Do you put a figure on the amount need for the bare necessities of life in present-day Britain?  The Joseph Rowntree Foundation thinks it knows - though it admits that not everybody will agree. The answer is £13,400 for a single person, rising to about £25,000 for a couple with four children.

The problem is defining what bare essentials are these days. They’re not talking about  
just keeping body and soul together with a bowl of gruel and a chipped mug of rainwater. The Foundation have hit upon the concept of an ‘acceptable minimum’ standard of  living – in a country that has just enjoyed one of the longest consumer booms in human history, and the place is awash with goods of every description.

They persuaded 11 panels of people drawn from all social groups to get together and draw up lists, not just of goods but also of activities that mean a degree of participation in community life – such as an occasional night out with friends.

They had to decide between necessities and luxuries: what is essential for a reasonable standard of living and what can be done without.

What they came up with can be controversial: cigarettes are a luxury, and so are a car and internet access, but alcohol is a necessity. A single parent is also entitled to the odd treat, such as a bar of chocolate and £15 worth of social activities. Trainers are a necessity for young adults, but not the latest top-of-the-range designer brand. The same goes for TVs, DVD players and so on. Christmas presents are essential for a family with young children, but they don’t have to be lavish: the total allocation for Christmas is just £360.

The Foundation hopes these findings will lay to rest the arguments about what constitutes poverty in a wealthy country like this one. But don’t bank on it. The criticism has already started – for example, from people in rural areas without public transport, who would be marooned without a car, and from housebound people who would be isolated and even unable to shop without the internet.

www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/

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