Family Early Help
Definitions of Poverty
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) define poverty like this:
Different Levels of Poverty
JRF identify 3 different levels of poverty, set out in this infographic:
There are also different ways to measure poverty:
- relative income poverty, where households have less than 60% of today's median income (median means the middle value)
- absolute income poverty, where a household’s income is less than 60% of the median as it stood in 2011
- material deprivation, where a household can't afford certain essential items and activities
- destitution, where a household can't afford basics such as shelter, heating and clothing
The Relative Nature of Poverty
Child Poverty Action Group Make the point that poverty is relative (the nature of poverty changes depending on the context). CPAG use this description:
"Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack resources to obtain the type of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged and approved, in the societies in which they belong."
CPAG say that you are poor if you are unable to live at the standard that most other people would expect. For example, a child can have three meals a day, warm clothes and go to school, but still be poor because her parents don’t have enough money to ensure she can live in a warm home, have access to a computer to do her homework, or go on the same school trips as her classmates.
In-Work Poverty
72 per cent of children living in poverty have at least one parent in work.Low-wages, the high cost of childcare and part-time work all conspire to reduce incomes. Many low-paid jobs offer no opportunities to progress to better work and better wages. Others are insecure, with unpredictable hours and incomes. It is entirely possible for both parents to be working full time and not make enough money to pay for basic essential items.
Poverty in Camden and London
43% of Camden live in poverty (compared to 37% in London). 30% of children live in homes with low income. 6 wards in Camden have an average annual household income of less than £20,000. Camden has the 2nd highest pay inequality in London.
76% of children in poverty in London are in working families. This has increased from 52% a decade ago. 81% of children in workless families in London are in poverty.
Camden has some of the least affordable housing in London. 48% of children live in social rented, 31% in owner occupied and 21% in private rented.The poverty rate for people in the private-rented sector is 37%, compared to 24% for owner occupiers.
A privately renting couple with 2 children in Camden needs a minimum income 52% higher than the national minimum income standard.
file:///C:/Users/CAMBD030/Downloads/Knowing_20Our_20Communities_20LATEST%20(1).pdf
https://www.trustforlondon.org.uk/data/populations/children/
Further Reading About Poverty
You can read more about poverty from Joseph Rowntree Foundation here
https://www.jrf.org.uk/our-work/what-is-poverty
and more about child poverty from the Child Poverty Action Group here
https://cpag.org.uk/child-poverty/what-poverty
and our Poverty Proofing Our Practice webinar slide pack is here
