What does poverty in the UK mean in practice?
Material poverty Poverty means not having enough money to pay for the things you need. From Oxfam’s experience of working with people living in poverty we know that this may involve families and individuals not having enough to eat, being unable to heat their homes, not having adequate warm clothing, and not having enough money to cope with unforeseen events, such as the need to repair a broken washing machince. The 2004/5 Family Resources Survey, published by the Department for Work and Pension, reports that: 60% of people on low incomes say they are unable to make savings of £10 a month;10% cannot afford two pairs of all-weather shoes for each adult in the family; 30% cannot afford household contents insurance; and nearly 30% are unable to have friends or family round for a meal once a months. Powerlessness Another feature of poverty in the UK is a feeling of powerlessness and not having a say in the decisions that affect your life. The everyday experience of many of those on low inc
