Poverty

Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity.

It is an act of justice. Nelson Mandela
Poverty is the mother of crime. Marcus Aurelius
The poor are poor because the rich are rich. Author Unknown

Poverty! What is that?

Poverty doesn't know your age, or the colour of your skin, he
doesn't even care about the poor state that you're in.
He doesn't want to know, if you're hungry, or you're cold, he just
keeps calm and quiet, while head bent you hold.
Many who have met him? are still with him today, not through
their own choices, but by him not giving way.
Desperately needing clothes or shoes, so into purse you peer, you'll
have to wait another week, or visit charities you fear.
He knows you've little money, and this he never defends, he knows
you'll have to borrow, from loan sharks, or from friends.
He doesn't even blink an eye, when you're worse off than before, he
swears, that it's your own fault, you must have known the score.

First of all;

A Definition

Write your own definition for

what you think poverty means
Try including some or all of these words;

needs

deprived (deprivation)
issue(s)
social

economic
human

First of all;

The Definition

Poverty is the lack of basic necessities that all

human beings must have: food and water,
shelter, education, medical care, security, etc. A
multi-dimensional issue, poverty exceeds all
social, economic, and political boundaries.

Poverty is a Third World

(LEDC) problem
For 3 minutes only;
Discuss with the
person sat next to you,
or reflect individually
upon, the statement
above

How many of you agree / disagree? Why?

Share some of your ideas with the group.

Todays Key Question;

To what extent
does poverty exist
in Britain?

Objectives for today;

To know & understand the distribution of poverty in
Britain.
To be able to explain the causes and consequences
of poverty.
To be aware of the notions of underclass and
poverty cycle.
To know the difference between relative, absolute
and extreme poverty.

The Three Forms of Poverty

Extreme poverty

Extreme poverty is a global problem experienced mainly in the

worlds least developed countries (LEDCs). The United Nations

state that 35% of the worlds population live in extreme
deprivation (poverty). This is when humans are not receiving the
basic necessities and so their lives are seriously at risk (i.e.
through malnutrition, disease, dehydration, starvation). The
continent of Africa (especially the central countries) experiences
the greatest proportion of extreme poverty in 2008.

Does extreme poverty

exist in Britain today?

Absolute poverty

Absolute poverty measures the total number of people living

below a certain income threshold (poverty line) or the

number of households unable to afford certain basic goods and

services.

Relative poverty

Relative poverty measures the extent to which a household's

financial resources falls below an average income threshold

for the economy. Although living standards and real incomes
have grown because of higher employment and sustained
economic growth over recent years, the gains in income and
wealth have been unevenly distributed across the population.

Britain has become a more unequal society over the last 2025 years. A report published in July 2001 found that inequality
had continued to grow during the first four years of the Labour
Government.

Copy out the paragraph below and fill the three

gaps in the quote below with the correct form
of poverty

In the UK bigger percentages have been poor

(_______ Poverty),
Poverty and poverty has been much
more severe (_______ Poverty),
Poverty in the past; but
because of the larger population today, more
people now live in poverty (_______ Poverty).
Poverty

In the UK bigger percentages have been poor

(Relative Poverty), and poverty has been much
more severe (Extreme Poverty), in the past; but
because of the larger population today, more
people now live in poverty (Absolute Poverty).

How is Relative poverty calculated?

Relative poverty is calculated as 60% of
median income after housing costs.
This is a measure of poverty used by most researchers, the EU
and the UK government. In 2006, the 60% threshold was
worth:

108 per week for single adult with no dependent children;

186 per week for a couple with no dependent children;
223 per week for a single adult with two dependent children;
301 per week for a couple with two dependent children.

Relative Poverty in the UK

compared to other MEDCs
Although the UK experiences slightly less poverty than the USA, we
have a significantly greater problem than any other major EU
economy

The Facts
You must know these for your exam

Poverty in the UK You need to get these facts into your notes

Nearly 13 million people live in poverty in the UK thats 1 in 5 !

3.9 million children in the UK are living in poverty

The proportion of children living in poverty grew from 1 in 10 in 1979 to 1 in 3 in 1998.

Today, 30% of children in Britain are living in poverty.

2.5 million pensioners in the UK are living in poverty.

Poverty among pensioners rose this year for the first time since 1998. What do you
think are the main causes?

7.6 million working age adults in the UK are living in poverty.

70% of Bangladeshi children in the UK are poor.

Reasons?

 Women are in the majority in the poorest groups.

- Why is this? Any ideas?

London has a higher proportion of people living in poverty

than any other region in the UK. Why? There is more than one answer
The UK has a higher proportion of its population living in
relative poverty than most other EU countries: of the 27 EU
countries, only 6 have a higher rate than the UK.

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.

Does this sound like Social Exclusion

(which you covered last lesson) ?

Epsom &
Ewell

- Describe the
distribution of UK poverty.

In less than 100 words

What are the patterns? Give some examples. Where do the

wealthy live? Where is Epsom & Ewell?

Use words including; uneven, urban, rural, inner

city, clustered, commuter belt

Poverty strips you of your dignity.

Poverty affects your self-esteem, your

confidence You feel totally powerless.

