Understanding in All its Forms September 2018

'Understanding Poverty in All its Forms' Research Project: Interim report for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

We welcome the visit of Professor Alston to the UK and would like to use this opportunity to share interim research findings from an ongoing participatory assessment of what poverty in all of its dimensions means in the UK today. These findings, reproduced below, use the words of research participants (some of whom have lived experience of poverty and others of whom have experience of poverty gained through their professional ). They are of considerable relevance to the scope of the visit. We would be delighted to discuss these further if this is useful. In line with the call for submissions, we would appreciate these findings being kept confidential as the research project is not yet complete. This is an assessment of how poverty is experienced, rather than about poverty measurement per se. A number of points are already clear:

1. People in poverty are seldom involved in how poverty itself is understood by policy makers in the UK. Genuine participation of people experiencing poverty is an important principle, but it takes time and commitment to be meaningful.

2. This assessment highlights the breadth of poverty in all of its forms in the UK. Money and material resources are central to this; but so too are feelings of a lack of control and the experience of being judged negatively by others.

3. It was very striking that the impacts of poverty on physical health and emotional well-being came through strongly. This included shorter lives and mental ill health.

4. The actions of public institutions were often described in extremely negative ways. Participants looked to public services for support and believed that public institutions should provide this. However, such support was regularly deemed either absent (due to austerity-driven cuts in funding) or, more perversely, delivered in ways which were deemed inappropriate, disempowering, or oppressive. Children’s services and the benefits system came in for particular criticism. This gives considerable pause for thought about how public delivery ought to be improved.

5. The experience of poverty was described in very negative ways. However, participants noted and strongly rejected media portrayals or political rhetoric where such descriptions of poverty tip over into negative descriptions of people in poverty. Participants highlighted the strengths of those experiencing poverty and of how individuals share and support each other through crisis. It was clear that poverty itself was the fundamental problem; but this was compounded by the scant visibility in public debate of how hard people in poverty strive.

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Background to the study The study aim has been to use participatory research methods at scale to assess what poverty in all its forms means in the UK. To do so, thirteen peer groups have been created (each with around 6-8 participants), with research sites in two regions of England and one in Scotland. This was intended to capture the diversity and detail of people’s experiences of poverty rather than provide representative survey data.

The design places the views of those living in poverty at centre stage. It is also structured to bring these views together with the knowledge of others (such as public sector workers) who deal with the consequences of poverty. The entire project, including the analysis phase, has been guided by a group of co-researchers (some with lived experience of poverty and others coming from a range of professional backgrounds). Six of the thirteen peer groups involved participants with a lived experience of poverty; six were for participants with a professional experience of poverty; and one group, used to 'triangulate' results, was drawn from the general public. The study has focused on working-age adults only, mostly in urban or peri-urban places, and did not involve children.

This UK research study, carried out under the auspices of ATD Fourth World–UK, is part of a wider assessment taking place in Bangladesh, France, Tanzania, and the USA, using similar methods to address the same question of what poverty in all its forms means in the country concerned. The overall study is led by ATD Fourth World International and researchers from the of Oxford.

Interim findings: A multi-dimensional understanding of UK poverty in all its forms

These dimensions have been agreed upon by a group of co-researchers drawn from very different backgrounds (including with lived experience of poverty and with experience drawn from their work). Having reviewed the evidence from the thirteen peer groups, our co-researchers thought that these dimensions summarise the 'pillars' that make up poverty in all of its forms.

Dimension 1 - Negative judgement, stigma, and blame A lack of understanding of UK poverty leads to negative judgement, stigma and blame, [which] destroys individuals and families; [resulting in] being treated as a lesser human being.

Dimension 2 - The impact of poverty on health and well-being Poverty is bad for health. It has a negative impact on health and well-being: physical, emotional, mental, and social.

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Dimension 3 - Lack of control – no escape Lack of control over choices and opportunities leads to increased risk, [the] limiting of potential, [and to] being trapped in a repetitive cycle of poverty. Poverty is dehumanising.

Dimension 4 - Financial insecurity, [financial] exclusion, and debt Financial insecurity means not being able to satisfy your basic needs. Worrying about money all the time causes huge stress and misery.

Dimension 5 - Coping mechanisms Finding ways to live — not just survive — through overcoming a multitude of hurdles, [developing] coping mechanisms, survival reactions, and resilience.

