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The English Housing Survey (EHS ) Fuel Poverty Datasets are comprised of fuel poverty variables derived from the EHS, and a number of EHS variables commonly used in fuel poverty reporting. The EHS is a continuous national survey commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government (MHCLG) that collects information about people's housing circumstances and the condition and energy efficiency of housing in England.

End User Licence and Special Licence Versions
Similar to the main EHS, two versions of the Fuel Poverty dataset are available from 2014 onwards. The Special Licence version contains additional, more detailed, variables, and is therefore subject to more restrictive access conditions. Users should check the End User Licence version first to see whether it meeds their needs, before making an application for the Special Licence version.

Fuel Poverty Dataset

Secondary modelling of EHS to derive fuel poverty income and energy consumption variables, The main fuel poverty metric in England is Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) and fuel poverty gap.

Further information may be found in the Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report: 2021 (2019 Data) on the gov.uk website.

The StatXplore Children in low-income families' local area statistics (CiLIF) provides information on the number of children living in Relative low income by local area across the United Kingdom.The summary Statistical Release and tables which also show the proportions of children living in low income families are available here: Children in low income families: local area statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Statistics on the number of children (by age) in low income families by financial year are published on Stat-Xplore. Figures are calibrated to the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) survey regional estimates of children in low income but provide more granular local area information not available from the HBAI, for example by Local Authority, Westminster Parliamentary Constituency and Ward.

Relative low-income is defined as a family in low income Before Housing Costs (BHC) in the reference year. A family must have claimed Child Benefit and at least one other household benefit (Universal Credit, tax credits, or Housing Benefit) at any point in the year to be classed as low income in these statistics. Gross income measure is Before Housing Costs (BHC) and includes contributions from earnings, state support and pensions.

This shows fuel poor households as a proportion of all households in the geographical area (modelled) using the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) measure. Since 2021 (2019 data) the LILEE indicator considers a household to be fuel poor if: it is living in a property with an energy efficiency rating of band D, E, F or G as determined by the most up-to-date Fuel Poverty Energy Efficiency Rating (FPEER) methodologyits disposable income (income after housing costs (AHC) and energy needs) would be below the poverty line. The Government is interested in the amount of energy people need to consume to have a warm, well-lit home, with hot water for everyday use, and the running of appliances. Therefore, fuel poverty is measured based on required energy bills rather than actual spending. This ensures that those households who have low energy bills simply because they actively limit their use of energy at home, Fuel poverty statistics are based on data from the English Housing Survey (EHS). Estimates of fuel poverty at the regional level are taken from the main fuel poverty statistics. Estimates at the sub-regional level should only be used to look at general trends and identify areas of particularly high or low fuel poverty. They should not be used to identify trends over time.Data is Powered by LG Inform Plus and automatically checked for new data on the 3rd of each month.

This data was generated as part of an 18 month ESRC funded project,as part of UKRI’s rapid response to COVID-19. The project examines how UK period poverty initiatives mitigated Covid-19 challenges in light of lockdown measures and closure of services, and how they continued to meet the needs of those experiencing period poverty across the UK. Applied social science research methodologies were utilised to collect and analyse data as this project, about the Covid-19 pandemic, was undertaken during an ongoing ‘real world’ pandemic. Data collection was divided into two phases. Phase 1 (October 2020 – February 2021) collected data from period poverty organisations in the UK using semi-structured interviews and an online survey to develop an in-depth understanding of how period poverty organisations were responding to and navigating the Covid-19 Pandemic. Having collected and analysed this data, phase 2 (June – September 2021) used an online survey to collect data from people experiencing period poverty in order to better understand their lived experiences during the pandemic. Our dataset comprises of phase 1 interview transcripts and online survey responses, and phase 2 online survey responses.

Period poverty refers not only to economic hardship with accessing period products, but also to a poverty of education, resources, rights and freedom from stigma for girls and menstruators (1). Since March 2020, and the introduction of lockdown/social distancing measures as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 1 of every 10 girls (aged 14-21) cannot afford period products and instead must use makeshift products (toilet roll, socks/other fabric, newspaper/paper). Nearly a quarter (22%) of those who can afford products struggle to access them, mostly because they cannot find them in the shops, or because their usual source/s is low on products/closed (2).

Community /non-profit initiatives face new challenges related to Covid-19 lockdown measures as they strive to continue to support those experiencing period poverty. Challenges include accessing stocks of period products, distribution of products given lockdown restrictions, availability of staff/volunteer assistance and the emergence of 'new' vulnerable groups. There is an urgent need to capture how initiatives are adapting to challenges, to continue to support the needs of those experiencing period poverty during the pandemic. This data is crucial to informing current practice, shaping policy, developing strategies within the ongoing crisis and any future crises, and ensuring women and girls' voices are centralised.

