Extreme poverty (6)
I believe the answer is:
penury
'extreme poverty' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
This is the entire clue.
(Other definitions for penury that I've seen before include "State of poverty or destitution" , "State of extreme poverty" , "Indigence, destitution" , "privation" , "Extreme poverty or indigence" .)