What can we do to tackle child poverty in Northern Ireland?

The view from within Northern Ireland (NI) has been that child poverty here is worse than in other parts of the UK. The Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey for Northern Ireland (PSE NI) found that, on a mixed measure of income and deprivation, 37.4 per cent of children in Northern Ireland were living in households experiencing poverty (Hillyard et al., 2003). Households Below Average Income (HBAI) figures since then, however, have provided a different picture. They suggest that levels of poverty here are similar to, or lower than, the UK average. When we dig below the headline figures, child poverty in Northern Ireland is more entrenched and the particular circumstances of the region require particular attention. The evidence in this Viewpoint comes from government statistics and from the experiences of children and young people living in poverty in Northern Ireland.