SDLP: Poverty Figures Indicate Political Failure

An SDLP MLA has said that the amount of people living in poverty in Northern Ireland is a "damning indictment" of political failure in the region.

Nichola Mallon's comments come after the Department for Communities published the annual poverty bulletin, revealing that around 162,000 working-age adults, 45,000 pensioners and 85,000 children were living in poverty in the 2017/18 period.

A person is considered to be facing hardship if they are living in a household with an income below 60% of the UK median income, the threshold for that being £304 per week for a couple with no children.

Although the figures appear to have dropped compared to the previous period, the deputy leader of the SDLP said the "disgraceful" statistics are a shocking result of the ongoing DUP and Sinn Fein standoff.

Ms Mallon criticised elected representatives for "committing to tackle poverty" without an avenue to do so. She said: "With the implementation of welfare cuts dubbed 'welfare reform', the four fold increase in rent arrears already hurting the 175 families being forced to pay the bedroom tax and the cliff edge looming for 10s of 1000s of families in less than a year when mitigations run out, these figures are set to increase. All the press statements and election stunts in the world can't hide the truth - that it will be impossible to tackle poverty without a functioning Executive and  Assembly.

"Rather than putting all of their energy into blaming each other for the political shambles we're in, the DUP and Sinn Féin should sit down, sort their differences and put the needs of vulnerable, low income and working families first. However given the fact both parties, despite their Stormont standoff, joined forces in Belfast City Council last December to reject funding an anti-poverty crisis intervention fund, it seems unlikely they will be moved to action by these latest figures.

"When you tackle poverty, you can begin to transform lives. This is why the SDLP has consistently called for a standalone Anti-Poverty Strategy, with clear cross cutting targets focusing on health, education, employment and housing. An Anti-Poverty Strategy must be included in the Programme for Government and this remains a key priority for us in the resumption of any new talks process," the north Belfast MLA concluded.



(JG)