Now you need to get

your thinking hats on!
In pairs (or groups);

You need to think of the reasons why poverty can

still be such a major issue in the UK in 2008
We are an MEDC, a key G8 member, a lead state of the EU.
We have a free NHS, were hosting the 2012 Olympics, mobile phone
ownership is the highest in Europe.
We are Great Britain arent we???

And yet 1 in 5 residents exist below the Poverty Line!

WHY?
Between you, fill in a spider diagram like the one
on the next page with the main causes

?
10mins

?
Causes
of UK

Poverty
in 2008

Can you get 8 causes? Two

minds are stronger than one, so
get talking and thinking

How many did

you get?
The next slides explain the key
causes in some detail. You may
want to add them to your spider
diagram.

UNDERLYING CAUSES OF
POVERTY IN THE UK
1) Inequality in wages and earnings growth

Wages and earnings in some jobs have grown much faster than others. Workers in
industries such as business services, the financial sector and ICT are
enjoying fast growth, high profits and above-average increases in pay.
In contrast many public sector service jobs have seen a decline in relative pay levels.
Real earnings growth is fastest for those workers with high-level skills whose jobs are in
demand. The situation is worse for workers in traditional manufacturing where
employment has declined and real wages have fallen behind other jobs. The worst paid
jobs are still found in low-skill service sector industries - often where there is little trade
union protection.

2) Fuel Price increases

Home heating, including hot water. Petrol / diesel for cars. Massively increased in recent
years due to global natural resource depletion.

3) Higher levels of Unemployment

Unemployment is a key cause of poverty. Twice in the last twenty years we have seen
mass unemployment (recessions) in Britain and a large rise in relative poverty - the two
trends are connected.

4) The Current Global Recession

The recent global credit crunch has led to a worsening of UK unemployment

(particularly in areas of already low skills and high unemployment

5) Increase in Asylum Seeker immigrants into UK

Due predominantly to language barrier problems (English as a Second Language) many

new asylum seekers struggle to find employment and become impoverished

6) A high (growing) rate of Lone Parenthood

Children are increasingly expensive. Also due to the need to care for young children a
single parent will struggle to find the necessary time to fulfil a full time job

7) Falling relative incomes of those dependent on

State Benefits

State welfare benefits tend to rise in line with prices (index linked) rather than in
line with the growth of earnings of those in work. Therefore, households
dependent on welfare assistance see their relative incomes fall over time. The
problem of pensioner poverty is particularly acute for those totally dependent on
the basic state pension.

Several pressure groups including Age Concern are lobbying for a restoration of
the link between average earnings of people in work and the basic state retirement
pension. The Labour Government has not as yet acceded to their demands - the
financial cost of doing so is potentially huge.

8) The growing unskilled underclass

Products of the social Poverty Cycle where aspirations are low within a
community, or family, and over-reliance on state benefits is commonplace. Poor
educational standards in the area lead to poor qualifications which limit job
opportunities.

Take two minutes to

carefully read and
understand the next
slide

The Poverty Cycle (or Trap)

The poverty trap affects people on low incomes. It creates a
disincentive to look for work or work longer hours because of
the effects of the tax and benefits system. For example, a
worker might be given the opportunity to earn an extra 50 a
week by working ten additional hours. This boost to his/her
gross income is reduced by an increase in income tax and
national insurance contributions. The individual may also lose
some income-related state benefits. The combined effects of
this might be to take away over 70% of a rise in income,
leaving little in the way of extra net or disposable income.
Most UK residents caught in the trap are born into families
with low aspirations and live in regions of social & economic
deprivation where there are few opportunities.

Got it?

Sure youve got it?

OK. In your own words,

define Poverty
Cycle
Cycle

Everyone has the right to a standard of living

adequate for the health and well-being of
him/(her)self and his/(her) family, including food,
clothing, housing and medical care and necessary
social services... Everyone has the right to
education.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP

THIS RULE HAPPEN?
Any ideas or solutions???

Our historic aim will be for ours to be the

first generation to end child poverty. It is
a 20 year mission, but I believe it can be
done.
Tony Blair (As Prime Minister, March 1999)

Child poverty is a scar on Britains soul

Gordon Brown
(When Chancellor of the Exchequer, Autumn 1999)

What is the government doing about it?

Tony Blair set out his commitment to ending child poverty within
a generation. Since 1999, when the current Government pledged
to end child poverty, 600,000 children have been lifted out of
poverty. The numbers of those living in poverty have started to
decline over recent years. But there is still some way to go to
make a significant impact on the dramatic increase in poverty and
inequality in the UK since the late 1970s.
As the Labour government has started to recognise, one of the
crucial ingredients in tackling poverty is public support.
Recognition and understanding amongst the general public of the
seriousness of the problem, and a determination to do something
about it, will be essential to a sustainable long-term strategy
to eradicate poverty in the UK.

Objectives for today;

To know & understand the distribution of poverty in
Britain.
To be able to explain the causes and consequences
of poverty.
To be aware of the notions of underclass and
poverty cycle.
To know the difference between relative, absolute
and extreme poverty.

These Objectives are taken straight from the

Syllabus for your January exam

Objectives for today;

To know & understand the distribution of poverty in
Britain.
To be able to explain the causes and consequences
of poverty.
To be aware of the notions of underclass and
poverty cycle.
To know the difference between relative, absolute
and extreme poverty.
Be honest Could you now write about the
issue of Poverty in the UK?
If you dont feel confident, now is the time to
ask!