Dimension 6 - Systems, structures, and policies Economic, political, and social structures (including community and charity organisations) can sometimes cause poverty. Policy is operated in a way that disempowers. Systems designed to support people are not working in ways that people want. Systemic cuts in funds for needed services have created greater inequality.

Note: One further preliminary dimension titled “Children and families” was ultimately rejected by the majority of the co-researchers as its content was judged to overlap with the other identified dimensions listed above. The inclusion of a descriptive paragraph in the final report explaining this decision and providing a wider recognition of individuals from diverse groups affected by poverty was proposed. We have therefore reassigned the aspects associated with “Children and families” to other dimensions according to observations on their content made during the co-researchers’ discussions.

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Annex: Further detail on the dimensions and associated aspects of poverty

The roots of the dimensions of poverty noted above lie in aspects suggested by research participants from the thirteen focus peer groups in response to questions about what poverty meant to them. Our group of co-researchers has made sense of these aspects by grouping them into the six dimensions reported above with some description of each.

For further detail, below, we have reproduced the full lists of aspects that the co- researchers included in each dimension. Because they come from the unedited words exactly as used in the peer groups, outside readers may have trouble interpreting some aspects (e.g. single words), but we include them here for both fidelity and depth.

Dimension 1 - Negative judgement, stigma, and blame A lack of understanding of UK poverty leads to negative judgement, stigma, and blame, [which] destroys individuals and families; [resulting in] being treated as a lesser human being.

Associated aspects of poverty: 1. Stigma 2. Stereotypes 3. You look and feel different to everybody else and you don’t want anybody to know 4. Being conditioned to suffer in silence and not ask for help and to just get up, shut up, and get on with it until you take a decision to break the cycle 5. Shutting the door on life 6. Being judged without knowing your story (without walking in my shoes) 7. Poverty means that we are forgotten 8. Children from low-income communities are not deemed as cultured as middle-class children 9. Perception of poverty is distorted 10. Poverty means being judged unfairly 11. Poverty means you will be scorned 12. Poorer people are judged on lifestyle choices – not allowed to have choices 13. You are made to feel worthless because people are judged by their balances 14. Social Services taking young children away instead of helping them at home 15. Social Services blocking the return of a child to their parents 16. Social Services constantly looking over your shoulder especially when you have been in care yourself 4 Understanding Poverty in All its Forms September 2018

17. Children being wrongly adopted 18. [Poverty means having] contact visits with your children [in foster care] 19. Limiting the fulfilling of potential [of parents when] others tell them they are not worthy [of being parents]” 20. Disenfranchisement by distance from elite powers: decision makers, politicians, councillors, service providers 21. Tending to blame people in poverty: “You don’t’ need to be poor” 22. Poverty means being subject to scrutiny 23. Poverty is not always obvious; appearances can be deceptive 24. Poverty means being bulldozed, being bullied, and pushed away, and not wanted 25. Poverty means complex and individual stories 26. People in poverty are not only isolated but used as a warning 27. Poverty exists in so many different forms: Views should not be restricted, we need to stay open-minded and keep learning in order to understand adequately 28. Community expectations can cause poverty 29. An intrusive but neglectful state 30. Poverty is unachievable aspirations exacerbated by the media often leading to a sense of failure 31. Being in poverty makes you feel ashamed 32. Poverty makes you feel judged for things that are not your fault 33. Assumptions are made that people in poverty can't succeed and don't have aspirations and hopes and dreams 34. Poverty is feeling that you are a burden, that you do not contribute to the economy and society 35. Poverty means you are only allowed to observe, you cannot take part

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Dimension 2 - The impact of poverty on health and well-being: Poverty is bad for health. It has a negative impact on health and well-being: physical, emotional, mental, and social.

