If you ever thought that living in such a beautiful place like the United Kingdom is a bed of roses, maybe this video will change your mind.
According to an article by the Guardian, poverty is a problem that is pursuing at least 22% of the United Kingdom, with around 10% of the population in deep poverty. However, the worst has yet to come - these numbers are still continuing to rise. In fact, these figures have been rising over the past decade or so.
causes
The key causes of poverty are the lack of jobs and inability to work. 42% of all families below the UK poverty line contain no working members.
In some families, the main breadwinners suffer from a health condition or have a disability. The medical bills for treatments bleed into their already limited household funds, causing them to slip into poverty. Also, the rise in medical fees puts a burden on medical resources and the government. As a result, the government increases taxes, so people have to pay more money to fund these resources. When this happens, families become even more financially burdened.
When people are out of work or earn insufficient amounts of money, it is often expected that the tax system will act as a safety net - it is assumed that part of the tax goes to them or they are not required to pay as much tax as those financially able. However, benefits are set at levels that still leave recipients leaving below the poverty line.
For sure, there are those who opt not to work. Even though the working industry has a wide range of jobs, there may be a lack of them that match skills and qualifications of unemployed people. Alternatively, many of these jobs are not an option to the unemployed, as they are not close enough to their houses. Thus, even more money needs to be spent on transportation. Hence, working is not a realistic option for some people.
Another factor which leads to poverty is discrimination. A secret filming by a BBC documentary showed that Muslim job-seekers in Bristol (part of England) have to make more applications to even make it to the interview round. Click here to view the full report.
In some families, the main breadwinners suffer from a health condition or have a disability. The medical bills for treatments bleed into their already limited household funds, causing them to slip into poverty. Also, the rise in medical fees puts a burden on medical resources and the government. As a result, the government increases taxes, so people have to pay more money to fund these resources. When this happens, families become even more financially burdened.
When people are out of work or earn insufficient amounts of money, it is often expected that the tax system will act as a safety net - it is assumed that part of the tax goes to them or they are not required to pay as much tax as those financially able. However, benefits are set at levels that still leave recipients leaving below the poverty line.
For sure, there are those who opt not to work. Even though the working industry has a wide range of jobs, there may be a lack of them that match skills and qualifications of unemployed people. Alternatively, many of these jobs are not an option to the unemployed, as they are not close enough to their houses. Thus, even more money needs to be spent on transportation. Hence, working is not a realistic option for some people.
Another factor which leads to poverty is discrimination. A secret filming by a BBC documentary showed that Muslim job-seekers in Bristol (part of England) have to make more applications to even make it to the interview round. Click here to view the full report.
effects
If this continuous discrimination continues, many people will resort to taking part in illegal activities to earn money. They are more likely to be involved in drugs, gang behaviour and even nasty political campaigns.
Also, poor children in the UK are not as well-educated. This financial difficulty is passed on from generation to generation, leaving about 794 000 people repaying government loans from their insufficient benefits or earnings.
Also, poor children in the UK are not as well-educated. This financial difficulty is passed on from generation to generation, leaving about 794 000 people repaying government loans from their insufficient benefits or earnings.