Third of families living with child poverty are 'grafters' hit by low wages and unemployment

 
28 November 2012

A third of families living with child poverty are "grafters" who have been blighted by unemployment and low wages more than social problems, a think-tank said today.

Demos, which has pinpointed five different types of household living in child poverty, warned that policy-makers risk plunging families into further problems by overlooking those on low incomes who currently appear to be just about coping.

The report, titled Poverty in Perspective, found one in three low-income families are "grafters", many of whom have recently been made redundant or are self-employed and have seen their incomes drop.

They tend to own their 'homes, be highly qualified, live in the least deprived areas and are likely to be engaged in community activities and politics, researchers found.

The report said people in this group "are a far cry from the stereotype of people in poverty tackling multiple social problems, and are instead implementing stringent budgeting tactics in order to get by".

Another group, called the "managing mothers", was also identified, made up of single mothers who tend to be slightly older with older children.

This group are also using sharp budgeting skills and they also tend to have a strong work ethic, although many are unemployed.

The report said families in these groups "might be deemed the easiest to help".

But it warned: "In the current policy environment and with limited resources, they are often overlooked by policymakers because they are seen to be 'getting by'.

"We would suggest, given the state of the economy, that the Government should not be complacent about these groups' ability to lift themselves out of poverty unassisted.

"The ability to 'get by' may not last forever, and our findings clearly suggest there is a link between more entrenched poverty and wider social problems."

Earlier this month, ministers insisted they were trying to be "more ambitious" about tackling child poverty with controversial plans to change the way it is measured.

They want to move away from the previous Labour government's focus on relative household income as an indicator of child poverty and use a "multidimensional" measure which takes into account factors like worklessness, family stability and parents' health and skills.

The move has led to concern among some campaigners that the coalition is trying to duck commitments to abolishing child poverty by 2020.

Claudia Wood, deputy director of Demos and co-author of the report, said: "The first step in tackling poverty is understanding it properly.

"Gone are the days when we could talk about families in poverty as a homogeneous group that can be helped with a 'one size fits all' solution."

She described the research as a "breakthrough" that could help local authorities get to grips with the problems faced by families in their area.

The report follows an 18-month research project.

Here are the five types of child poverty identified by the Demos report, and the percentage of the UK population estimated to experience them:

:: The Grafters, 9%

A combination of the recently-redundant, the self-employed experiencing an income drop and those with a long work history in poorly-paid jobs. They tend to be homeowners, can afford material goods and are highly-qualified.

:: Full House Families, 6%

Very large households containing several adults and young children. They are generally keeping up with their bills but are living in overcrowded housing.

:: Pressured Parents, 6%

They tend to be living in social rental homes and are "extremely deprived". They are often unemployed and have poor physical and mental health. They are more likely than other groups to be caring for a child with a disability.

:: Vulnerable Mothers, 5%

Likely to be single mothers aged under 24, with babies or young children. They are the most deprived group and have a limited work history in poorly-paid jobs. They are behind on bills, cannot afford white goods and are the most disengaged from the community.

:: Managing Mothers, 2%

They tend to be slightly older single mums with older children who have a strong work ethic and are getting by through tight budgeting, despite many being unemployed.

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