New research for Age Concern Help the Aged NI shows that the number of people living in poverty in Northern Ireland, on which government policy is based, is underestimated.

Professor Eileen Evason, one of the authors, said: 'The figures that the Department relies on count Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance as income but do not take account of the increased costs associated with living with a disability and as a result underestimate the number of people in Northern Ireland living in poverty, in particular single female pensioners.

'In households where the head of the household is over pensionable age, 24 per cent are living in poverty. However, if the calculations took into the account the costs associated with living with a disability as well as the benefits, this figure would rise to 30 per cent.

'The most significant increase from revising the method of calculating poverty is with single female pensioners where it rises from 33 per cent to 41 per cent.'

Anne O’Reilly, Chief Executive of Age Concern Help the Aged NI, said: 'The outcome of this research leads us to call on the Department to urgently review its methodology for calculating poverty in order to ensure that plans to lift people out of poverty are based on accurate data.

'We look forward to the re-establishment of the Ministerial Forum on Poverty so we can discuss this and other important issues relating to the implementation of 'Lifetime Opportunities', the anti-poverty strategy for Northern Ireland.'

Download the report: The truth about poverty in Northern Ireland