to think this isn't a good measure of poverty?

[tyler80]

Households with less than 60% of the UK median income disregarding housing costs are classed as living in poverty.

It equates to £288 a week (for a 2+2 family)after tax and housing costs have been deducted.

This isn't a debate on absolute/relative poverty etc. and I do think poverty exists in the UK but i can't help but think this definition is way out and I wonder if it helps anyone. Certainly I know some of the people I work with would see the £288 figure, think that's not really living in poverty and therefore believe it doesn't exist or it's not a big problem.

AIBU?

There are 2 types of poverty relative and absolute. Absolute is easy to identify and quantify, I think the World Bank say its $1 a day. Relative is far harder to quantify, it is generally considered to be when people don't have the resources to fully participate in the society which they live. The Government has quantified it as being 60% of the median income although some notably Frank Field have criticised this.

Voiceof, you are wrong about what a median represents. If the only 3 possible incomes were £200, £100 and £60, the median income would be £100 and nobody would be below the poverty line.