State of Wales Briefing: Deep Poverty and Destitution

Poverty

This briefing summarises key data on deep poverty and destitution in Wales.

Official data on poverty shows little change in the numbers living on a low income. Yet everywhere there are signs of households struggling to afford the basics of food, shelter and housing.

This timely briefing uses rarely-accessed data to show that 15% of the Welsh population lives in a household with an income of less than 50% of the median, while around 3% live in destitution.  It also reveals that some of the features of Universal Credit worsen deep poverty rather than relieving it.

This briefing provides you with vital insights into the scale and nature of deep poverty in Wales, informing your forward planning and service delivery.