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| Do you live above the bread, butter and jam line? | Do you live above the bread, butter and jam line? |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Article written by Mark Easton Home editor | Article written by Mark Easton Home editor |
| Discussion about poverty in Britain quickly gets snagged on the question of whether you can be poor if you have a plasma TV. | Discussion about poverty in Britain quickly gets snagged on the question of whether you can be poor if you have a plasma TV. |
| But if, instead of thinking about the breadline, we consider what level of income is needed for an acceptable standard of living, the debate changes. | But if, instead of thinking about the breadline, we consider what level of income is needed for an acceptable standard of living, the debate changes. |
| It gives us a sense of what is decent in a rich country like ours, what we regard as a socially acceptable minimum. | It gives us a sense of what is decent in a rich country like ours, what we regard as a socially acceptable minimum. |
| It is not just about having bread - it's about having butter and, occasionally, a dollop of jam too. | It is not just about having bread - it's about having butter and, occasionally, a dollop of jam too. |
| The concept of a minimum income standard (MIS) was introduced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) four years ago - I wrote about it here. | The concept of a minimum income standard (MIS) was introduced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) four years ago - I wrote about it here. |
| Since then, of course, austerity has barged its way into our lives. So JRF decided to repeat the exercise of 2008 and see what's changed. | Since then, of course, austerity has barged its way into our lives. So JRF decided to repeat the exercise of 2008 and see what's changed. |
| And the surprise is that so little has. | And the surprise is that so little has. |
| More than 20 panels of ordinary citizens were asked to put together a list of items they considered essential for an acceptable standard of living and the choices were very close to what their predecessors had selected four years earlier. | More than 20 panels of ordinary citizens were asked to put together a list of items they considered essential for an acceptable standard of living and the choices were very close to what their predecessors had selected four years earlier. |
| Family car | Family car |
| There were a few nods to belt-tightening: the budget for eating out and takeaways has been cut to £90 a year for a family of four; the current amount set aside for Christmas and birthday presents has been reduced; instead of swimming with a toddler once a week the panels made it once a month. | There were a few nods to belt-tightening: the budget for eating out and takeaways has been cut to £90 a year for a family of four; the current amount set aside for Christmas and birthday presents has been reduced; instead of swimming with a toddler once a week the panels made it once a month. |
| Back in 2008, the view was that people living in towns and cities could get by with public transport. | Back in 2008, the view was that people living in towns and cities could get by with public transport. |
| Now, though, the public panels have concluded that it makes more financial sense to use a second-hand hatch-back (1.6l petrol Ford Focus to be precise) - buying one that's five years old and selling at 10. | Now, though, the public panels have concluded that it makes more financial sense to use a second-hand hatch-back (1.6l petrol Ford Focus to be precise) - buying one that's five years old and selling at 10. |
| Rising public transport fares, cuts to bus services and the access to out-of-town discount stores a car allows, now make your own four wheels a necessity in all places except London. | Rising public transport fares, cuts to bus services and the access to out-of-town discount stores a car allows, now make your own four wheels a necessity in all places except London. |
| On the roof of your Ford Focus, incidentally, you are expected to fit a storage box to accommodate supplies for a week's self-catering holiday in the UK. | On the roof of your Ford Focus, incidentally, you are expected to fit a storage box to accommodate supplies for a week's self-catering holiday in the UK. |
| No cigarettes or tobacco are on the list of needs, but a couple are permitted to buy four cans of lager and a bottle of red (keeps better than white) wine each week. | No cigarettes or tobacco are on the list of needs, but a couple are permitted to buy four cans of lager and a bottle of red (keeps better than white) wine each week. |
| A TV is allowed - only Freeview, no cable or satellite contracts. | A TV is allowed - only Freeview, no cable or satellite contracts. |
| Mobile phones are now deemed a necessity, with the panels calculating it's cheaper to get one with an alarm clock and digital camera so you don't need to buy those items separately. | Mobile phones are now deemed a necessity, with the panels calculating it's cheaper to get one with an alarm clock and digital camera so you don't need to buy those items separately. |
| All families with children should have a computer with internet access. | All families with children should have a computer with internet access. |
| When all the needs identified were added up, the minimum earnings for a family of four with both parents working worked out at just under £37,000 a year. | When all the needs identified were added up, the minimum earnings for a family of four with both parents working worked out at just under £37,000 a year. |
| For a single working-age adult, minimum earnings would need to be £16,400. | For a single working-age adult, minimum earnings would need to be £16,400. |
| That means more than a quarter of the population in Britain - 17 million people - don't have enough income to reach the level the public think is required for an acceptable living standard. | That means more than a quarter of the population in Britain - 17 million people - don't have enough income to reach the level the public think is required for an acceptable living standard. |
| Those on benefits don't come close. | Those on benefits don't come close. |
| The minimum acceptable income calculated by the public panels is, in real terms, almost exactly the same as four years ago. | The minimum acceptable income calculated by the public panels is, in real terms, almost exactly the same as four years ago. |
| What has changed is that three million more people in Britain now don't have the money to meet it. | What has changed is that three million more people in Britain now don't have the money to meet it. |