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[davywavy]

Amongst the comments to my earlier post, several people have raised questions about the definitions of poverty and their validity; especially that covered by Oxfam, which defines poverty as less than 60 of the national median disposable income.

According to the national office of statistics, after rent, bills and necessities are paid, this figure is £194 per week per household. If you're living on less than that, Oxfam says you're living in poverty; they don't appear to differentiate between households of people living alone and households with a dozen squalling children crammed into the front room because, as we all know, there's no difference in living costs between the two.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

That's us, David! We're officially poor! Right-ho, here goes

Dear David's readers,

This year, let's all help to "Make Poverty History."
Armbands whose sale will go to a fairer redistribution of the world's wealth can be obtained from this Livejournal, price £10 each. [note to David, I'll run these up from old yoghurt cartons if you deal with the distribution side, we'll split the proceeds*] And you too can do your bit towards eradicating hardship in the UK!

Thank you for your support.

The Wade Towers "Make Poverty History" Campaign

*80:20 to me

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm about 150 quid over the poverty line (calculated monthly) and my rent is relatively cheap. I need to show this to my employer...

[twicedead.livejournal.com]

It is quite likely that Oxfam may have a silly method for overall defining poverty, but it in no ways reduces the importance of the work they do.

[borusa.livejournal.com]

How is "Disposable Income" defined?

[the-maenad.livejournal.com]

One recalls a quote from George Orwell's "The Road to Wigan Pier". George asked some oppressed miner when the area he lived in had become so poverty-stricken, and the miner replied "When we were told about it" -- meaning that until people like Orwell started coming to town and poking about, the miners had all simply assumed that their poverty was the natural order of things rather than a state they could aspire to escape from.

[gwaunquest.livejournal.com]

There is a phrase (which I coined myself) that I apply to all situations such as this.
The truth is like a mirror - what you see depends on where you stand.

[souldier-blue.livejournal.com]

OK, bit lost... my other half doesn't even earn £194 a week.