There has been much anticipation about an Anti-Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland and a draft Strategy is now out for consultation. This is important given rising poverty levels in Northern Ireland and the need for a long-term plan to address the issues driving poverty. There have been concerns about the draft Strategy reported in the media and whether it will be able to make a real difference to poverty levels in Northern Ireland. It is therefore vital that there is consideration given to what is contained in the draft Strategy. Siobhán will be holding a number of focus group discussions on what is contained in the draft Strategy and what women would like to see contained in it that would make a difference in their lives. If you are interested in hosting a focus group session on the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy please let Siobhán know as soon as possible at policy@wsn.org.uk
An Anti-Poverty Strategy Group has been formed and is made up of former members of the Anti-Poverty Co-Design Group who worked alongside the Department for Communities to co-design the draft Anti-Poverty Strategy building on the work of the Expert Advisory Panel and their report. The Co-Design group developed its own paper of recommendations and this was published in September 2022 which you can read here:
The new Anti-Poverty Strategy Group has since produced a summary document on why they have formed and the key issues that need to be addressed in an Anti-Poverty Strategy. You can read this document here:
https://www.ruralcommunitynetwork.org/app/uploads/2025/03/Anti-Poverty_BriefingPaper_D3.pdf
The deadline for comments is Friday 19th September 2025 and it is available on the Department for Communities website here:
https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-ni-executive-anti-poverty-strategy
