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Child Poverty Measurement in the UK: Assessing Support for the Downgrading of Income-Based Poverty Measures

Author

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  • Kitty Stewart

    (London School of Economics and Political Science)

  • Nick Roberts

    (Kantar Public)

Abstract

In 2016 the UK’s Conservative Government radically changed the official approach to child poverty measurement, scrapping targets for income poverty and material deprivation and introducing instead indicators of household ‘worklessness’ and children’s educational attainment at age 16. This paper seeks to assess the extent of support for this move among a range of national experts. The paper briefly reviews the way that poverty has been conceptualized by researchers going back to Booth and Rowntree, before going on to examine 251 responses to a 2012–2013 UK government consultation on child poverty measurement. By drawing on the consultation, the paper is able to consider the views of those working in local authorities, children’s charities and frontline services as well as academic researchers. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to the literature on poverty measurement by considering a wider set of voices than are often heard. The paper identifies very clear and broad-based support for an approach to poverty measurement that has income and material deprivation at its heart. Out of 251 responses, just two advocate removing income from poverty measurement. Responses also overwhelmingly reflect a relative understanding of poverty. There is fairly limited support for a multidimensional approach, and the paper reflects on why this might be, given a shift to more multidimensional thinking about poverty globally. It concludes that poverty measurement is highly political: what is measured drives policy, and preferences for indicators therefore reflect, at least in part, current political concerns about how best to hold government to account.

Suggested Citation

  • Kitty Stewart & Nick Roberts, 2019. "Child Poverty Measurement in the UK: Assessing Support for the Downgrading of Income-Based Poverty Measures," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 142(2), pages 523-542, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:142:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1007_s11205-018-1880-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-018-1880-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sen, Amartya, 2001. "Development as Freedom," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192893307.
    2. Nolan, Brian & Whelan, Christopher T., 1996. "Resources, Deprivation, and Poverty," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198287858.
    3. Nick Roberts & Kitty Stewart, 2016. "How do experts think child poverty should be measured in the UK? An analysis of the Coalition Government’s consultation on child poverty measurement 2012-13," CASE Papers /197, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.
    4. Alan Gillie, 1996. "The origin of the poverty line," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 49(4), pages 715-730, November.
    5. Hills, John, 2004. "Inequality and the State," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199276646.
    6. Nolan, Brian & Whelan, Christopher T., 2011. "Poverty and Deprivation in Europe," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199588435.
    7. Amartya Sen, 2000. "A Decade of Human Development," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(1), pages 17-23.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cooper, Kerris & Hills, John, 2021. "The Conservative governments’ record on social security: policies, spending and outcomes, May 2015 to pre-COVID 2020," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121553, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Ana Maria Nicoriciu & Mark Elliot, 2023. "Families of children with disabilities: income poverty, material deprivation, and unpaid care in the UK," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Stewart, Kitty & Reader, Mary, 2021. "The Conservative governments' record on early childhood from May 2015 to pre-COVID 2020: policies, spending and outcomes," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121552, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Ingrid Robeyns & Vincent Buskens & Arnout Rijt & Nina Vergeldt & Tanja Lippe, 2021. "How Rich is Too Rich? Measuring the Riches Line," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(1), pages 115-143, February.
    5. Kerris Cooper & John Hills, 2021. "The Conservative Governments’ Record on Social Security: Policies, Spending and Outcomes, May 2015 to pre-COVID 2020," CASE - Social Policies and Distributional Outcomes Research Papers 10, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, LSE.

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