Poverty Line
Who are the poor?
- The poverty line is a government agreed dividing line separating those who are and are not poor.
- Hence the phrase: ‘living below the poverty line’
- The key UK government measures take 60% of median income as the poverty line (PSE, 2015).
- Those with less than 60% of median income are classified as poor.
This ‘poverty line’ is the agreed international measure used throughout the European Union (PSE, 2015)
- The UK has never had an official poverty line it has two semi-official poverty lines.
- The number of poor comes from the number of people claiming income support (welfare)
- Having 50% or less of disposable average income (the EU’s definition of poverty)
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