What Is Poverty?

It's all relevant to your situation and location. A starving child in Africa. Someone begging in the street. Or affluence in a developed country could be someone with an expensive car, the latest technology or gadgets. All seen as something to aspire to and maybe our priorities are wrong and health and happiness should be measured by something not as shallow as possessions. I put health, happiness and loved ones first but surely we are entitled to some luxuries.

There are people in the UK struggling to make ends meet. Other countries too but I can only talk of my own. Our country is said to be one of the richest in the World. But there are those amongst the population deciding whether to stay warm or whether to have a decent meal. Even this week I watched elderly shoppers buying only what they needed(milk and bread)and the lowest priced brands which hopefully are ok but may be higher in salt and other nasties. And the joy when they found they could afford some butter and cheese.

There has been in the news over recent months even before the so called "Credit Crunch" stories explaining our Governments plan to lift certain sections of society out of poverty(mainly children and the elderly)which has missed the mark and there has been an increase rather than a drop in the figures. So correspondents and experts have been interviewed on tv, radio and the press and been asked how to judge what would be poverty by today's standards.I think I heard correctly that is judged on the income of a household.

And the figure is set as a meridian of £229 if you are single and around £329 for a family before you pay rent on a property. £229 maybe sounds quite a lot of income perhaps it is if that's what you are being paid but knowing the cost of living, rent, community charges, travelling to and from work if you have a job, expenses you may incur, the utility bills(Electric, Gas, Telephone, Food)TV Licence(you need one to watch tv in the UK)possibly prescription charges and all the unexpected things that crop up when items need replacing or repairing perhaps not. I honestly don't know how so many people survive when paying full costs. But equally for those who complain that people receive other help etc...have to remember that there is less income so it evens out. I am sympathetic to people struggling in work and those not working and am not angry towards either section of society in general.

And there are other problems. One year you might just be able to survive, another year you might need more, each year could be different but you will not know how much you need until a bill drops on your mat or see how prices in the shops have increased, fuel costs. And you may need that little extra by you in case you cannot cover that bill that arrives and you are caught short.

The electric, gas companies etc...will still want their money. It is difficult say I'll wait for the bill and then find the money. How long is a piece of string?

And if ill you probably deserve a decent lifestyle as you spend more time at home and you need to stop yourself getting depressed. You don't want to be ill and have a miserable lifestyle to match. You are always told to leave the heating on, stay warm, and do not be afraid of using it. But people do...and according the media and charities that help the vulnerable they often report of some of the population losing their lives during Winter.

And what if you want to save up for an odd holiday? Or you decide the time is right to replace carpets, furniture or have the house decorated. Or your property needs repairing? Or what if you plan to do these things and you don't get around to it and delay doing so? And what if you do not want to apply for a loan? What if you are turned down? The honest and genuine are likely to be the one's that have problems.

Rules can be complicated and in today's climate the savings threshold should be raised. It probably would help many.

Of course stories exist(many anecdotal)that suggest some do manage to live well, such examples get reaction from some sections of society but often these people have never had to experience how difficult it can be. Views often change when they do.

Many families are finding, during this financial crises, essentials have increased in price and they are having to cut back on what they spend but at what point do you reach before you can no longer do so?

Decades ago, I read or heard that the average take home pay was in the £400-£500 range, There must be some but you'll have to be specialised and probably work long hours.

Today, this would include people in the media and sporting world. And they would probably earn more than a Consultant. A Taxi driver only today mentioned to me that a local council leader who will front a new council will be earning more than the Prime Minister who deals with national and world politics(already an official working at the BBC earns more than the PM)Work that out.

Unless, you have been fortunate to work most of your life, receive a good wage, been able to save and/or invest in a personal or works pension scheme that has not been raided or closed down, you will be living on a reasonably low income. Possibly putting up with a lower standard in early life to benefit later but most end up on a State Pension and/or means tested benefit of some kind.

There are many examples where pension schemes have gone wrong, one was featured on the news only the other night...A man had seen his works pension reduced so if he retires now, it is not worth what it was and his retirement lifestyle not as comfortable, if he tries to work longer to build it up, he is unable to because he reaches retirement too early and cannot work long enough to build up his lost income.

If he retires now and closes his pension the company running it have a penalty clause and he'll lose value on his pension. Yet, only a few months ago, he could've retired and had the full amount of his pension. The older you get and when you probably need the most help, you'll find that if you have savings(even a modest amount)you'll be penalised.

The new Queen's Speech announced in Parliament which fleshes out what the British Government hopes to bring into law over the coming year was announced today...most of the bills are not controversial and deal with trying to sort out the recession the UK finds itself but one will cause changes to worry some of the genuine vulnerable in society.

The high cost of utility bills and prices are likely to continue to rise many retired/older people have to decide whether to keep the house warm or to eat. To stay warm they wear loose, baggy clothes or a hat to stay warm, drink warm drinks, have a hot water bottle or two about their person. My elderly Aunt always wore a thick woollen coat and a woollen hat indoors. And often went to bed and heated that one bedroom. This was when she was aged 98/99 and eventually she had to go into care to avoid falls in her home(the stairs were steep)and she had to fight for that.

