Multi-dimensional poverty
About this study
The UK's current definition of poverty is overwhelmingly focused on the measurement of income. This measurement isn't able to describe the multiple problems that many people in poverty actually experience.
This exciting new project will identify the different combinations of economic problems that people in poverty face - and create measures that reflect these experiences.
Potential policy impact
The new poverty measure will sit alongside existing indicators of poverty - such as the government's 'official' 60% of median household income measure. One important output of the study will be a poverty toolkit, which will give Local Government and third sector organisations the means to identify and monitor different types of poverty on the ground.
Our methods
- We'll be using the Understanding Society dataset to identify the combination of different elements which make up the most common 'types' of poverty in the UK today (low income, debts, no savings etc.)
- We'll be speaking in depth to people who fall in to these categories, to check this resonates with their lived experience, and to enrich our descriptions of their experiences.
- Information gathered from these first two stages will be used to develop descriptive titles for each poverty 'type' and a toolkit to enable MPs, local authorities and charities to identify and help people within each category.
- NatCen Social Research
- 35 Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0AX
- Charity no. 1091768
