Lower wages in Northern Ireland ‘major driving force’ in poverty levels – report

Lower wages in Northern Ireland are a “major driving factor in high poverty levels”, a research report has found.

The research from Queen’s University Belfast revealed that poverty levels in the region remain high despite low unemployment rates and also economic progress in recent years.

It recommends that Stormont brings forward an anti-poverty strategy with targets.

It highlights Audit Office figures that 18% of children in Northern Ireland are growing up in poverty, with 8% of these children living in persistent poverty.

This comes while the region’s unemployment rate stands at just 1.6%.

The report attributes the high poverty levels to Northern Ireland’s low average annual wages, which are among the lowest across developed countries and the lowest in the UK.

In comparison, the Republic of Ireland ranks one of the highest for average income levels globally.

It also highlighted that disability “exacerbates the risk of living in poverty”, with 44% of children living in poverty living in households where someone is disabled. Meanwhile, 31.5% of disabled people live in poverty.

The research, led by Professor Allen Thurston, and PhD researchers Canan Ozkaya and Qurat Ul Ain, reviewed 662 published reports and studies on poverty in Northern Ireland, alongside comparative data from England, Scotland, Wales, the Republic of Ireland and the G12 countries.

Prof Thurston described poverty as “persistent and endemic in Northern Ireland”.

“Living in poverty brings poorer health outcomes, poorer educational outcomes, issues with keeping warm and fed in the winter and a shorter life expectancy,” he said.

“It is now essential that politicians act decisively to reduce poverty in Northern Ireland.

“One way the Assembly can do this is by developing a coherent anti-poverty strategy with clear targets that is resourced to lift our population out of poverty.”

The report also made a number of recommendations, which include the provision of financial aid packages to ensure all households have monthly income greater than £373 per week – the figure set by the Government as being the threshold for living in poverty or not living in poverty.

It also recommended the reform of welfare policies and addressing health inequalities with significant financial investment into life-changing interventions in the poorest areas of Northern Ireland, where health inequalities are greatest.

It further calls for investment in, and support for, affordable childcare and improving the quality and availability of housing.

Stephen McCloskey, director of the Centre for Global Education, urged that policymakers act on the recommendations.

“The international comparisons in this report show that despite having a very low unemployment rate, average incomes in Northern Ireland are low and many workers struggle to meet everyday needs,” he said.

“The report also highlights persistent levels of poverty because of inadequate welfare policies, rising living costs and the lack of a cohesive anti-poverty strategy.

“These findings suggest that poverty is a political choice and Government could and should do much more to support families on welfare and struggling on low incomes.

“This comprehensive report should be closely studied and acted upon by policymakers.”