Poverty in Britain: The 1999 Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey of Britain

This paper shows the extent and nature of poverty in Britain at the beginning of the 21 century as measured by low-income thresholds (60% of the median household income), deprivation measures, subjective poverty measures and combined low income and deprivation poverty thresholds. Section One outlines some key trends in social and demographic change in Britain, and the potential implications of these trends for the extent and nature of poverty in Britain. In Section 2 we outline some of the key findings from the 1999 Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey of Britain in relation to income poverty, social and material deprivation, and subjective poverty. Section 3 of this chapter compares these findings with data drawn from the European Communities Household Panel (ECHP), specifically with reference to the relationship between income and deprivation within EU15 member states, and with reference to the social and demographic profile of poverty in the UK as measured by the ECHP Wave 3 data.