Getting better at tackling poverty

‘Tackling poverty is our number one priority’ First Minister Carwyn Jones has said, a sentiment echoed by Ministers responsible for education, health and regeneration as well.

And yet poverty shows no sign of decreasing and every sign of rising by 2020. Forget eradicating child poverty in a generation, Tony Blair’s famous ambition in 1999,  there is every likelihood that child poverty will have returned to its 1990s highs by the end of this decade.  The nature of poverty is also changing – the majority of those on low incomes are now in-work, not workless; the risk of poverty amongst pensioners is at an unprecedented low; and short-term poverty has risen compared with persistent poverty.

We need a new approach in the face of these changes.

Simply taking about ‘poverty’ is no longer enough – we need to be clear what we mean by the term, and ensure that it is commonly understood by the public and policy-makers alike. So what about the 60% median measure – that internationally-adopted benchmark? Well it’s OK as an international benchmark, but it’s less useful as a guide to policy.

Instead, in a report published today, I and co-author Michael Trickey suggest that we need a broader definition that not only reflects what the public understand but that is also useful in informing what the Welsh Government and others should do. We suggest that focusing on essential resources (income, housing, warmth and food) and on essential skills (literacy and numeracy, digital skills and financial literacy) has resonance with the public and people on low incomes, is largely in the Welsh Government’s control, and could make a real and lasting difference to people’s lives.

The report is available on our publications page.  Please let us know what you think.

Victoria Winckler is Director of the Bevan Foundation.  Why not sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest reports, publications and events?