives "we need a public inquiry into grooming gangs" forgetting that they didn't implement any of the recommendations of the independent inquiry they held. |  |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:19 - Jan 7 with 6341 views | DJR |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:16 - Jan 7 by Nthsuffolkblue |
If you are taking the Labour government to blame for that stat, you are clearly not thinking that data through.
See also for example: Conservatives "we need a public inquiry into grooming gangs" forgetting that they didn't implement any of the recommendations of the independent inquiry they held. |
They had 14 years to call one too. | | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:30 - Jan 7 with 6287 views | WeWereZombies |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 17:58 - Jan 7 by Swansea_Blue |
If that's a household income, then it's probably at the point where decisions between eating and heating have to be made (especially if there are kids in the house). A mortgage or rent of ~£1k/month and energy bills of ~£160/month would leave £150 per week for everything else. Not a lot, especially if that job has a commute.
I couldn't run a household on £22k/yr. But absolutely, it's not in the same league as people who have literally nothing or maybe just a shack to live in. But it's still not pleasant. If you're working hard and struggling to get by, people can probably rightly wonder what the point is. You need an income to cope with the costs that exist in the society you live in. |
£22k was quoted by the BBC a couple of years ago as a comfortable income for a pensioner but, as you say, for a household of more than one it looks inadequate. And even if the pensioner receives that (roughly twice the state pension) but does not own their own home then they are probably pushed into tough choices due to the disproportionately high costs of rent or mortgage. In my opinion it is this issue that is wrecking lives whether one is a member of a working family, a pensioner or a student. |  |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:39 - Jan 7 with 6269 views | NeverSayDie |
Have I misread, or is that article dated 2018? |  | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:53 - Jan 7 with 6245 views | You_Bloo_Right |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:39 - Jan 7 by NeverSayDie |
Have I misread, or is that article dated 2018? |
It is indeed.
The JRF report I linked earlier, published a year ago, has 14.4m people in poverty and also usefully includes definitions of the various poverty levels it reports on. | |
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| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:57 - Jan 7 with 6237 views | Freddies_Ears |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 13:48 - Jan 7 by blueasfook |
Well it does certainly seem to back up the statement that the gap between rich and poor is growing. Ermmm... regarding your second sentence, didnt Labour promise they would take more tax from the richest sectors of society? So far, they've just gone after pensioners and students. |
Plus quite a bit of additional Inheritance Tax. There was more of a fuss about that than anything else. Removing winter fuel allowance from wealthier households was also a way of hitting the better-off.
UK inequality has grown more than anywhere other than the USA. And I fear it is going to get worse as the ultra-rich assert yet more influence on politics. | | | |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 22:04 - Jan 7 with 6029 views | NeverSayDie |
| 14 million people in the UK live below the poverty line on 18:53 - Jan 7 by You_Bloo_Right |
It is indeed.
The JRF report I linked earlier, published a year ago, has 14.4m people in poverty and also usefully includes definitions of the various poverty levels it reports on. |
The aspects that slap me in the face about this (poverty) are the irregularity with which these sorts of reports are produced by Government and the fact that they are all (Government and otherwise) caveated by the fact that there is no universally accepted definition of “poverty”. It’s not a surprise to me that the morally bankrupt politicians aren’t clamouring to keep regular, accurate records on this topic, it reflects too readily on the outcome of their policies on the poorest of our population, but staggering nonetheless, it’s 2024. [Post edited 7 Jan 22:05]
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