There is no such thing as poverty in the UK today

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This essay will discuss whether poverty exists in the UK in today’s current climate. To gain a greater understanding of this subject, terms such as relative poverty and absolute poverty will be acknowledged and defined appropriately. Additionally, major theories of poverty linked to the individualistic and the dependency culture will be discussed and evaluated, before giving insight into how poverty is measured by using evidence gathered from statistical information. Furthermore, the viability of these measurements in regards to patterns of poverty will be scrutinised and discussed. Once all avenues have been explored and understood, this essay will conclude whether poverty actually exists in the UK.
When a person is said to be living in poverty, certain assumptions come to mind as to how or why that person is deprived; some of society will speculate that the impoverished are poor through their own doing and that they should work their own way out of poverty and not rely on welfare. However, when the measurement of poverty is understood the true picture starts to emerge. All humans require the basic necessities in order to keep themselves and their families alive; basic necessities are classed as food, water, shelter, health care and security. Any human being who is living without access to these basic needs to survive can be defined as living in absolute poverty (Walsh et al, 2000). Absolute poverty is the term given to people or households that are living below a certain income threshold and cannot afford goods or services that are required for everyday living. For example, those that live in homes without electric could be classified as living in absolute poverty; these individuals will have no heat, no light and no...

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...ach does not take into account those who are disabled or are unable to work through disease or mental incapacity. All approaches can instigate disdain towards those who are on benefits, as benefit claimants are seen as scroungers and a drain on the economy, this could cause social division and even discrimination among the British public. By forcing people into work, it may force them out of relative poverty and into absolute poverty with no help available. Any advantages from such approaches will be the gain of the rich; if everyone were capable of work then the rich would gain from the taxes paid by the workers through income and the goods and services they are required to pay for. Furthermore, it is worth considering that the economy would prosper greatly from the absence of a reformed welfare system that has been so easily taken advantage of in the past.

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