The poor often pay more4 September 2014

Henk Van Hootegem,Steunpunt tot bestrijding van armoede, bestaansonzekerheiden sociale uitsluitingCombat Poverty, Insecurity and Social Exclusion Servicewww.armoedebestrijding.bewww.combatpoverty.behenk.vanhootegem@cntr.be – 0032 2 212.31.71

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Plan

1. Short presentation of the Combat Poverty Service

2. Some characteristics of poverty3. The poor often pay more…4. Technology in the fight against

poverty?5. But… act carefully6. Some key messages

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1. Short presentation of the Combat Poverty Service

• interfederal public institution, with its legal base in a collaboration agreement between the federal State, the Regions and the Communities, approved by the Parliaments (1999)

• the Service organises dialogues with the participation of different actors, with a special attention on people living in poverty and their organisations (co-creation !); it evaluates the respect for the fundamental rights

• the results of these thematical exchanges/dialogues (recommandations) are published in the bi-annual reports of the Service, adressed to the different governments, parliaments and their advisory structures

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• knowledge about poverty is based on– documents from the different actors in the field, scientists,

administrations– the dialogue with these actors– research

• website:– publications of the Service– other reports about poverty– jurisprudence– facts and figures, in the form of questions and answers

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2. Some characteristics of poverty

• multi-dimensional: not only income but also work, housing, culture, mobility, …

• diversity of situations• young people (and older persons)• single persons (and families)• rural (and urban)• ‘new poor’ (and generational poverty)• …

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Source: Samarcande association, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, SOS Jeunes-Quartier libre asbl (2008) Jeunes en ville,Bruxelles à dos ? L’appropriation de l’espace urbain bruxellois par des jeunes de différents quartiers , Inter-EnvironnementBruxelles, Bruxelles, p.54

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Source: Samarcande association, Inter-Environnement Bruxelles, SOS Jeunes-Quartier libre asbl (2008) Jeunes en ville,Bruxelles à dos ? L’appropriation de l’espace urbain bruxellois par des jeunes de différents quartiers , Inter-EnvironnementBruxelles, Bruxelles, p.54

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Intersections of Europe 2020 Poverty Target Indicators, SILC 2012, Eurostat.

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Mol8,95

Geel8,86

Antwerpen29,5

Brecht5,19

Ravels5,7

Lille5,44

Balen7,21

Malle6,05

Retie5,09

Lier11,79

Hoogstraten4,81

Essen5,81

Kasterlee5,87

Ranst4,6

Wuustwezel6,73

Herselt7,43

Nijlen4,93

Mechelen22,48

Putte5,29

Turnhout15,09

Westerlo6,16

Kalmthout6,25

Bornem6,04

Puurs6,11

Arendonk5,69

Laakdal7,68

Beerse6,64

Zoersel4,58

Herentals8,51

Schilde3,96

Olen6,16

Heist-op-den-Berg7,18

Merksplas4,7

Rijkevorsel6,04

Kapellen5,5

Dessel5,9

Duffel7,63

Meerhout8,4

Schoten6,95

Zandhoven4,56

Brasschaat6,76

Berlaar6,11

Kontich5,91

Vorselaar7,61

Bonheiden4,29

Boechout5,18

Herenthout7,77

Sint-Katelijne-Waver5,48

Rumst5,24

Oud-Turnhout3,83

Willebroek12,58

Stabroek6,3

Grobbendonk5,29

Hulshout6,91

Zwijndrecht10,45

Lint4,53

Boom16,85

Sint-Amands7,27

Niel9,62

Vosselaar4,78

Hove3,34

Aartselaar5,37

Mortsel11,22

Schelle6,28

Edegem6,83

Wommelgem5,18

Wijnegem6,39

Hemiksem9,32

Borsbeek12,6

Baarle-Hertog4,64

0-19 jarigen titularis of ten laste voorkeurregeling ziekteverzekering, in % van 0-19 jarigen (2012)