Associated aspects of poverty: 1. Poverty means desperation – people forced into prostitution because of a lack of food 2. Poverty is like being on the brink of death 3. Poverty kills (people in poverty have lower life expectancy than their more affluent peers) 4. Poverty divides us 5. Poverty causes mental health issues 6. Poverty is not being able to stop and smell the flowers because the stress of life gets in the way 7. Poverty is falling from a great height, losing a job, losing your home, going bankrupt 8. Being isolated and the feeling of loneliness 9. Poverty makes you feel alone – it comes from inside 10. Poverty plays with your emotions 11. Mentally, physically, and emotionally, poverty has a huge impact on health 12. Embarrassment and feeling of failure of not being able to provide certain things for their kids (Xbox, shoes, iPhones, etc) 13. Low self-esteem 14. Access to healthy fresh food should be a human right. Shopping centres are far away out of the community. Shops should be in the heart of the community 15. Oppression (e.g. Paulo Freire – pulling a veil over their eyes – they don't realise they are being oppressed – slipping into acceptance, we don't have to accept it) 16. It’s a vicious circle and can go round and round for years. Fear rules your life and you’re frightened and vulnerable to break the cycle and you don’t know any other way of life 17. Growing up wearing masks, not letting people know you are struggling 18. Poverty isn’t a choice, learning from people around us, from people where we came from 19. Your perceptions of real life are warped, your identity lost 20. Poverty is not having the knowledge or “will-power” to take proper care of our bodies, through no fault of our own; lots of different factors cause this 21. Poverty is not being able to feed your children 22. Poverty means the loss of community spirit 23. Poverty is forced survival 24. Fear, guilt, remorse, shame and [feeling] embarrassed in accessing services 25. Can’t access personal care and health and well-being services as feel worthless and embarrassed 6 Understanding Poverty in All its Forms September 2018

26. Abnormal becomes normal (eg sleeping under ) 27. Being conditioned into that certain way of thinking, it’s normalised and institutionalised (being in jails, hostels, ) 28. Poverty means you are not allowed to be happy 29. Poverty kills dreams and cages the dreamers 30. Poverty is feeling angry that people do not care or understand – the struggle is not recognised 31. Poverty is feeling guilty for what you do not have and cannot give 32. Poverty is the degradation of people 33. Poverty means an absence of love 34. You are not allowed to look up and have hope 35. Poverty means you feel invisible, like a ghost 36. Poverty is feeling defeated, hopeless and like a burden 37. Dealing with the erosion of the safety net 38. Criminalisation (if you don’t have food, you’re going to nick it!) 39. Homeless 40. Can’t talk candidly (because afraid of getting in trouble with authorities - like being sanctioned or sectioned1 - for saying the wrong thing) 41. Infringement on freedom of speech 42. Restricted mobility / can’t break away to pastures new 43. Lack of money - Poor health 44. Older people at the mercy of the state 45. Social conditioning; conditioning them to accept their situation 46. Poverty triggers emotional damage. Emotional transitions of poverty. (As a child and you go from different stages, like a baby crawling, then walking) 47. Greyness – need a reason to get out of bed 48. Looking for an escape from overwhelming problems 49. Hiding your gloom behind a mask (Spirit being downtrodden) 50. Loss of hope 51. Marginalised 52. Guilt about having anything nice 53. Looking for a place away from judgement 54. Overloaded with problems

1 “Being sectioned” means being detained under the Mental Health Act and committed to a . 7 Understanding Poverty in All its Forms September 2018

55. Suicidal 56. Escapism (Trying to buy things that you know honestly you can’t afford) 57. Literal vulnerability: exposed, one feels that at any point one can have things taken away – home, car, citizenship etc. etc. 58. Isolation: withdrawn from peers and/or social network. A lack of capacity for advocacy with multiple consequences 59. Anger and frustration: anger with self and others. Stress, frustration with self, others and ‘the system’ 60. Lack of stability: being unable to escape a sense of vulnerability 61. Embodied insecurity and perceptions 62. Physical outcomes: health effects on the body; life is shit and then you die 63. Emotions and feelings: cruel mental torment 64. People want a sense of their own worth and not to feel that they are the lowest of the low 65. Poverty is much worse in the context of meaninglessness 66. A treadmill of crisis, no calm 67. Poverty limiting the fulfilling of potential – by perceiving self not to be worthy 68. Poverty excludes people from many cultural activities which adds to a sense of exclusion and isolation 69. Poverty is internalised – embodied 70. Fear that there isn’t enough money or whatever resources needed 71. Afraid to dream: Lack of self-belief conditioned by experience 72. Fear of violence 73. One feels ensnared and fearful that one may be preyed upon (not necessarily in a direct and malevolent way, but through circumstances, e.g. bailiffs) 74. Image/self: poverty defines you and reduces your ability to enhance and grow 75. Vulnerability and the (difficult/diminishing) necessity to accept that you have to be cared for by others 76. Poverty creates a situation where you expect that blows may come from anywhere at any time from any source – and you must be permanently braced against them 77. Rising tide – can’t keep head above water 78. Children growing up in poverty these days tend to be very isolated by the inability to do what their friends can. Parent’s poverty leads to cycles of deprivation for children 79. Engagement: poverty limits your opportunities to engage with others around you 80. Realising that you are on your own and only relying on yourself 81. Being lost in the fog not knowing if you are connected or cast adrift

