The great economic crisis of 2008 that the world experienced has further increased inequalities in society. Thousands of people have been affected, leaving many families in a situation of social exclusion. This phenomenon has been particularly accentuated in the most vulnerable environments; the consequence is that the demand for social services in the fight against poverty has increased considerably.
Poverty is generally linked to low income levels; however, there is no universal or absolute test, but a relative criterion, relating to the time of measurement and the average level of income in a given territorial area (Del Barrio, 2014).
- First.
- We must understand that the concept of poverty is multidimensional.
- There is no unidirectional approach and affects only one area.
- So we want to go a little further and differentiate some important terms.
“Poverty equals social differences”. – Pedro Muñoz Seca-
Poverty, as we said earlier, does not have a single definition or simply a classification, so this phenomenon can be measured in different ways (Del Barrio, 2014):
For the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), poverty means the denial of options and opportunities to live tolerable lives.
This program is a reference to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MMA). This index was designed to reflect the deprivations suffered by individuals simultaneously, and includes both the incidence of these multidimensional deprivations and their intensity.
The same goes for the term social exclusion, which affects people, people and geographic areas, so it can be seen not only in terms of income, but also in topics such as health, education, access to services, housing and indebtedness.
Thus, phenomena arising from social exclusion include (Spicker, Elvares and Gordon, 2009):
There is no doubt that social services are a fundamental pillar of the health care system, professionals who work day by day to give good care to people study each case, therefore they develop work guidelines adapted to each situation.
While there are different types of assistance within social services to improve or alleviate the demands posed, it is not a question of correcting the problem.
Therefore, it is advisable to set aside paternalism and start working with the person to develop skills that allow him to face both the current problem and those that arise over time.
In the field of social services, we must try to educate people so that they do not fall into a continuous and chronic situation.
In general, you must meet a number of requirements to be eligible for the different types of benefits available. These benefits may include:
Thus, while money can be of great help, working with the beneficiaries themselves must take precedence, so developing individualized care or integration projects, which seek achievable goals, may be the best long-term solution.
In this sense, let us remember the need to make people free and self-sufficient, able to manage their own lives and solve problems.