The links between poverty and vulnerability

Children and young people are more likely to be involved in child protection procedures in families which are dependent upon state benefits. They’re also more likely to end up in the care of the state when they live in areas of deprivation.

Poverty holds particular risks for children and young people with regard to outcomes associated with education and health.

In a climate of austerity and increasing budget cuts to key social services, these are worrying factors. Two definitions of poverty are used by the Scottish Government – relative and absolute.

• Relative poverty is where someone lives in a household that receives less than 60 per cent of the UK average (median disposable) income in the most recent year.
• Absolute poverty is where someone lives in a household that receives less than 60 per cent of the UK average (median disposable) income in 2010/11 (the base year) adjusted by inflation: it is a measure of whether the incomes of lower-income households are keeping pace with rising prices.

Details are drawn from the National Statistics publication Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland: 2015-18 reveal a complex and challenging situation.

• 20% of people in Scotland were living in relative poverty after housing costs in 2015-18. Overall, poverty rates seem to be rising.
• The top 10% of the population in Scotland had 27% more income in 2015-18 than the bottom 40% combined. This compares to 24% more income in 2014-17.

The report highlights that the rate of relative poverty after housing costs has fluctuated in recent years:

• It is estimated that 17% of Scotland’s population, or 900,000 people each year, were living in relative poverty before housing costs in 2015-18. This compares to 16% in the previous period. After housing costs, 20% of Scotland’s population, or 1.03 million people each year, were living in poverty in 2015-18. This compares to 19% in the previous period.
• It is estimated that 18% of Scotland’s population, or 930,000 people each year, were living in absolute poverty before housing costs in 2015-18. This compares to 17%, or 910,000 people, in the previous period. Absolute poverty rates have stagnated over the last nine years following a decline until 2009-12.

Figures specifically related to child poverty were no less challenging, particularly statistics which highlight the fact that significant numbers of children in working households were experiencing poverty.

• It is estimated that 11% of children, or 110,000 children each year, were living in combined low income before housing costs and material deprivation in 2015-18, compared to 10% in 2015-17. After housing costs, this was 12% of children, or 120,000 children each year, similar to 2014-17.
• It is estimated that in 2015-18, 65% of children in relative poverty before housing costs, or 130,000 children each year, were living in working households, the same proportion as in the previous period. After housing costs, 65% of children in poverty were living in working households, compared to 66% in the previous period.

Linking these statistics to what we know about the direct correlation between poverty, vulnerability and risk, in the previous step John Paul challenged us to play a role in resisting what he referred to as dangerous decision-making and further cuts which will impact negatively upon vulnerable children and their families.

If you’d like to learn more about caring for vulnerable children, check out the full online course from The University of Strathclyde, below.