Why does the UK have so many poor people?

[KenDodd]

Just that really.
Why do you think?

Because the wages in the UK are shit

I agree.

There are so many companies relying on free workers funnelled to them from the Benefits office. I think if they had to pay a proper wage for these people they would go under as their business couldn’t afford it.

Then there is tax credits for f/t jobs so lowly paid you still have to claim benefits.

What is the incentive for companies to pay a proper wage when they know the government will pick up the tab

Yes, it's not third world poverty here, its massive, massive inequality. It's shocking to look at the figures compared to most other first world countries.

As a poor person (UK standards) on the lowest rung myself I'd say the reasons are -

🔹Very high private rents compared to wages (my rent alone is nearly half my full time wage!!)

🔹Insecure work, zero hours contacts

🔹Benefits being frozen and cut for the last decade and not keeping pace with the cost of living. Also housing benefits often not meeting the costs of private rents. MPs have given themselves numerous pay rises whilst benefits have been cut and frozen.

🔹Food banks now being seen as a part of the welfare state rather than a clear sign that the welfare state is not working!! As one MP put it. Not aiming this at any one poster, but have you ever thought to yourself when donating stuff to a food bank - how would I feel eating this packaged and tinned stuff for even a few days?? A lot of it full of salt but has little taste or nutrition. Beneficiaries are grateful of course, but shouldn't we be campaigning for an actual functioning welfare state so people do not need to eat donated tinned food to avoid starvation??

🔹 As another poster said, wasting of tax payers money on stupid stuff like painting planes.

🔹The vast vast majority of Childcare only being available weekdays 8-6, when the majority of lower paid working women (care work, retail work, cleaners) are required to work out with these hours and many are single Parents. I think this is something many don't think of when they see work as the route out of poverty.

Relative poverty in the UK is high, absolute poverty is lower. Levels of wealth inequality is high compared to most of Europe.

A huge issue is our low productivity levels and the fact that over the last 10 years price inflation has massively outstripped wage inflation.

Compared to most european coutries there is less restribution of wealth through taxation/benefits in the UK and lower levels of support for childcare to make it easier for women to work.

Housing costs are high, partially because pension support is low and people as a result see houses as an investment which drives up prices.

Zero hour contracts, casual work rather than steady employment, increased costs of food, higher expectations (i.e. society expects people to have a phone line and internet access etc.)

There is quite a bit about this on poverty.ac.uk if you look at material deprivation, it suggests that not being able to:

afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish every second day;
afford to have a car/van for personal use.
replace worn-out clothes with some new ones;
have two pairs of properly fitting shoes;
spend a small amount of money each week on him/herself;
have regular leisure activities;
get together with friends/family for a drink/meal at least monthly;

are indicators of material deprivation but it's a matter of what you think is a priority for yourself isn't it? I can't afford any of the above for me (though I can for my children) and don't see myself as materially deprived, it's part of parcel of being a parent who has made the choices that I have made. For a different parent it might be deprivation for them.

Governments allow elites to hoover up and then hoard all the wealth, perhaps they are powerless to stop the elites?
Some of these elites try to manage their reputations by philanthropic acts, but these acts of philanthropy are really a way of promoting things which favour their own interests

people with power and money use the power and the money to consolidate their own power

Several of the posts on here have already highlighted that wealth inequality is an issue that affects women more than it affects men. There are more female single parents, fewer opportunities for them to work unorthodox hours due to childcare provision, little legal recourse if fathers don't pay, etc. etc. And, as I have already mentioned in an earlier post, reduced earning over your working life means reduced pension and a more insecure old age.

What is poor, and how are you calculating that there are many, OP?

• NMW and not living wage
• poor life choices with little accountability
• cycles of poverty and poor aspirations
• overpopulation
• underfunded education

Because the economy has been deregulated and the welfare state has been dismantled since the 1980ies. I grew up in a communist country, which was very deprived, but when I compare my own childhood to that of my husband (British) he lacked even more (central heating for example).

Compared to the world? We're not that poor

Compared to other European countries? Yikes. Not good.

It's because we don't have the same basic commitment to equality.

I was in Denmark and Sweden and it's so baked into their consciousness to be equal. They talk about worker's unions with such respect (we demonise them here).

Massive wealth inequality, lack of value for certain jobs, shit right wing government.

Yes, Im sure the OP is aware Britain isnt as poor as Malawi etc. ffs. Why do people have to deliberately misunderstand everything on here?

I think that it's due to

• Poor school education
• Expensive 18+ education (be it Uni or college courses)
• Expensive childcare (which forces people out of paid employment)
• Nothing to stop NRPs from opting out of looking after or helping pay for their children
• Not enough help for those forced into being a carer for an elderly and/or disabled relative
• Tiny and expensive housing
• Poor quality neighborhoods (lack of public transport, basic shops, other amenities such as doctors/parks)

Yes, it's not third world poverty here, its massive, massive inequality.

Yep - and it's been getting worse - wages have stagnated cost of living have risen social mobility has declined.

Services like NHS and state education have been starved of funds and privatisation for ideological reasons and private profit has increasingly occured in many parts of welfare state and government services often not delivering the promised improvement of services or saving costs.

This is combined with a lack of investment in the countries infrastructure over a prolong period of time. Austerity cuts were massive and increased demands on remaining services while not increasing funding.

Tha aging population increasing demand of NHS and other services combined with decreasing number of people in work age meaning tax revenue is in decline.

Still much better than many parts of US - who we always seem desperate to ape.

Nothing to stop NRPs from opting out of looking after or helping pay for their children

That's a massive reason so many children in UK grow up in poverty which affects their life chances and long term health.

Let's not forget the contribution of mainstream media and their habitual demonisation of unions, benefit claimants etc... Not to mention the fact that we habitually vote in wealthy, public schoolboys and girls as our representatives and then wonder why they serve their own interests, rather than the interests of the whole nation.

capitalism - our current economic model does not create equality.

Why do people have to deliberately misunderstand everything on here?
Because it serves their agenda

High housing costs.
Lack of manufacturing.
Service based economy.
Schooling isn't as good as it should be.

@user1471565182

Why do people have to deliberately misunderstand everything on here

They don't. Why do people have to exaggerate?

What do you mean by poor? In terms of the whole world we have no one in real poverty. As a country we strive to offer everyone work or failing that benefits. We may not always get it right but we do a pretty awesome job compared to India.

I think we have a debt problem in the UK rather than a poverty problem. People are buying things they don't need with money they don't have and then wondering why they can't afford the basics when all of their income goes to servicing the debt.

Compared to whom ?

Sure, everything is relative. People in India would say "At least it's better here than in Somalia or North Korea." It's not about a race to the bottom FFS. Compared with the rest of western Europe there is a lot of poverty in the UK, and the gap between rich and poor is particularly big here.

Probably better way to phrase the question is why there is so much inequality in the uk.