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82. Poverty reduces people’s ability to make healthy choices such as buying or growing fresh fruit and veg[etables]. Inability to make healthy choices leads to poor health and a lack of energy which in turn reinforces lacks in poverty 83. Poverty often means that it is harder to advocate for health needs; and for health needs to be taken seriously 84. Poverty shortens lives: [many causes], including poor quality housing, poor diet, and exploitation 85. Multiple traumas 86. Untimely death 87. Women’s contraceptive right and choices are impacted by their economic status 88. Children tired at school due to not getting proper nutrition; drinking energy drinks instead of eating meals 89. Caring responsibilities / ill health 90. Not having the time and money to prepare good food 91. Feeling embarrassed about using food 92. Depression 93. If you live in a deprived area, life expectancy drops dramatically 94. Social exclusion

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Dimension 3 - Lack of control – no escape: Lack of control over choices and opportunities leads to increased risk, [the] limiting of potential, [and to] being trapped in a repetitive cycle of poverty. Poverty is dehumanising.

Associated aspects of poverty: 1. Dungeon of boredom - Staring at same four walls. Chained up. Place where nothing happens 2. Too much time on your hands 3. Hard to find work 4. People are trapped in poverty 5. Boredom gives you a headache 6. Working in dead-end jobs for low pay and long hours on your feet 7. Time warp - Timing is never right. Every day seems the same, like ground-hog day, same challenges and same struggles 8. Wrong timing for things that happen (having a baby, holidays, birthdays, etc.) 9. Time: a concept weighing heavily or is meaningless, diminishing your ability to plan and structure your life. Lack of control 10. You are excluded from things because financially you can't do it (family gatherings, birthdays, special occasions etc.) 11. Lack of control, choices and opportunities, leads to increased risk, limited potential 12. Horizons being hugely restricted because your focus is on survival 13. Poverty means untapped potential for people and society 14. Poverty is like being fished by the net of society and being discarded for not being fit for purpose 15. An aspiration to get to something you will never get to 16. Choices but these are constrained by life circumstances 17. Poverty prevents those involved from getting a good start in life: for themselves and their family 18. The consequences of taking a risk are too dangerous 19. Like people not living in poverty, people in poverty can make poor decisions; however, unlike those not living in poverty, people in poverty have no margin for error 20. Being shown beautiful things that are obtainable but being left in the dark 21. Poverty means choosing between food and fun 22. School environment can create barriers for children living in poverty: Parents have to work, can’t come to parents' evening, non-school uniform days can highlight children living in poverty 23. Music – a luxury/ which those in poverty cannot access. Music is enriching but can be inaccessible

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24. Lack of resources leading to a lack of opportunity: sports clubs, private tuition, kit, cultural things, music, museum 25. Poverty is not just about money: there is poverty of education and exclusion from special things 26. Poverty leads to poorer outcomes in school (maybe because of low self-esteem and/or inability of parents to provide support) 27. Poor education outcomes lead to fewer job opportunities and more poverty 28. Poverty is a vicious circle: difficult to break the cycle 29. Exclusion from gardens and safe outside spaces means people in poverty are unable to grow their own food and feel connected with the natural world. Safe outside space of huge value 30. Poverty is dehumanising 31. Poverty is a generational multidimensional spider’s web almost impossible to get out of 32. People in poverty are often without common protections (eg. Different like travel contents) 33. Restricted and controlled; things put in the way of opportunities 34. Choices but these are constrained by life circumstances 35. Lack of opportunities: perceived lack of opportunity and actual lack of opportunities – self- censorship 36. Intangible inequalities qualitative experience: In society, poverty limits aspirations and dream The things that matter that are difficult to measure 37. Not in charge of our own destiny: lack of understanding by others leading to lack of control 38. Living beyond your means (trapped by being human/not having the means to live) 39. Restricted by judgement

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Dimension 4 - Financial insecurity, financial exclusion, and debt: Financial insecurity means not being able to satisfy your basic needs. Worrying about money all the time causes huge stress and misery.

