The Crisis of Poverty in The UK:
Despite the abundance of educated people and financial resources in the UK, there is still a persistent existence of poverty that undermines a critical need for why poverty still exists in our society. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word ‘poverty’ is defined as “the state of being inferior in quality or insufficient in amount”. Another definition by the Child Poverty Action Group of poverty is “not having enough resources to meet household needs and participate in society”. From this, we can see that the term poverty is associated with inadequacy, low in quality & poor public response to health. It is important that we leverage our collective knowledge and wealth to create opportunities, allocate resources, and encourage innovation to eradicate poverty.
Statistics show that poverty is on the rise it is constantly increasing. According to the Joseph Roundtree foundation: More than 1 in 5 people in the UK which is equivalent to 22% were in poverty in 2021/22 which is equivalent to 14,400,000 people. According to the House of Commons absolute low income is likely to continue to rise in the short run the resolution foundation forecasted in September 2023. The absolute poverty will increase by 300,000 from 11.7 million in 2023/24 to 12,000,000 in 2024/25. The rise of poverty is having a massive impact in our communities. Poverty extends far and wide, leaving families hungry, struggling to pay for rent, and hindering children's educational opportunities. The closure of youth clubs and community centers due to financial restrictions adds to the distress. This trend undermines the value each individual brings to society, regardless of age or background. As poverty escalates and resources reduce , society weakens, limiting people from fulfilling their roles and contributing meaningfully. Sadly, poverty's reaches to the extent of suicide.
The right to an adequate standard of living is a form of an absolute human right meaning that it is a right that cannot be limited under any circumstances. Therefore when we have people in the UK experiencing or going through poverty, it is a violation of what they are entitled to as a human. Poverty includes not just lack of money and the things you cannot buy but poverty also includes not having suitable housing, unclean water not having the access to resources to ensure that you have an abundance of things.
Article 25(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights talks about the right to adequate standard of living. According to the article, it states that everyone has the right to adequate food, water, sanitation clothing, housing and medical care as well as social protection covering situations beyond one’s control. It is clear that this absolute right is not being met in the UK. The implications of this violation not just causing physical issues such as illnesses that might arise due to a lack of something but also causing mental health issues as well that like I said before drive people to a place of isolation and potentially harming themselves.
There must be a call to action with a plethora of educated, creative, and innovated individuals in the UK, it is surprising that more isn’t being done to combat poverty. The issue of the matter lies in those with the means and wealth. It is disheartening that some individuals would rather opt for financial driven pursuits over the impact of community. Despite the fact that we have society class divisions, the fundamental right to a decent standard of living remains unchanged. No one in the UK should find themselves complaining about the financial struggles or have the inability to provide for their families. It’s time for action to show that every person in our society can thrive without the heavy burden of poverty on them.
I’m passionate about delving deeper into the issue of poverty particularly in the UK and I would like to write a recommendation that I will publish here on Justipedia but p email and share with local MPs. If you have any thoughts or feedback on this, please don’t hesitate to share with me :)
~ Simi
Related sources:
https://cpag.org.uk/child-poverty/what-poverty
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN07096/SN07096.pdf
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dedicated-woman-27-took-life-29043376#google_vignette