Poverty can be defined as “a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living” or as Peter Townsend defines it “when individuals, families and groups in the population lack the resources to obtain the types of diet, participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are approved of in their societies”. Although there are many benefits of not living in poverty, there are some benefits of poverty for both the individual and the community. The benefits for the individual are; getting assistance from the government such as social grants, free medical services and being exempted from paying taxes. Living in poverty can also force one to learn basic skills such as cooking, cleaning, doing your won laundry and repairing household items. Lastly, it can help one to become more appreciative of the little things they have. The benefits of poverty for the community are; the uphold of cultural norms and values within the community, a sense of belonging as the community will always be working together and helping one another to achieve better things.