A person is living on a long-term low income if he/she is a member of a household with an income below the so-calledlow-income threshold for a period of at least four years. The low-income threshold represents the same level of prosperity for all households. Starting point is the social security benefit for singles in 1979. In that year, the purchasing power of social security recipients was highest. For other types of households, the low-income threshold is calculated by applying a raising factor based on the actual extra costs of households of a different size and composition. For the period after 1979, the low-income threshold is adjusted for price changes, facilitating comparison over time. Back to article