Her savings were meager just about enough to cover her funeral and of course, your allowance when in a home is not much...you can perhaps buy a few sweets, some make up and toiletries possibly a newspaper or a magazine but that's not much is it.

In a modern society many luxuries are the norm and they are seen as expected items in the home. Not having them would be seen as odd. But again my Aunt only had a radio and tv for company most of the time.

However a telephone(even if you don't make any calls)will cost you approx £120 a year to rent the line(and you'll pay a tax on that line)Most things that you buy or services you use in the UK, you have to pay a fee/tax. Here it's called Value Added Tax, in the States and elsewhere it would be called simply a sales tax.

I can understand the money raised but the phone as an example I have never got how talking to someone on a phone you pay a tax and if the phone company did not supply the line they could not deliver their product.A basic connection to the Internet will probably cost approx £144 a year(you can't have one without the other)those two bills combined comes out at £264. If you want to watch basic tv in the UK you have to part with an annual fee of approx £131.

If you want to access some extra choice a cable/satellite service of the most basic without movies or sport will cost you £268 per year. But again you have the tv licence otherwise you can't watch. That's £399 combined!So all the above added comes out at £914 annually(close on £1,000)Of course you can live without tv and the internet. That is a silly amount.

But if you spend a lot of time indoors I suspect life will be quite boring without some entertainment. There is one thing I have managed to think of to avoid some the costs(The choice of channels is not as great)but there is a system recently launched that offers extra tv and radio and you do not pay monthly subscription to watch)so that would save £268 per year. You may not feel as though you are losing out if you switch to the new system. And it appears if you have a dish already erected all you change is the receiver box. That still means an outlay for the equipment. Too much for some.

But I find myself(as a friend North Star in the States has made clear)where tv is king, he manages without a tv. TV often gives us a glimpse of a lifestyle many of us will never experience so I do not feel connected to those I am watching. If you are not careful you start to dislike many of those you see as you feel they are flaunting their wealth at you. Are they any happier, I wonder.

I find that I am less interested in tv. I'd be more likely to miss my radio. I would like to keep access to the internet and radio if I could and worry if they can afford to keep the heating on or feed themselves? Many end up living in one room, usually the bedroom and staying in bed to keep warm.

I hate to say it, it sounds mercenary, I know if I outlive my Mum, I can see myself living a basic life like I have described. Staying in one room etc...Not much to look forward to.

It may mean I have to have a simple diet and cut out many items that are good for your health because of being on a tight budget and I will have to do more home cooking rather than using prepared dishes. Make more of root vegetables, soups, baked beans etc...basic but good wholesome fare...but with small portions I should still be able to have a varied choice and survive, so my food intake may not change too much. They survived on such food during the World War and came to no harm.

The worry for many is finding money to replace or repair equipment that fails such as a fridge or a cooker.

And those working are not necessarily any better off, you'll find your wages gobbled up by bills, travelling to and from work etc...as mentioned earlier. So you work but back home any benefits may be hard to see. You could actually be out of pocket.

There is another bill being proposed today to try to get low income families to save for the future but again if you are on a low income surely it's difficult to save because you are on a low income. And if you save...when you need help, they will probably say, you've saved too much so are not entitled to help.

I said this somewhere else, in some ways I can see why people buy property and once purchased it is great not having to pay out a weekly rent and say this is mine but house prices are so high and commitment is so long(usually decades) you may find that you cannot afford to get your foot on the ladder, if you do, jobs and income is not guaranteed for life and what happens? You may find your home repossessed and no roof over your head.

You can't take it with you when you leave this world or your investment may be tied up in some legal wrangle with family if you have any, possibly having to be used to keep you in a home or given up to the Government.

I am more inclined to follow the European model which is more popular where many buildings are rented out at reasonable rates, tenants are allowed greater freedom to alter the property whilst they live there. Most of the UK population seems caught up in debt and have worries for years.

I never thought I would say this, I always said I would want to live as long as I possibly can, I don't want to leave any quicker than my allotted time, I have been fortunate to have a lovely childhood, seen some wondrous events in history and lived through exciting times but with all the new ideas, the talk of climate change etc...I think that I am glad not to be being born into the world I see evolving around me and I am happy to be older and missing many of the plans being thought up for our young to face. I see the gap between the rich and poor still widening.

We need money to live and yet for many I think it can bring many problems. You need to be roughly in a position where you do not have worry about being able to pay the bills and have enough to be comfortable but many are on low incomes and/or trying to live on hand outs(and do everything right)or have an obscenely amount of money that you'll never spend. It's easy to stray into the wrong section.

Both will give you worries. The only hope is that the person who is "Rich" puts their wealth into some charitable work and has made arrangements for others to benefit. That they do not forget where their roots lay. I can perhaps see more than ever why some people who follow certain religions voluntarily give up some their income to good causes. I'm generalising(and have no proof really for what I say)other than what I hear in the media and charities but it is said those who have the least usually give the most.