poverty trap

British  

noun

1. the situation of being unable to escape poverty because of being dependent on state benefits, which are reduced by the same amount as any extra income gained

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

poverty trap

"To break free from the poverty trap, it is essential to first break the primary vicious circle by addressing its root causes - namely the key determinants of economic growth," he says.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025

But those energy retrofits are expensive and are likely beyond the reach of many low-income households, which could lead to what the researchers call an energy poverty trap.

From Science Daily ● May 31, 2024

Throughout most of our history, however, our species was caught in a poverty trap.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2022

It’s been three years since I wrote a post online about America’s poverty trap that went viral and led to a book deal.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 30, 2016

In Holland the latter is 70% of the former, thus some S = 0.7 B. But then there are subsidies that apply to people on benefit - and the poverty trap discussion starts.

From Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy by Colignatus, Thomas