We were pleased to attend this conference at the end of June, held at Liverpool Hope University Creative Campus, hosted by the newly launched Poverty Research and Advocacy Network (PRAN).
As one of our dual charitable aims is the reduction of fuel poverty across Cheshire and Merseyside, we were keen to offer our local insights, and help drive the conversation, while learning as much as we can about other work in the arena of poverty prevention/relief.
As well as attending as delegates, Katie (pictured, above) delivered an advice stall over lunch, to show other delegates the kind of stall we deliver at community events, and offer them the opportunity to take away some of our literature, and subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter.
During the final discussion panel, Dominic (pictured right, 3rd from left) was challenged to define “what good would look like” in terms of the eradication of poverty. Dominic outlined the current definition of fuel poverty in England, which is:
- The property has an EPC rating of E-G, and
- The total net household income would be pushed below the poverty line, should the household heat their home to a sufficient standard.
UK government’s intention to raise as many fuel poor properties as practicable to an EPC rating of A-C by 2030 will essentially eliminate fuel poverty in England, under this current definition. However, Dominic was keen to point out that our work would continue to assist people who struggle to afford to heat their homes sufficiently. We will therefore need to increase our use of the term “Affordable Warmth” in place of “Fuel Poverty” to describe the work we do.
Dominic suggested the current definition of poverty as being households earning below 60% of the median national income means poverty will be with us forever. Even if all households can afford to thrive and do not consider themselves poor, there will always be somebody earning below 60% of the median national income. Therefore, to eradicate poverty we need to redefine it in terms of “absolute” rather than “relative” poverty, and we can only then set targets to reduce it and ultimately eradicate it.