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Clothing.—There are certain sources of information available about the cost of clothing. R. F.
George, in the paper referred to above, comes to the following conclusions:—
s. d.
Annual cost in 1936 for a man 47 6
,, ,, woman 34 0
,, ,, child (10 years) 30 0
Note.—Mr. R. F. George states at the beginning of his paper: "It should be emphasised
at the very outset that under no circumstances can the "Poverty Line" be regarded
as a desirable level. It seeks to assess the cost of a standard of living so low, that while
persons below it are in extreme poverty, those just above it would commonly be regarded
as very poor."
The Willesden Education Authority with the approval of the Home Office pay under the
Children and Young Persons Act, 1933, £4 per annum for clothing for children (under 14 years) and
£6 per annum for clothing for young persons (14 and under 17 years).
Enquiries made by this department amongst a limited number of families receiving school
meals show that the cost of clothing per head of the family is 1s. per week. This is probably a low
average and is accounted for by the fact that in most of the families there were older children whose
clothes were made down for the younger.
In view of these figures the cost of clothing per head of the family may be put at 1s. 6d. per week.
Heating and Lighting.—The figures given for Heating and Lighting by R. F. George in his
paper referred to above for an average family of 4 or 5 are:—
Heating 9d. per head per week.
Lighting l.25d per head per week.
Enquiries made in a limited number of Willesden families where the children were receiving
school meals showed that the cost of heating and lighting averaged 1s. per head per week.
Sundries.—These include cleaning materials, replacements, haircutting, postages, stationery,
recreation, unforeseen expenditure, etc. No figure for such sundries is included in the paper by
R. F. George except for cleaning materials which is estimated at about 2d. per head per week for a
family of 4 or 5 persons.
From the enquiries made in a limited number of families receiving school meals in Willesden
the average cost of sundries as defined above was 9d. per head per week.
Total Cost.—Having regard to all the preceding factors it is therefore deduced that the weekly
cost of upkeep of the average member of a family living with few, if any, of the comforts of life is:—
s. d.
Food 6 1
Clothing 1 6
Heating and Lighting 1 0
Sundries, including cleaning materials, replacements, etc. 0 9
9 4
Economic Circumstances of Families Receiving School Meals.
The economic circumstances per head per week of families receiving school meals is a net figure
obtained by deducting the outgoings from the income and dividing the result by the number in the
family.
Income per week includes:—
(1) Average income per week (average for last 4 weeks is taken) including amount paid for
National Health and Unemployment Insurance by applicant.
(2) Contributions from children under 14 years earning.
(3) Relief received from Public Assistance Committee.
(4) Pension or treatment or special diet allowance in the case of ex-service men.
(5) Contributions from sons in Navy, Army or Air Force.
(6) Union Unemployment money.
(7) National Insurance Unemployment money.
(8) National Insurance Sick Benefit.
(9) Amount received from lodgers (children over 14 years of age working are reckoned as
lodgers). Any amount over 12s. per lodger is reckoned as income.
(10) Letting, the whole amount received taken as income.
(11) Any other source.