Charities call for Northern Ireland anti poverty strategy to be instated 'urgently'

The development of an Anti-Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland is based on objective need and is a longstanding commitmentof the Northern Ireland Act 1998. That was the overarching message relayed at a seminar in Stormont today

In 2015, the High Court found the Nortern Ireland Executive had not adopted such a strategy, following a judicial review brought by the Committee on the Administration of Justice.

As part of the 2020 New Decade,New Approach deal, it was agreed that a restored Executive would ‘‘develop and implement’’ an Anti-Poverty Strategy.

In 2020, the Department for Communities (DfC) established an Anti-Poverty Strategy Expert Advisory Panel to ‘‘advise DfC on the direction and development of a new Anti-Poverty Strategy which is evidence-based and targeted to address objective need.’’

The report and recommendations of this panel were published by DfC in March 2021. However, in the continuing absence of a Minister for Communities and an Executive, a draft Anti-Poverty Strategy has not been released for public consultation and Northern Ireland remains without one.

The lack of a strategy has coincided with an ongoing cost-of-living crisis and a period of major social and economic uncertainty across society, including proposed budget cuts to public services, and to the community and voluntary sector

The Northern Ireland Equality commission said "This reinforces the need for a robust, rights-based Anti-Poverty Strategy based on objective need, with investment and clear actions that can lead to systemic change. The Anti-Poverty Strategy should provide targeted support for those disproportionately affected by poverty, in order to promote equality of opportunity.

Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick from Ulster University today highlighted the implications of the current Cost of Living Crisis on individuals and families in Northern Ireland. She claimed that the stigma attached to being in poverty has prevented those affected from speaking publicly about their experiences and therefore much of the pain remains hidden from view.

She said "Individuals and families who do not have the means to meet basic needs have been silenced following years of political rhetoric and policies which have sought to encourage personal responsibility."

"The responsibility for the current cost of living crisis sits squarely with the government. If immediate action isn't taken, we will witness a destitution surge of mammoth proportions. A recent report by the National Institute for Social and Economic Research (NIESR) suggest that destitution in Northern Ireland is set to rise to 67% which is more than double the rate forecast in other regions of the UK."

"This equates to around 25,000 more households who will be unable to meet their basic needs (food, light, heat and products needed to meet basic hygiene needs). This figure doesn't take into account the recent collapse of the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland or indeed the wider geo-political fall out from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has caused the price of oil to increase rapidly."

The Equality Commission added "We call for the adoption and implementation of an overarching, comprehensive Anti-Poverty Strategy based on objective need to be a day one priority for a new Executive. The strategy should have clear, time bound targets and build upon the detailed work that has been carried out to date in order to ensure expedient delivery and implementation of actions."

"In the interim, we call on DfC and all government departments to progress the development of the draft strategy as much as is possible in readiness for a new Executive."

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