Key facts about poverty

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Income

The most commonly used threshold of low income is a household income that is 60% or less of the average (median) British household income in that year. The latest year for which household income data is available is 2008/09. In that year, the 60% threshold was worth: £119 per week for a single adult with no dependent children; £206 per week for a couple with no dependent children; £202 per week for a single adult with two dependent children under 14; and £288 per week for a couple with two dependent children under 14. These sums of money are measured after income tax, council tax and housing costs have been deducted, where housing costs include rents, mortgage interest (but not the repayment of principal), buildings insurance and water charges. They therefore represent what the household has available to spend on everything else it needs, from food and heating to travel and entertainment.
In 2008/09, 13 million people in the UK were living in households below this low-inc...