The second of a series of reports was published on the needs and circumstances of older persons in Northern Ireland. It focused on levels and sources of income among persons of pensionable age, and the prevalence of low incomes and poverty among pensioners in Northern Ireland.
Source: Eileen Evason, Katrina Lloyd and Pat McKee, Older People in Northern Ireland: Report 2 - Financial circumstances, Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research/Queen s University Belfast (028 9097 2549)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Dec
A report said that children in Northern Ireland were almost twice as likely as those in Great Britain to live without basic necessities. More than 150,000 children - 38 per cent - in Northern Ireland were without at least one basic necessity, such as two sound meals a day: the figure for Great Britain was about 20 per cent.
Source: Marina Monteith and Eithne McLaughlin, The Bottom Line: Severe child poverty in Northern Ireland, Save the Children (020 7703 5400)
Links: Public Health News report
Date: 2004-Nov
A report provided information (for the first time) on households below average income in Northern Ireland, as determined by disposable income in 2002-03. Overall, the income distribution was skewed towards the lower end, with a high concentration of individuals below 60 per cent of the Great Britain median and 50 per cent of the Great Britain mean. Benefits and tax credits dominated the bottom quintile as the main source of household income, whereas earned income was the main source of income in quintiles two to five. Individuals in workless households were much more likely to live in low income than those with one or more adults in full-time work. Households without children were less at risk of low incomes than those with children. Lone parent households were particularly at risk.
Source: Andrew Reilly, Danielle Gorman and Claire Savage (eds.), Households Below Average Income: An analysis of the income distribution in Northern Ireland 2002/03, Department of Social Development/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9056 9216)
Links: Report (pdf links) | NIE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
The first of a series of reports was published on the needs and circumstances of older people in Northern Ireland.
Source: Eileen Evason, Katrina Lloyd, Pat McKee and Paula Devine, Older People in Northern Ireland: Report 1 - Setting the scene, Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research/Queen s University Belfast (028 9097 2549)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Nov
The Northern Ireland Executive announced a new strategy to tackle fuel poverty in Northern Ireland. The target was to eradicate fuel poverty for all vulnerable groups and those who lived in social housing by 2010, and in non-vulnerable households by 2016.
Source: Ending Fuel Poverty: A strategy for Northern Ireland, Department of Social Development/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9091 0068)
Links: Report (pdf) | NIE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A report examined the key issues affecting rural older people in Northern Ireland living in poverty, and sought to ascertain the level and type of contact between rural voluntary and community groups and older people living in rural communities.
Source: Ageing and Rural Poverty, Rural Community Network (NI) (028 8676 6670)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
A report examined a wide range of indicators of social need in Northern Ireland (designed to assist the evaluation of the New Targeting Social Need policy).
Source: Neil Marsden, Michael Woods and Alan McClelland, Indicators of Social Need for Northern Ireland, Equality Directorate Research Branch/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 3254)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Oct
The Northern Ireland Executive announced the basis on which household water charges would be set. It estimated that the average household charge was likely to be in the region of 315-415 per year in 2008-09. It said that customers in receipt of housing benefit, rate rebate, or the proposed new rate relief, would be eligible for a 25 per cent discount on the annual water and sewerage charge. Campaigners said the discount proposed was inadequate, and that the charges would place an unacceptable burden on low-income families.
Source: Press release 13 September 2004, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500) | Press release 14 September 2004, Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (028 9087 7777)
Links: NIE press release | NICVA press release
Date: 2004-Sep
The Northern Ireland Executive issued a consultation document on proposed new official measures of spatial deprivation to be used across Northern Ireland.
Source: Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure 2004, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9127 9391)
Links: Consultation document (pdf)
Date: 2004-Sep
A report examined poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland. There was a strong case for government departments and agencies to engage more with disadvantaged people and their advocates, to ensure they were able to contribute to policy development.
Source: Gerry McAleavy et al., Addressing Policy Implications of Transgenerational Poverty, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
The Northern Ireland Executive began consultation on a revised strategy to tackle poverty and social exclusion. Proposals included a ministerial forum to tackle poverty through an inter-departmental, cross-sectoral approach; a new priority focus on financial inclusion in tackling problems of financial hardship and indebtedness; and the setting up of a group to look at issues affecting lone parents. The NIE also published two independent evaluation reports on the existing strategy.
Source: New TSN - The Way Forward Towards an Anti-Poverty Strategy, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500) | Deloitte & Touche, Interim Evaluation of New TSN: Summary and synthesis report, Northern Ireland Executive | Deloitte & Touche, Interim Evaluation of New TSN: Assessment on the Implementation of Action Plans, Northern Ireland Executive
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Summary evaluation report (pdf) | Action plan evaluation (pdf) | NIO press release
Date: 2004-Apr
The Northern Ireland Social Security Agency began consultation on a strategy to increase the number of people receiving the services and financial support to which they were entitled.
Source: Proposed Benefit Take-up Strategy 2004-2005, Social Security Agency/Department of Social Development/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9056 9216)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2004-Feb
A report on Northern Ireland's economic performance and prospects highlighted concern over widening social inequality.
Source: Working Together for a Stronger Economy: First review, Economic Development Forum/Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (028 9087 7777)
Links: Report (pdf) | NICVA summary
Date: 2004-Feb
The Northern Ireland Executive published a report on the work carried out from April 2002 to March 2003 in connection with its 'New Targeting Social Need' policy. It set out further commitments to ensure that relevant policies and services could be targeted effectively at the most needy in the community.
Source: New TSN: Annual Report 2003, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 3164)
Links: Report | NIE press release
Date: 2004-Jan