Associated aspects of poverty: 1. Extreme things - some people spend extravagantly on things like holidays when others live in poverty and have absolutely nothing 2. Didn’t see love around me so looked outwardly to make me feel better and chase material possessions 3. Looking at others buying extravagant things, we want the same thing. Our self-esteem and pride gets hurt 4. Poverty feels like you are on the outside looking in – you cannot afford to take part 5. We need financial and pursuit of happiness 6. If you are starving it is difficult to think about anything else 7. Poverty curtails/limits and services 8. Financial : a kind of inaccessible citadel of wealth 9. Poverty is worrying about money all of the time 10. Poverty exacerbates/ is always chasing financial security which is unobtainable 11. Restricted access to forms of capital 12. Lack of affordability including in work poverty 13. Money – lack of money causes misery – pursuit of it and priority given to it creates most of the problems 14. Financial pressure leads to huge stress can have consequences linked to opportunities (lack of) and bad decisions 15. Negative financial impact: lack of money is one big aspect of poverty 16. Poverty means not being able to go on holiday 17. Just having the minimal and the daily basics not luxuries 18. There’s a lot of things going on in school that you can’t afford which catch you unawares (eg school trips, non uniforms days, school fetes, cake and bake activities etc) 19. Struggling with money 20. Struggling to survive on benefits 21. Poverty means not being able to go into posh and eat nice food 22. Not enough money to see live football 23. Providing for a baby or a child can be hard, because they grow so fast 24. Budgeting is hard when you are on benefits. You have to rob Peter to pay Paul. Can’t afford to pay your bills

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25. Making sure my kids have what they need not what they want 26. Not being able to see family because of money

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Dimension 5 - Coping mechanisms: Finding ways to live not just survive through overcoming a multitude of hurdles, [developing] coping mechanisms, survival reactions and resilience.

Associated aspects of poverty: 1. Families in poverty aren't recognised for the wealth of life-skills that they have 2. People on a low income have to budget and have to look after every penny and it’s a life skill 3. You’ve got to be creative with what you cook. You’ve got to use your imagination when you cook for a large family 4. Coping mechanisms – drink 5. Importance of (appropriate) charities and community groups 6. Broken but generous of spirit, solidarity and community spirit 7. Need for nourishment; not just food, [but] faith and education [too] 8. You need a miracle/ faith/hope to get out (the importance of churches - God can do anything, make a poor man a rich man, vice versa) 9. Hard way of life but it is a strength for learning to deal with things and to turn out the person I am today 10. Trying to break down walls and barriers with the stigma associated to poverty. 11. People have got the tools and know how to help you get out that rut, and change things 12. Pets help with depression and bad times 13. My boys help me keeping going and gives me a reason to get up in the morning 14. Hope and faith: resilience sparked by experience 15. Need to be resourceful (finding ways to be nourished)

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Dimension 6 - Systems, structures, and policies: Economic, political and social structures (including community and charity organisations) can sometimes cause poverty. Policy is operated in a way that disempowers. Systems designed to support people are not working in ways that people want. Systemic cuts in funds for needed services have created greater inequality.

Associated aspects of poverty: 1. Poverty is inequality - the difference between the haves and the have nots. 2. Poverty is a human rights issue - it impacts on the right to family life 3. Poverty means the rise of food banks in churches – and this is normalised to make the middle class feel better 4. For the moment there is no equality, even in the minds of people, people like power. 5. Poverty is amplified when wealth and poverty is side by side 6. Being disenfranchised because of being poor 7. Young people treated differently because of class 8. Poverty feels like a tangled web that you can never escape 9. Poverty means I don’t have the right to work 10. Poverty is being treated like cattle – you have no dignity and no identity 11. The Government (people in Foodbanks, MPs, Social workers) degrades people by judging them and making them think they can’t support their families. Food banks asking what you have spent your money on 12. Stereotyping that the government thinks that you can't budget your money to look after your family 13. Poverty is a lack of expectation and encouragement 14. The child tax 2 child policy encroaches on your human rights, moral and religious beliefs as parents because the government is dictating how many children they will support (maximum 2 children) so if you have any more you are on your own 15. Poverty means richer people feeding off working class initiatives. e.g. football 16. Poverty affects every aspect of one’s life 17. Long gaps between payments of benefits. Long initial wait (six weeks) with universal credit 18. People may lose their homes if they have to wait for the first payment of universal credit or cannot keep up with their payments 19. Relying on food banks to feed your family 20. People in work on low incomes have to rely on foodbanks 21. Period poverty 22. Neglected and failed by services

