-+Defining+Poverty

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In the United Kingdom, the government defines poverty as "household income below 60 percent of median income" This means that you make less then 60 percent of what the people in the middle of the income distribution gets. In 2009 the threshold of 60 percent was worth £119 (NOK 1050) a week for a single person, £206 (NOK 1825) for a couple, £247 (NOK 2190) a week for a lone parent with two children and £333 (NOK 2950) a week for two adults with two children. This amount of money is after payments such as taxes, insurance, mortgage and rent have been acounted for, so it is the money left for spending. (1)

Poverty of today is divided into three different definitions: relative poverty, absoloute poverty and social exclusion. > **Absolute poverty** is defined as the lack of sufficient resources with which to keep body and soul together. > **Relative poverty** defines income or resources in relation to the average. It is concerned with the absence of the material needs to participate fully in accepted daily life. > **Social exclusion** is a new term used by the Government. The Prime Minister described social exclusion as "…a shorthand label for what can happen when individuals or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, bad health and family breakdown". > (House of Commons Scottish Affairs) ﻿ ﻿(2)

These definitions are the ones used by the House of Commons Scottish Affairs, and what this wiki is based on. In this article the ones in focus is absolute poverty and relative poverty. Another important term is "Child poverty", this is hard to define, but it means that a child is brought up in poor conditions because of its family's poverty. (3) This article will look at this problem as well.

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