Background to the Research

• This report provides an overview of child poverty in NI, in the context of child poverty in the UK and Ireland and also provides comparative international data. NI is noted to have one of the highest poverty rates in Europe, with specific reference made to the Derry City Council area, which has among the highest levels of child poverty in NI. Particular note is made that neither the NI Draft Strategy for Children and Young People (2004) nor the NI Anti-Poverty Strategy (2005) outline how child poverty will be reduced and that no funding has been allocated to this, despite the UK government's goal to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020.
• This report aims to be a useful reference tool for those with an interest in child poverty, and a useful lobby tool for anyone wishing to challenge current child poverty policy in NI.
  

Research Approach

• This information guide, produced by Derry Children's Commission, was compiled using current published data and statistics on child poverty from a wide variety of sources. As part of its remit to promote the views of children, Derry Children's Commission also ran a number of workshops entitled 'Pitch Out Child Poverty' with over 100 children whose suggestions about child poverty, questions for decision makers and artwork are included in this guide.
  

Main Findings

• Twenty-eight percent of children in the UK and 25% of children in the ROI live in poverty. In NI, 25% of children live in poverty, while 38% are deprived. At 32%, Derry has the highest rate of child poverty in NI. In Derry, 41% - 80% - of children are affected by income deprivation, compared to 25% in NI.
• Child poverty affects educational attainment: 9.35% of school leavers in Derry have no General Certificate of Secondary Education results compared to 5.68% in NI. The economic inactivity rate in Derry (10%) is more than twice the NI and UK average. Average weekly earnings in Derry (£347.70) are 14% lower than the NI average.
• Children are among the list of groups most at risk of living in poverty. Those children most at risk are: in lone parent families; in workless households; in larger families; in households with one disabled adult; in families in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support or BA; those whose mother is under 25 years old; live in rented accommodation or social housing; live in the West of NI.
• The issue of lack of facilities and things to do in Derry was highlighted at the Pitch out Poverty workshops as was the importance of recognising poverty on a local basis, rather than just a global basis.
• The most recent comparative data shows that the UK and Ireland have among the highest child poverty rates in the Western World. The results of the PSE Great Britain (1999) showed that poverty rates have risen sharply since 1983. Using the deprivation threshold, the proportion of child poverty in Britain is 18%.
• Using the HBAI Reports, 17% of people in Britain live below the poverty line (before housing costs) and 21% of people (and 28% of children) live in poverty after housing costs.
• Young people from Derry, commenting on the high number of teenage pregnancies in Derry, raised the issue of information for young people about preventing pregnancies.
• Child Poverty in the ROI is summarised, the key points about which are: the ROI continues to have the highest rates of poverty in the EU; 22% of the population and 25% of children are considered to be relatively poor; and 9.4% of the population and 14% of children live in consistent poverty. Children are among the groups considered by the Irish government to be most at risk of poverty.
• In terms of the extent of child poverty in NI, the 2005 Deprivation measures gives data on Income Deprivation Affecting Children: in the absence of overall figure of income deprivation affecting children in NI, a crude calculation suggests that income deprivation affects 25% of children in NI. The PSE NI (2003) indicates that 37.4% of children in NI live in consensual poverty. The latest HBAI 2003/04 indicates that 22% of children are living in poverty before housing costs and 25% of children are living in poverty in NI after housing costs. The Bottom Line 2004 reports that 8% of children in NI are living in severe poverty.
• In relation to the extent of child poverty in the Derry City Council area, in the absence of available data, a crude calculation of the 2005 Deprivation Measures indicates that Derry has a much higher level of income deprivation affecting children at 41% than the NI average (25%). Five out of the top ten areas with the highest levels of income deprivation affecting children in NI are based in Derry. The HBAI 2003/04 indicates that 32% of children in Derry are living below the poverty line after housing costs compared to the NI rate of 25%. Economic inactivity in Derry (39.9%) is almost double that of the UK (21.4%). The unemployment rate in Derry (10%) is more than twice the NI and UK average (4.7%). The proportion of people claiming benefits in Derry (5%) is double that of the UK (2.4%). NI has the lowest weekly income in the UK and weekly income figures in Derry are among the worst in NI.
• The impact of poverty is discussed, both in general terms and with specific reference to children. The impact of poverty on children of Derry/Western Health and Social Services Board/NI is further considered, with the key points addressing issues such as low birth weight rate, infant mortality, disability, teenage birth rates, childhood death rates, child tooth decay levels, educational attainment levels and mental health needs.
• The report then addresses the issue of what can be done about child poverty, beginning with suggestions from children and young people. These include, for their own city, the right of children not to live in poverty, more practical subjects in schools aimed at helping people get jobs, free education and related transport, free university, sex education, donation of company profits to combat poverty, assisting people to get off the dole, more information about entitlements and benefits, tax money spent on health and education, free facilities for young people and greater availability of jobs. The main findings of the 'End Child Poverty Charter' and the UNICEF report 'Child Poverty in Rich Countries' are given.

Conclusions

• While the UK is acknowledged to be taking child poverty seriously, the lack of focus on NI is of great concern, with NI often being overlooked in terms of initiatives to reduce child poverty.
• The conclusion highlights the most tragic aspect for any child living in poverty as the high risk of that child growing up to become an adult living in perpetual poverty. This cycle of poverty needs to be broken by investing more resources in children and families. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are breached when children live in such poverty that they are denied opportunities that most children consider normal.
• Recommendations for NI include a clear strategy for the eradication of child poverty, the incorporation of the key messages from the recent UNICEF study on child poverty in Rich Countries into the NI Anti-Poverty Strategy and an annual review of child poverty in NI.