What is child poverty?

Definition

“People are living in poverty if their income and resources (material, cultural and social) are so inadequate as to preclude them from having a standard of living which is regarded as acceptable by Irish society generally. As a result of inadequate income and resources people may be excluded and marginalised from participating in activities which are considered the norm for other people in society.” (National Anti-Poverty Strategy, 1997).

Measure of poverty

A person is defined as being in ‘relative poverty’ if their income is below 60% of the average disposable income.

A person is defined as being in ‘consistent poverty’ if their income is below 60% of the average disposable income and they experience deprivation of 2 or more basic items as per the Household Deprivation Indicators:

• Two pairs of strong shoes
• A warm waterproof overcoat
• Buy new not second hand clothes
• Eat meals with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day
• Have a roast joint or its equivalent once a week
• Go without heating during last year through lack of money
• Keep the home adequately warm
• Buy presents for family/ friends at least once a year
• Replace any worn out furniture
• Family or friends for a drink or meal once a month
• Morning, afternoon or evening out in the last fortnight for entertainment.

The current measurement is very adult focused in providing valuable household-level data on income and poverty, it:

• Does not include child-specific material deprivation indicators
• Does not survey children; only persons over 16-years in households are asked about their personal deprivation status
• Is household-based – presumes that adults and children share the same conditions
• Does not account for non-material deprivation
• Does not tell us about what children’s daily lives in such conditions are actually like
• Does not tell us how children experience poverty and deprivation.

(Source: Liz Kerrins and Sheila Greene (2009) Rethinking Child Poverty and Social Exclusion. Paper presented at the Combat Poverty Agency Research Seminar Series, 3rd February 2009)