In his final report to the UN, Philip Alston, the former Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and...
Poverty measurement
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28/02/2013
Material deprivation among older people
A broader poverty measure is needed for older people that looks beyond low income, according to research published by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Two linked pieces of research look at material deprivation among older people. The first study provides in-depth quantitative analysis of the material deprivation and low income experiences of older people, based on Family Resources Survey (FRS) data. The second is a qualitative study comprising 29 in-depth interviews with pensioners aged 65 and over, exploring the non-income factors that 'push down’ or 'pull up’ their material circumstances across four categories: basic needs, dealing with financial shocks, housing needs and meeting social needs.
Category: Reports -
08/02/2013
Over 2 million children ‘missing’ from poverty count
Nearly 1 in 5 children who are living materially deprived lives – 2.3 million in total – are excluded from the government's headline measure of relative income poverty, according to a report from the Policy Exchange think tank. This, it says, is despite the £170 billion spent between 2003 and 2010 on financial support for the poorest households with children.
Category: Reports -
30/01/2013
Child poverty caused by drugs and alcohol, say public
As many as nine out of ten people say children can be described as living in poverty if their parents are addicted to drugs or alcohol, according to an opinion survey carried out for the government. This is more than the proportion who say lack of money is a factor in child poverty.
The results come from a survey carried out in December 2012 by GfK NOP. 967 people were contacted by telephone. They were asked the question: 'Could you please tell me how important you think each of the following are when deciding whether someone is growing up in poverty?' (followed by a list of 12 options, of which people could pick up to four).
Category: Reports -
28/01/2013
Income needs of older pensioners ‘same as others’
Older pensioners do not have fewer needs compared with younger pensioners, a Joseph Rowntree Foundation study has found – contrary to suggestions that because they lead more restricted lives they also have reduced financial needs.
Category: Reports -
21/01/2013
‘Strong link’ between social capital and poverty
There is a strong association between social capital and household economic well-being, especially as far as poverty perception is concerned, according to a new Italian research paper.
The paper looks at official European Union data sources, focusing on two sets of variables: one serving as a proxy for community and household social capital endowment, and a supplementary set describing household economic well-being.
Category: Reports -
31/12/2012
Global poverty ‘as high as 1.5 billion’
Over one-fifth of the world's population – some 1.5 billion people – live in poverty according to national poverty measures, says a United Nations think-tank study. This is significantly higher than the extent of poverty arrived at using international poverty measures.
Category: Reports -
05/12/2012
Search for ‘consistent’ measure of poverty
Measures of material deprivation, rather than low income, are particularly effective in identifying individuals at risk of multiple forms of deprivation, according to a paper from the LSE's Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion.
The paper critically examines a proposal for a 'consistent poverty' measure (put forward by researchers in Dublin) in which low income and material deprivation are given an equal weight.
Category: Reports -
28/11/2012
Model aims to capture dimensions of poverty
A 'pioneering' new model has been launched to capture the different ways poverty hits a range of household types. The Demos think tank stresses that poverty is not just about income, but is a 'complex, multi-dimensional phenomenon' manifesting itself in a variety of ways.
Category: Reports -
15/11/2012
Controversial plan for new measure of child poverty
The government has launched a consultation on proposals to alter the official measure of child poverty. It says it wants to look at developing a wider measurement than one based solely on income. Looking at relative income in isolation is 'misleading', it argues.
In addition to income and material deprivation, the consultation document suggests the following dimensions for inclusion in a new measure of child poverty:
Category: Reports -
11/10/2012
Improved measures of material deprivation in EU
Improvements have been proposed in the way material deprivation is measured in European Union countries. The changes are designed to aid the monitoring of social objectives at both national and EU levels.
Researchers have put forward a new material deprivation indicator for the whole EU population, and also a child-specific indicator (for those aged 1–15). Their work draws on data collected in the 2009 wave of EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions). 'Material deprivation' is based on the affordability of a selection of items (goods or services) considered to be necessary or desirable for people to have an 'acceptable' standard of living in the country where they live.
Category: Reports
