1. Poverty in the UK: a quiz
This quiz has been put together using the latest available information and definitions from official sources which monitor poverty and social inclusion statistics in the UK.
For more information, see

2. C. Over 2,000 times How many times is poverty mentioned in the Bible?
Fewer than 500 times
Around 1,000 times
Over 2,000 times
C. Over 2,000 times
The Poverty and Justice Bible highlights almost 3,000 verses where the Bible addresses issues of poverty and justice.

3. C. 1 in 5 (13.5 million) How many people in the UK live in poverty?

4. According to members of the public, how much do a couple with two school-aged children need per year to maintain a minimum standard of living?
£15,356
£20,024
£26,512
B. £20,024

5. How much is the UK National ‘Living’ Wage as a full-time salary?
£12,305
£14,974
£18,635
B. £14,974
This is only 75% of the amount really
needed to support a typical household.

6. What percentage of the UK’s benefit bill goes to unemployed working-age adults to supplement their income? %? 5%
25%
45%
A. 5%
Unemployed working-age adults are the smallest group of people receiving benefits. Most benefits cover rent or go to other groups, such as disabled people or those working on low incomes.

7. Which Old Testament story shows how the practice of gleaning enabled the poor and widows to earn enough to live on?
Esther
Ruth
Job
B. Ruth
Ruth supported herself and her mother-in-law by gleaning, or gathering the left-overs from the harvest, when they became widows and lost their traditional means of support.

8. What percentage of children living in poverty are in a household where someone is in paid work?
17%
36%
66%
C. 66%
Working poverty has a terrible impact
on family life.

9. B. People from the streets
In the parable of the Great Feast, who responded to the king’s invitation and came to the banquet?
Farmers
People from the streets
Business men and women
B. People from the streets
Everyone else made excuses.

10. A. 8th highest 8th highest 12th highest 16th highest
Within the 27 countries of the European Union, where does the UK rank in terms of the percentage of people living in poverty?
8th highest
12th highest
16th highest
A. 8th highest
Only Latvia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Estonia, Spain and Italy have worse poverty rates. Yet the UK has the third highest GDP in the European Union.

11. C. £70 billion £2 billion £5 billion £70 billion
The cost of benefit fraud is £1.5 billion a year. How much is lost due to tax evasion by companies and wealthy individuals?
£2 billion
£5 billion
£70 billion
C. £70 billion
The government claims that ‘only’ £26 billion of tax is illegally evaded in the UK each year, but World Bank data suggests £70 billion. The total Tax Gap, including legal avoidance, may be £120 billion.

12. A. Pakistani and Bangladeshi
Which of these ethnic groups has the highest level of poverty?
Pakistani and Bangladeshi
Black non-Caribbean
White
A. Pakistani and Bangladeshi
60% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi people live in poverty, compared to 48% of Black non-Caribbean people and 20% of White people.

13. B. Amos Jeremiah Amos Micah
Which prophet pronounced doom on Israel because they used inflated prices and dishonest scales to cheat the poor?
Jeremiah
Amos
Micah
B. Amos
Amos pronounced God’s judgement on Israel because although they worshipped God and followed the letter of the law, they did not keep to the spirit of the law - which was to bring justice.