Statistics recently released show that nearly 50% of people classified as living in poverty were found to be living in a family with a disabled person.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s definition of poverty is “When a person’s resources (mainly their material resources) are not sufficient to meet their minimum needs (including social participation).”
And here are the really depressing statistics:
14.2 million people are living in poverty the UK .. of those there are:
3.1 million people in single families with no children
2.6 million people in lone parent families
1.4 million in couples but with no children
5.6 million families with children
700,000 people of pension age single families
800,000 people in families of pension age
6.9 million were found to be living in a family with a disabled person
The report from which the above figures were taken (compiled by the Social Metrics Commission) took into consideration the “inescapable” costs like childcare and disability.
Margaret Greenwood MP – Shadow Secretary of State for Work & Pensions
She says, “The government’s strategy to tackle poverty consists of trying to mask the deep cuts it has made to social security by disputing the numbers of people in poverty. The new measure importantly shows the impact of debt, housing and child care costs that disabled people face. The extent of poverty it reveals among disabled people and their families is a major concern given the severe cuts to support to them in Universal Credit.”