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23. Not fitting in with services ‘ground-rules’ leading to exclusions 24. Ability to engage with services, influence by negative past history 25. Impact on mothers (predominantly) as sole providers when children have so many needs as well as self. 26. Poverty has a negative impact on children and families, exhausted and overtired parents. Poverty takes time and focus away from family life 27. Poverty is a structural power over people, impact of capitalism, political ideology and the manoeuvring of the political machine. People being powerless, the system defined by power over the people. It is also about being pushed into poverty by environment and climate change, the ones most impacted have not contributed to the problem, link with power, politics and inequality. Poverty is a form of exploitation, it’s not a natural disaster, it’s man-made. Systems designed to create wealth also create poverty 28. Real problems in our communities undermine our capacity to campaign against real issues 29. We have things done to us – crushed, manipulated, divided, gagged to prevent a social movement to effect change 30. The system took our dignity and pride away, like the miners (their lost the fight and then were given hand-outs) 31. We have a nineteenth century system that does not fit the twenty-first century needs, it’s out of date 32. Homeless people roaming the streets and having to carry everything 33. Prime Minister (needs to be aware of their policies) 34. Fresh fruit and veg is supposed to be good. So why isn’t it free? 35. Destitution is the systems weapon of choice 36. They are the problem, we could be the solution 37. Poverty is man-made and man-managed – it could be sorted but we choose not to. Poverty means that things are done to us on purpose – at family and community level to suit the rich not the poor 38. Politicians are so out of touch, sitting in an office making decisions about communities they don't know anything about 39. Poverty means a system within which no-one is held to account for the consequences of their decisions 40. As an asylum seeker, poverty is a punishment – you cannot have cash, it restricts choice 41. Poverty doesn’t see value in us all – it stifles our growth as people 42. Poverty means women have no choice and no control of their own fertility – they feel that all they can do is have children 43. Barriers put in place that stop people progressing out of poverty, for example, social and economic policies are trapping people in poverty, to benefits, to work, health, housing, to food

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44. Poverty is not seen as core-business [by services required to focus on consequences not causes] 45. Poverty becomes invisible in social care practice 46. Economy has advanced but communities left behind systematically 47. Poverty is exacerbated by consumerism 48. All the tools we had to fight back have been stripped away in the name of austerity 49. We are kept in crisis at family level, community level, voluntary sector level – so we can’t fight back 50. Poverty means not being welcome in your community and being deliberately priced out 51. Our culture is being taken away from us – cooking, talking, simple things, which are not valued 52. The asylum system grossly limits the ways in which you can contribute to society (you have no right to work) 53. Poverty means being part of a system that leaves you waiting indefinitely in a state of fear and uncertainty 54. In the system you are a number instead of a person 55. The government needs to give more money so social workers get more appropriate training 56. Bureaucracy and accessibility of services: services meant to help people but access paths unclear and access is not straight forward 57. Political global forces, structural causes, power outside people ‘s control, poverty as structural power over people 58. Poverty is not inevitable and can be solved 59. Poverty is intersectional: discrimination, sexism, racism, homophobia 60. Poverty exists: need to ensure its never self-serving 61. Knowledge that other people may benefit from your poverty 62. Vested industry: poverty industry 63. People in ‘poverty’ industry must continue to be self-reflexive 64. The ‘poverty industry’ should not be viewed as the problem; rather it needs a strong positive identity that promotes its contribution to solving the problem 65. Politicians are so out of touch, sitting in an office making decisions about communities they don't know anything about 66. Look at the policies and procedures and have a person centred approach. Some services don’t look at what that person needs. Some services are just there to tick boxes 67. Services have not got the funding they need 68. Impact of austerity has destroyed a system designed to be supportive 69. Privileging war over people in poverty 70. Lack of safety net 17 Understanding Poverty in All its Forms September 2018

71. Individualisation of a systemic problem 72. Replaced by robots 73. Erosion of employment rights 74. Poverty is people making decisions that won’t affect them, who care more about numbers and not the people 75. Some social workers are very quick to break families up. Some social workers want to keep families together but they get overruled by managers. It is about the Department and not the workers 76. An intrusive but neglectful state

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