Current social welfare rates are not sufficient to keep people out of poverty, even after the latest budget increases, a new report says. It focuses on inadequate incomes and those experiencing “financial exclusion”, a term defined by an inability to secure a bank account. One in four was in material deprivation and almost one in six were living below the poverty line of €227.97 per week. The report focuses on the phenomenon of “financial exclusion” in which people face difficulties accessing financial services such as bank accounts and insurance. Those most at risk of financial exclusion and indebtedness are older people, the unemployed, lone parents, social housing tenants and low-income earners.

Source: The Irish Times May 25, 2018 16:41 UTC