Glossary

Asylum Seeker

A person who, for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, fears persecution in the country of their birth and wishes to live in another country

BME

Black & Minority Ethnic

Benefit recipiency levels

the proportion of working-age adults receiving out-of-work benefits

Contributory benefits

Contributory benefits are paid to an individual who has made sufficient national insurance contributions.

Employment and Support Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is replacing Incapacity Benefit (IB) for out-of-work adults with disabilities or who are ill. There are two rates of ESA, one for those assessed as able to work and one for those not able to work, the former rate being higher than the JSA rate. Neither is above the poverty threshold. There is a contribution- based version of ESA. Unlike JSA, it is not time limited.

Ethnicity

characteristics of a group with distinctive cultural, linguistic and/or religious ties

Homeless

To be formally recognised as homeless, the person or household must either lack a 'licence to occupy' a home, be unable to access their normal accommodation, or it must be considered unreasonable for them to have to occupy the home they are in

(Adapted from the Housing Act 1996 Part VII para 175)

In-work tax credits

Child and Working Tax credits (CTC and WTC)

CTC is a means-tested payment for people with dependent children, whether in or out of work. However, this analysis only uses the part payable to families in-work.

WTC is a means-tested payment for working people on a low income

Adapted from http://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

Incapacity Benefit

Given to people who cannot work because of illness or disability. It is paid if Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has ended or the individual cannot get SSP. Claimants must have paid NI contributions and been incapable of work because of sickness or disability for at least 4 days in a row including weekends and public holidays.

Since October 2008 new claimants have received an Employment and Support Allowance. This allowance will eventually replace Incapacity Benefit

(Taken from DWP website)

Income Support

Income Support (IS) is means-tested benefit paid to out-of-work adults including lone parents of young children and people with caring responsibilities. It is below the poverty threshold.

Income poverty

A household is considered to be in income poverty (or low income) if its income is less than 60% of median household income. This measure is used by the Government in its child poverty target and is in common usage across the European Union. In 2006/7, a single adult would be classed as in income poverty if his/her income was less than £112 a week (after housing costs)

Income related benefits are paid to 'families' (singles or couples, with or without dependent
children) with little or no other family income or savings.

Infant mortality

Death occurring before twelve months

Inner London

Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster

Job Seeker's Allowance

Job seeker's allowance (JSA) is paid to those out-of-work but actively seeking it. There is both an income-based and contribution-based version of this benefit. The contribution- based version is limited to six months, after which a claimant may receive the income-based benefit, or no benefit at all, depending on their family income. In 2009, the basic rate of JSA was £64.30 per week for a single adult and £100.95 for a couple. 'Receiving JSA' is not the same as 'unemployment', which is measured via a household survey.

Key out-of-work benefits

Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Incapacity Benefit (IB), Severe Disablement Allowance, Carer's Allowance. Disability Living Allowance is not a key out-of-work benefit as it is available to people who may be in work and is not means-tested.

Lacking but not wanting work

Someone of working-age who is not officially unemployed and does not want work

Lacking but wanting work

Someone who is either unemployed or wanting work but not available to start work or wanting work but not actively seeking work

Level 4 at KS2

an educational standard for 11-year-olds.

Limiting long-standing or long-term illness

Illnesses which last longer than a year, are usually degenerative, and cause limitations to physical, mental and/or social well-being

London living wage

Nearly 100 employers in the capital are now paying the London living wage, including Barclays, Westfield, the London School of Economics and Transport for London. It is based on a calculated 'poverty threshold wage', but with an additional 15% added to ensure a 'decent' standard of living for the recipient. In 2010, the London living wage was set at £7.85 by the Greater London Authority. More on the living wage campaign.

Low pay

The most commonly used threshold is 60% of median male full-time hourly earnings. This was £7.50 in 2008 and is the threshold used throughout this website.

Maintained schools

Those that are funded by the local authority, including academies, community schools and voluntary-aided schools

NEETs

16 to 19-year-olds 'not in education, employment or training'

Obese

With a body mass index over 30

Official ethnic classifications

The current official classification – used in the census and in many of the official datasets used in this research – is based on the following 16-way division:

White, comprising White British, White Irish, and White Other
Asian or Asian British, comprising Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Other Asian
Black or Black British, comprising, Black Caribbean, Black African, and Black Other
Chinese, and Other
Mixed, comprising White and Black Caribbean, White and Black African, White and Asian, and Any Other Mixed

In some of the low income analysis, White British and White Other are grouped together to enable comparisons over time, as the White Other group was only introduced in the relevant dataset in 2001. In some datasets, White Irish are included as White Other. ONS estimate that White Irish make up around one fifth of this larger White Other group.

Moreover, these definitions assign an ethnicity to the household, rather than the individuals in the household, based on the ethnicity of the head of the household.

The 'Other' and 'Mixed' groups are not analysed either collectively or separately on grounds of sample reliability. Given the diversity within the groups, we do not present an analysis of, for instance, All Other, or All Mixed.

Outer London

Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bromley, Bexley, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Waltham Forest

Overcrowding

The definition of overcrowding used here is that used in the 2001 Census. It is based on a calculation of how many rooms are needed for that household, taking into account its size and composition. Any household lacking one or more rooms compared to the calculation would be defined as overcrowded.

Owner occupier

Someone who owns the home they live in

Pension Credit Guarantee

Paid to those pensioners who have little or no income. In 2008 the guarantee brought a pensioner's income to £124.05 a week for single pensioners and £189.35 a week for pensioner couples

Premature death

Occurring under the age of 65

Private renter

Someone who rents their accommodation from the private sector

Quartile

25% of the relevant population ordered according to the measure being discussed

Rough Sleeping

The practice of sleeping, or bedding down, in the open air or in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats or stations)

(Adapted from 'Guidance on evaluating the extent of rough sleeping', DCLG, 2007 Revision)

Someone who rents their accommodation from their local authority or another "affordable housing" provider

Temporary Accommodation

Otherwise known as "interim" or "emergency" accommodation in B&Bs, hostels, bedsits and flats. People who are recognised as homeless by their local authorities are housed in temporary accommodation until their needs have been properly assessed and suitable accommodation found

Undocumented Migrants

People who entered the UK legally and stayed without acquiring a right of residency, and people who entered the UK illegally and never acquired the right of residence

Unemployed

Someone wanting and actively seeking work who is available to start a full-time job straightaway

Workless

People who are not working but want a job and those people who are officially unemployed make up a group who can be described as 'lacking work but wanting work'. Anyone else of working-age who is not working is therefore 'lacking work but not wanting work'. The total workless population therefore includes those lacking and wanting work as well as those lacking but not wanting work.