This is the second of a series of publications on the needs and circumstances of older persons in Northern Ireland. In our first fact sheet we set the scene presenting a wide range of facts and information on the lives of older persons in this part of the United Kingdom (UK). In this publication our focus is on levels and sources of income amongst persons of pensionable age and the prevalence of low incomes and poverty amongst pensioners in Northern Ireland.

As we noted in our first publication, the aim of the project as a whole is not to undertake original research but to bring together information which is scattered across a number of sources and present it in a comprehensible and accessible manner.
At first glance this is a relatively easy task but in looking at the data on pensioner income and poverty in Northern Ireland we have encountered a number of difficulties. First, many data sources rely on household income – where the income of pensioners is aggregated with that of others in the household - and gross income. Thus much of the data does not give us a clear view of what pensioners actually have, in their own right, to meet their needs. Secondly, and more importantly, we have become concerned that the methodologies conventionally used to determine whether persons can be said to be living on a low income or in poverty present an overly positive view of the financial circumstances – and by implication living standards – of persons with disability who are likely to be older persons.