Everyone should have their basic needs met. This means that no one should live in poverty. Poverty means that people do not have sufficient material resources to adequately meet immediate material needs. This is related to the extent to which people have the resources to engage adequately in a life regarded as the “norm” in society. A family’s level of needs should reflect the size and composition of the household and other relevant factors that impact on needs.
Overcoming disadvantage
Disadvantage is not just about money and what it can buy – it affects every aspect of someone’s life, from their health and wellbeing to their social status and their ability to live the life that they want to live. Some people face additional disadvantages because of systemic discrimination based on their gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexuality or other personal characteristics, which exacerbate their socio-economic disadvantages.
Reducing wealth inequality
It’s not just about poverty and disadvantage; inequality is also a problem in itself. Wealth inequality is at the root of unfairness. The easiest way to become wealthy is to be wealthy already. People with lots of money can earn more than many working people just by watching their assets increase in value. People on high incomes but from poor backgrounds often can’t afford to buy a house. The link between effort and reward has been broken. We cannot claim that those at the top have earned their success through merit.
