Mike Tomlinson: Defining the breadline. Is there a Northern Ireland consensus?

Measures of poverty typically combine low income with indicators of deprivation – items and activities that people lack because they cannot afford them. Which deprivation indicators are the important ones for defining poverty is a matter of debate. The seminar will present findings from a population-wide survey of Northern Ireland asking people’s opinion about items and activities that everyone should be able to afford and not have to do without. A total of 76 items and activities were tested and the seminar will explore the degree of consensus within the population on ‘the necessities of life’.