3,34 - 4,00

4,29 - 5,00

5,09 - 6,14

6,16 - 7,50

7,61 - 10,78

11,22 - 13,00

15,09 - 17,00

22,48 - 29,50

Mediaan provincie Antwerpen: 6,14Vlaanderen: 10,78

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Mol23,12

Geel29,24

Antwerpen25,64

Brecht22,88

Ravels25,93

Balen27,08

Lille31,26

Malle25,97

Lier25,91

Retie26,33

Hoogstraten27

Essen21,5

Kasterlee25,61

Ranst21,47

Wuustwezel25,73

Herselt30,06

Nijlen34,57

Mechelen25,67

Turnhout23,75

Westerlo25,24

Putte33,54

Kalmthout17,77

Bornem23,8

Puurs28,22

Arendonk24,58

Laakdal26,99

Beerse22,79

Zoersel19,33

Herentals27,7

Schilde12,8

Heist-op-den-Berg34,39

Merksplas28,94

Rijkevorsel29,65

Kapellen12,45

Olen22,62

Dessel24,98

Duffel26,34

Meerhout28,1

Schoten15,16

Zandhoven26,48

Brasschaat14,24

Berlaar35,61

Kontich16,49

Vorselaar36,92

Bonheiden22

Boechout19,47

Herenthout36,7

Sint-Katelijne-Waver30,1

Rumst19,74

Oud-Turnhout17,79

Willebroek23,83

Stabroek14,1

Grobbendonk27,64

Hulshout34,64

Zwijndrecht15,7

Boom25,15

Sint-Amands32,47

Vosselaar17,23

Hove11,59

Aartselaar13,6

Mortsel15,9

Schelle17,4

Edegem13,12

Lint16,56

Wommelgem19,95

Niel22,59

Wijnegem21,43

Hemiksem19,32

Borsbeek16,87

Baarle-Hertog26,49

>=60 jarigen titularis voorkeurregeling ziekteverzekering of persoon ten laste, in procent van >=60 jarigen (2012)

11,59 - 15,00

15,16 - 20,00

21,43 - 24,78

24,98 - 26,86

26,99 - 30,00

30,06 - 35,00

35,61 - 36,92

Mediaan provincie Antwerpen: 24,76Vlaanderen: 26,86

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3. The poor often pay more

• People in poverty spend a greater part of their income for basic needs• housing!• consumption

• When you rent a house, there are less investments in installations for saving energy and water. When you have a lower budget, you can’t afford some saving energy devices (refrigerator, …)

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Figuur 3 Prijsverloop per inkomensklasse

J anuari 1996 = 100, rechter schaal in procentpunt

Bron: ADSEI, berekeningen FPB

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

3,0

3,5

4,0

4,5

5,0

100

105

110

115

120

125

2006M1 2007M1 2008M1 2009M1 2010M1 2011M1 2012M1 2013M1

Inkomensklasse 1 Inkomensklasse 4Consumptieprijsindex (CPI) GezondheidsindexVerschil inkomensklasse 1 - 4 (rechter schaal)

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Figuur 4

Bron: ADSEI (HBO), berekeningen FOD Sociale Zekerheid

Consumptiequote van de huishoudens per kwintiel

In % van het beschikbaar inkomen (2010)

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

110%

120%

1 2 3 4 5

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Housing cost overburden rate, by income quintile and by poverty status:This indicator is defined as the percentage of the population living in ahousehold where the total housing costs (net of housing allowances) represent more than 40% of the total disposable household income (net of housing allowances), presented by income quintile and by poverty status.

Source of Data: Eurostat, SILC

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• People in poverty sometimes put off doctor visits for lack of money, leading to worse health (and more spending in the long term)

• Living in bad housing situations leads to health problems

• If you can’t afford a monthy plan for your mobile, …: you pay higher rates with prepaid cards

• Discounts for goods in a larger amount

• ‘Matthew effect’, e.g. tax deductions

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4. Technology in the fight against poverty?

• Some initiatives of social innovation: maybe we can use the words ‘social engineering’ ? • Community Land Trust (Brussels, Ghent, …)• ‘saving groups’ (save money in group so one family can

pay the advance when they buy a house and take a mortgage)

• working with food surplusses• sharing things, …• cooperations

• Technology as an instrument in:• saving money (information about prices, …)• sharing (in mobility, in material, …)• giving information (on the moment that people need

information)• take-up of rights (e.g. Cultuurpas, third-party payer

system)

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5. But… act carefully

• Dangers are:• risk of more control• perverse effects (e.g. smart energy grids: more diversity

and complexity of tariff plans of energy)• stigmatisation

• Digital divideSilc 2012: enforced lack of a computer

under poverty line = 9,8 %above the poverty line = 1,5 %

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6. Some key messages

• work together with people in poverty and their organisations, listen, and exchange

• also involve social workers and other professionals

• be attentively to perverse effects of initiatives

• be attentively to stigmatisation effects

• don’t forget that we need structural change: more quality jobs, more equilaty in education, more affordable and qualitative houses, …

• but… there are many opportunities, in co-creation!

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Thank you!

henk.vanhootegem@cntr.be

www.armoedebestrijding.be

www.combatpoverty.be

Tel. 32(0)2 212 31 71