Poverty

‘Consistent poverty’ describes children who live in households with incomes below 60% of the national median. It also describes deprivation based on eight indicators, including going 24 hours without a substantial meal or being cold because it is often too expensive to heat the home. Children continue to be the age-group most at risk of poverty. Many of those on low incomes cannot afford to bring their child to the doctor, dentist or optician.

Barnardos advocates on behalf of the children and families we work with to get access to these services.

• In 2009, 8.7% of children (aged 0-17) continued to live in consistent poverty. This amounts to 91,954 children.
• This compares with a rate of 1.3% among persons aged 65-74 and 0.9% among persons aged 75 or over.
• The rate of consistent child poverty has increased from 6.3% in 2008
• In 2009 children accounted for 41.9% of the all those living in consistent poverty.
• Traveller children continue to face hardship, discrimination and inequality, infant mortality is twice the norm, and only 20% of Traveller children go to secondary school.