7 questions on the pay gap

Midweek quiz

The gap between rich and poor is greater now than 40 years ago, a government-commissioned report says. Test yourself on the haves and have-nots in Britain.

1.) Multiple Choice Question

The government's own report into inequality found the wealthiest 10% of the population are how many times richer than the poorest 10%?

1. 75 times richer
   
2. 100 times richer
   
3. About 100 times richer
   
4. More than 200 times richer
   

2.) Multiple Choice Question

And people can still be disadvantaged by where they live. In the most deprived areas, the median hourly wage is how much lower than in the least deprived?

1. 20%
   
2. 25%
   
3. 33%
   
4. 40%
   

3.) Multiple Choice Question

Wealth also varies greatly across race and religion. Jewish households top the list of best-off faiths, so which group is second wealthiest?

1. Sikhs
   
2. Christians
   
3. No religious affliation
   
4. Muslim
   

4.) Multiple Choice Question

"We will have to continue to make changes which will make the whole of this country a genuinely classless society." Said who?

1. John Major, in 1990
   
2. Tony Blair, in 1997
   
3. Lib Dem Vince Cable
   
4. David Cameron
   

5.) Multiple Choice Question

When a legally-binding minimum wage was first introduced in 1999, what was the pay rate for adults?

1. £5.05 an hour
   
2. £4.20 an hour
   
3. £3.60 an hour
   
4. £3 an hour
   

6.) Multiple Choice Question

Which of these jobs has the highest median salary for full-timers?

1. Nurse
   
2. Traffic warden
   
3. Army corporal
   
4. Primary school teacher
   

7.) Multiple Choice Question

If you are classed as living in poverty, how is that defined?

1. Below 60% of the median income
   
2. Poorest 20% of the population
   
3. Households on less than £10 per person a day
   

Answers

1. It's about 100 times better off. The household wealth of the top 10% is about £853,000 - including cars and other possessions - compared to a maximum of £8,800 for the bottom 10%.
2. It's 40% lower - median is the wage of the person in the middle. The report said the government was still a long way from its goal set in 2001 that within 10 or 20 years, no-one should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.
3. Second best off are Sikhs, closely followed by Christians and then Hindus.
4. It was Mr Major, in 1990, who said this would have to happen over 10 years. Meanwhile, Mr Blair declared soon after taking office that "the Britain of the elite is over. The new Britain is a meritocracy".
5. It was a minimum of £3.60 an hour in 1999. Today it's £5.80, or £4.83 for workers aged 18-21.
6. Best paid are primary school teachers with a median of £33,743, based on ONS figures from November 2009. Next are nurses on £29,743, then corporals on £25,882 and traffic wardens on £20,827. The median for all full-time workers is £25,816.
7. Poverty is classed as below 60% of the median income - the earnings of the person in the middle of the wage table. Meanwhile, the international standard for absolute poverty is $2 a day.

Your Score

0 - 3 : Have-not

4 - 6 : Median

7 - 7 : Have

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