Government reveal NI poverty statistics

A government report has today revealed that approximately half of Northern Ireland’s population have incomes less than £300 per week.

The report, entitled 'Households Below Average Income, Northern Ireland, 2004-05,' covered the period of April 2004 to March 2005.

The report also presented information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 2004-05.

The key findings revealed that there was a substantial number of people living below the average UK income:

• Families with children were least at risk of low incomes than those without children. Lone parent families were particularly at risk;
• Individuals living in NIHE or Private Rented properties were more likely to be in low income than those who owned their homes;
• Individuals living in the West were most at risk of being in low income than those living in the East of the Province;
• Individuals living in Cookstown & Magherafelt were most at risk of being in low income, of all the Local Government Districts (LGDs), whilst those living in Carrickfergus or Lisburn were least at risk;
• Around one in five individuals living in low income families did not have a bank account; seven in ten individuals had no savings.

The government also found that in the 2004/05 period, around 50% of children living in Northern Ireland were living in the bottom half of income distribution, while children in households with two parents were less likely to be in lowest income bracket than children in households with one adult.

With households with a greater number of children, the more likely there is to be a low income.

Children living in Coleraine and Derry were most at risk of low income before housing costs, and the report revealed that:

• Working-age adults with children were more likely to have incomes at the bottom of the income distribution than those without children;
• Female working-age adults were slightly more likely than males to have low-incomes, with 37% having fallen into the bottom two quintiles of the distribution;
• Working-age adults living in NIHE accommodation were most at risk of low-income, followed by those in Private-Rented accommodation, whereas adults in owner-occupied properties with a mortgage showed the least risk;
• Working age adults who indicated that they were unable to afford two pairs of all weather shoes per adult in the household showed the highest risk of low income;
• Working age adults living in Coleraine showed the highest risk of low income before housing costs. After housing costs, Derry showed the highest risk;
• Single pensioners (in particular single male pensioners) are more likely to be at the bottom end of the income distribution;
• Pensioners living in NIHE properties were particularly at risk of low income, compared to pensioners in Housing Association properties;
• Pensioners without an occupational/ personal pension were more likely to be in a low income bracket (more than 47% of pensioners below 50% of GB mean income were in this group.)

Furthermore almost two-fifths of pensioners, below GB mean and median incomes, were not in receipt of any benefits listed.

The study was carried out by the Department of Social Development, which compiled its report from information gained after looking at incomes in terms of gender, age and location.

(EF/SP)