Some may consider themselves poor if they cannot afford the latest iPhone, others may think themselves ok but lack somethings we consider basic necessities
If people choose to lead an austere life are they poor, is the parent who could get a high paid job but chooses to earn less but spend more time with their children poor
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Needless to say there are some more rigorous definitions than “cannot afford an iPhone” or “had to choose between Sky and Netflix”.
Absolute poverty is defined as not having the ability to feed or clothe yourself, nor to provide shelter for yourself. The current fiscal definition is having to live on less than $1.90 per day.
Relative poverty is defined as being unable to maintain a minimum living standard - relative to that prevailing where you reside. So, yes, there is some adjustment for the wealth of the country that you live in and there is the notion of “purchasing power parity” to deal with this.
Almost 60% of the world’s population live on less than $5 per day which I would certainly class as being in poverty, these people are born poor, are never afforded the education or training which might enable them to improve their lot and die poor. They do not choose to remain poor, many are trapped by wars and other conflicts, or by entrenched class divisions.
By those standards people on benefits in the UK are not in absolute poverty. UC is £335 a month (slightly over £10 a day) a “full” state pension £141 a week (£20 a day) - however they face considerable barriers to increasing their income.
For one thing the biggest group are pensioners - who could not enter the jobs market if they tried, even if they took the time to acquire a new skill. Who would take on a 67 year old apprentice?
Of those who are working age most on long term benefits are unable to work - carers, the disabled or those with chronic illness. Again it is very difficult for this group to escape poverty - childcare costs trap single parents, the cost of care homes trap those with elderly relatives to look after. The long term sick or disabled at are a massive disadvantage when it comes to securing a job.
The notion of the workshy scrounger is a myth, a tiny handful of those reliant on benefits at most.
However the right wing would have you believe that everyone who relies on benefits falls into this category, just in the same way that they would have you believe that everyone who crosses the channel on a small boat to seek asylum is, in reality, an economic migrant, and everyone who turns up at the ballot box is intent on committing voter fraud.
It’s all part of the fascist play book - marginalise a group, identify it as “other”, demonise the group and treat it’s members as sub-human.
Once again - people do not choose poverty, and if you believe that they do I suggest you take a long hard look at where those beliefs came from.
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Just found the muted button.
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Might be easier for poverty-discussion if we stuck to UK/France/(Another?)… rather then the whole world…
I reckon World Poverty deserves an entire Thread of its own… but others are free to disagree… 
(We’ve just enjoyed sausage-toad+green beans… cost more than 30p a head, but I felt extravagant today much to the relief of OH… )
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so you paid? Love a woman who pays her way 
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I cooked !!! you cheeky beggar…
The temps have dropped from 34c to 14c and it feels like winter… 
OH looked pitiful when I talked about our usual (healthy) salad, so I took pity on him, threw budgetry caution to the wind… and rustled up a hot meal. Hurrah… OH is now very happy.
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the way to a man’s heart…
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Between 3rd and 4th ribs should do.
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left side? (or right side if you’re female and looking at your intended target, for clarity) 
That’s for pre 2016 pensioners, if you retired after that it’s £185 per week and likely to hit £200 per week next April.
Quite a few people, generally with a strong religious faith, do choose to be personally poor. For most they are sheltered by a christian establishment that’s rich, but not all.
I stand corrected.
But does that particular splitting of hairs render my point invalid?
All of this “oh but some people chose a life of poverty for the church/because they are hippies” really is missing the point.
Against four and a half billion trapped in poverty those for whom it is a lifestyle choice just don’t register.
Also, chances are they are not, technically, poor. Volunteering to have a non-materialistic life style, but with a roof over your head and food on your plate is not poverty.
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Yes of course…surely that hardly needs to be said? As a young child I grew up with images of the Biafra War and it has continued from there. But in the same way I accept your point, can you not recognise that it is possible that people choose to be poor. Which is the very tiny point was making in response to “nobody chooses to be poor”. Don’t be an eristic!
Given you live in the UK Billy there’s no excuse for not knowing how much the State pension is.
why would a non pensioner know what the State Pension amount is?
I’m a UK pensioner and I have no idea what the full State Pension is… I just know what I get weekly as notified to me by the State.
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If you’re going to state something as fact checking that it’s right is surely a good idea you’d think.
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I think that they are both correct in their interpretation of the pension.
£185 is the New state pension
£141 is the basic state pension
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