Poverty in the UK today Based on 2006 figures Child poverty In the UK 3.4 million children live in poverty, many well below the poverty line. Pensioner poverty is falling but theres still up to 4.2 billion in benefits left unclaimed. Older age poverty Half of all part-time workers the majority women were paid less than 6.50. Half of all children living in income poverty live in households where someone is in paid work. Low pay A single person whos not working receives 57 a week in Income Support, the same as a decade ago. Benefits Asylum seekers arent allowed to work but receive a third less support than UK citizens on Income Support. Most asylum applications are refused. In June 2006, only 6,400 refused asylum seekers received government support. The rest received nothing. Thousands of asylum seekers are hungry and homeless because of deliberate policy and bureaucratic errors. Refugees and asylum seekers The number of households in temporary accommodation has increased by nearly 120 per cent since Housing and homelessness At 30 per cent, the poverty rate for disabled adults is twice that for non-disabled adults, a difference markedly higher than a decade ago. A graduate with a work- limiting disability is more likely to be lacking but wanting work than an unqualified person with no disability. Disability At 30 per cent, the income poverty rate among Indians and Black Caribbeans is much higher than the 20 per cent among White British. Ethnic groups Child poverty The UK has one of the highest rates of child poverty in Europe. Older age poverty Between 1.8 and 2 million pensioners still live in poverty. Half of these people live in deep poverty, well below the breadline. Benefits for both families with children and pensioners have increased by around a third in real terms since Benefits In Britain today, 1.5 million children thats one in seven are suffering in bad housing. Housing and homelessness A third of older people from ethnic minorities live in poverty. Ethnic groups