More Employed People Seek Help From SVP – Report

More people are seeking help from St Vincent de Paul (SVP) even if they are in employment, it has been claimed.

SVP has blamed the rising numbers on the low rate of pay, reduction in working hours and an increased cost of living.

SVP National President Geoff Meagher commented: "We are seeing more demand for our services because the impact of the recession has been most keenly felt by those least able to afford it and the fallout from six years of austerity and continued cuts is now becoming clear.

"We hear a lot of discussion about Ireland's recovery, and we certainly welcome the progress achieved, especially the increase in employment. But we can see the gap widening between those who are positioned to benefit most from any recovery and those who are likely to continue to struggle.

"The Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice has found that the average cost of a Minimum Essential Standard of Living has increased by 3.25% in the five years from 2008 to 2013, much faster than the general inflation rate.

"Social Welfare rates have not been increased since budget 2009 and the tax burden on those on low and middle incomes has increased, pushing more people into poverty."

Three quarters of a million people in Ireland are now at risk of poverty, including more than 200,000 children, while one in four children in Ireland are growing up in a home where no-one has a job.

The SVP is calling for a debate on the vision, values and ethics that should inform decision making in the coming years.

(CD/JP)