The project builds upon existing limited knowledge by providing insight into how UK based initiatives and projects are mitigating challenges linked to Covid-19, by examining how they are continuing to meet the needs of those experiencing period poverty and identifying any gaps in provision.

1. Montgomery P., et al., 2016. Menstruation and the Cycle of Poverty. PLoS ONE 11(12): e0166122.
2. Plan International UK, 2020. The State of Girls' Rights in the UK: Early insights into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on girls. London: Plan International UK

The English Housing Survey (EHS ) Fuel Poverty Datasets are comprised of fuel poverty variables derived from the EHS, and a number of EHS variables commonly used in fuel poverty reporting. The EHS is a continuous national survey commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Community and Local Government (MHCLG) that collects information about people's housing circumstances and the condition and energy efficiency of housing in England.

End User Licence and Special Licence Versions
Similar to the main EHS, two versions of the Fuel Poverty dataset are available from 2014 onwards. The Special Licence version contains additional, more detailed, variables, and is therefore subject to more restrictive access conditions. Users should check the End User Licence version first to see whether it meeds their needs, before making an application for the Special Licence version.

Fuel Poverty Dataset

The fuel poverty dataset is comprised of fuel poverty variables derived from the English Housing Survey (EHS), and a number of EHS variables commonly used in fuel poverty reporting. The fieldwork for the EHS is carried out each financial year (between April and March). The fuel poverty datasets combine data from two consecutive financial years. Full information on the EHS survey is available at the DLUHC EHS website and further information on Fuel Poverty and the EHS can be sought from FuelPoverty@beis.gov.uk and ehs@communities.gov.uk respectively. Guidance on use of EHS data provided by MHCLG should also be applied to the fuel poverty dataset.

Further information may be found in the Annual Fuel Poverty Statistics Report: 2021 (2019 Data) on the gov.uk website.

As of 2023/24 approximately 11.6 million people were living in relative poverty in the United Kingdom, with that number increasing to over 14.2 million when housing costs are considered.

This shows fuel poor households as a proportion of all households in the geographical area (modelled) using the Low Income Low Energy Efficiency (LILEE) measure. Since 2021 (2019 data) the LILEE indicator considers a household to be fuel poor if: it is living in a property with an energy efficiency rating of band D, E, F or G as determined by the most up-to-date Fuel Poverty Energy Efficiency Rating (FPEER) methodologyits disposable income (income after housing costs (AHC) and energy needs) would be below the poverty line. The Government is interested in the amount of energy people need to consume to have a warm, well-lit home, with hot water for everyday use, and the running of appliances. Therefore, fuel poverty is measured based on required energy bills rather than actual spending. This ensures that those households who have low energy bills simply because they actively limit their use of energy at home, Fuel poverty statistics are based on data from the English Housing Survey (EHS). Estimates of fuel poverty at the regional level are taken from the main fuel poverty statistics. Estimates at the sub-regional level should only be used to look at general trends and identify areas of particularly high or low fuel poverty. They should not be used to identify trends over time.Data is Powered by LG Inform Plus and automatically checked for new data on the 3rd of each month.

Author:Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ)Creation date:April 2023Date of source data harvest:July 2024 Temporal coverage of source data:2021Spatial Resolution:Lower Super Output Area (LSOA)Geometry:PolygonSource data URL:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2023-2021-dataData terms of use:Open Government Licence v3 - Dataset can be shared openly for reuse for commercial and non-commercial purposes, with appropriate attribution.Data attribution:- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. - Dataset processed by Buro Happold in 2024 as part of the CIEN & South London sub-regional LAEPs.Workflow Diagram:Not available.Comments:The data and analysis developed for the sub-regional LAEP was undertaken using data available at the time and will need to be refined for a full Phase 2 LAEP. Please check here for more detailed background on the data.Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data, the Greater London Authority is not responsible for any inaccuracies and/or mistakes in the information provided.

The Checking Out project is a small qualitative study exploring attitudes towards, and experiences of, death and dying in low-income communities in the UK. The aims of the project are to explore the notion of ‘a good death’ within low-income communities, to understand the impact of poverty on experiences of end of life and bereavement and to advance understanding of the ways in which fear, stigma and trust impact on communication, relations (between patients, carers, families, social networks, healthcare professionals and organisations) and access to end-of-life care. This dataset includes interviews with bereaved individuals (n=14) and professionals involved in supporting people experiencing poverty at end of life or in bereavement (n = 15) and represents one strand of the Checking Out study.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.