Poverty

How it is used

Common types are absolute poverty, relative poverty, child poverty, in-work poverty and fuel poverty. People live in poverty or below the poverty line. Many practitioners avoid labels like 'the poor' and speak of people living on low incomes.

Example sentences

1. Child poverty affects health, school results and later employment.

2. Many families we work with are in work but still living in poverty.

Common collocations

• live in poverty
• child poverty
• poverty line
• in-work poverty
• tackle poverty

Related terms

• social exclusionBeing shut out, fully or partly, from the economic, social and cultural life of society, for example from work, services, housing or community activities.
• welfareA person's health, safety and wellbeing; also the system of public support, such as payments and services, for people in need.
• social assistanceCash or in-kind support funded from taxes and given to people on low incomes, without any need for previous contributions.
• homelessnessNot having a safe, secure and suitable place to live, from sleeping on the street to staying in temporary or overcrowded accommodation.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• poverty · Sociology

More terms: Welfare and Benefits

• benefits
• eligibility
• means test
• entitlement
• allowance
• social housing
• conditional cash transfer
• claimant