And as house prices gather momento

mobfant

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I can't really agree with that statement.

We have a society where almost everyone is significantly better off than they used to be decades ago, but more people are classed as being 'in poverty'.

Because poverty is a relative measurement, not a measurement of whether or not people are actually poor.

In the recent recession poverty actually decreased. Not because the poor had any more money. But because although the income of poor people was reduced, the income of rich people was reduced by more.

Everyone got poorer, but poverty 'decreased'.

Not a very good statistic really......

Poverty has to be a relative measurement to have any relevance. We're all better off than 40 years ago, but then we (and they) are better off than 40 years before that, and so on. As economies grow, expectations and quality of life rise, therefore so does what we would define as a a basic standard of living and what are/are not essentials.

Loughton_Monkey

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I can't really agree with that statement.

We have a society where almost everyone is significantly better off than they used to be decades ago, but more people are classed as being 'in poverty'.

Because poverty is a relative measurement, not a measurement of whether or not people are actually poor.

In the recent recession poverty actually decreased. Not because the poor had any more money. But because although the income of poor people was reduced, the income of rich people was reduced by more.

Everyone got poorer, but poverty 'decreased'.

Not a very good statistic really......

Absolutely correct. I find use of the word "poverty" in the UK is a pathetic word to describe 'jealousy'.

In any non-communist economy, it is completely impossible NOT to have 40% of people (or households) that bring home <60% of median income. It's a statistical fact.

It's the same thinking that had me in "fuel poverty" for the first 5 years of my retirement before I started drawing one of my occupational pensions. My outgoings on gas & electricity far exceeded 10% of my virtually zero income - since I lived off capital.

There will always be people earning less than others. Reasons include poor education, idleness, bad luck, lack of ambition, bad life choices, too many children......

In any case, a 'poor' lifestyle is not totally linked to income itself. Take any cut-off point (let's say the £322 a week for 2-kid families)... and I guarantee that there are some such families on £300 net a week who live quite comfortably albeit not luxuriously. While on the other hand, a family with £350 net income could well be bleating every minute of the day about how it's impossible to feed 2 kids on £32.75 a week - because they blow the bulk of it on fags, booze, bingo, and Wonga loan interest.

..... and gin & tonic!