Northern Ireland In Poverty?

dj9928

I heard Stephen Nolan say yesterday that a new study has revealed that 50% of households in Northern Ireland have less than £300 a week to live on, and 26% of children in Northern Ireland are living in poverty.

Do you find it a struggle?, do you think its fair that we are the lowest paid region of the UK? And what can be done to solve the problem?

Myself personally having searched various recruitment agencies in the UK mainland I have found if I moved to England, I would earn on average £270 take home per week, compared to the £185 I take home I get now.

But then they say "But thats cos the cost of living is higher in England" wrong, we pay more for food,fuel,insurance in Northern Ireland and house prices have risen the most in Northern Ireland compared to anywhere else in the UK.

I can't help but wonder would a United Ireland be better for us, and I'm a protestant by the way.

wannabedebtfree_2

I live in Devon and take home £724 a month, so some parts of the UK aren't much better either!

Isn't there some figures somewhere that say something ridiculous like 95% of the Uk's wealth is owned by 5% of the population?? I don't know where I heard it but its stuck in my head from somewhere!!

Obviously Northern Ireland isn't having it much better!

wifeforlife

I would agree with the statement made about Northern Ireland

I know I'm not to far off it, in all fairness though I have the choice to move to England or somewhere else to reap the benefit of the higher wages and lower costs of living. I choose to stay close to home though

Cate

darwin-rover

I can't help but wonder would a United Ireland be better for us, and I'm a protestant by the way

Taxes are far higher down south , and we have a much higher standard of living than the Republic anyway .

Parisien

Factual myths, urban myths, media myths.....

This has been debated endlessly on another thread......yup, houses cost more ( 2nd now only to Greater London area), cars do, holidays do....all food costs more, power supplies, the list goes on.....but we are a "low wage" economy.....something doesn't add up....can an economist come online and tell us in NI, whose telling lies and trying to con us!!!??

PS We are now a high tax economy, plus we are looking foward to much higher rates and water rates...!

Still...people put up with it...and we deserve it....believe me!

Parisien

darwin-rover wrote: »

Taxes are far higher down south , and we have a much higher standard of living than the Republic anyway .

Reference for this?



Plus I believe they don't have domestic rates or water rates, bar farmers, plus you still get tax relief on mortgages......house prices in NI pretty similar in most areas...most other things are dearer, esp cars, BUT their wages are far higher!!!

baldeagle09

Ireland ranks 2nd in International Monetary Fund list of countries and 5th in CIA World Factbook in per capita GDP significantly (between 25% and 40%) ahead of United Kingdom

ballyblack

In the republic;

No free national health service

Higher income tax rates

Vat @ 21%

Vehicle Reg. tax on cars = 23% to 30% extra

No rates, but you have to pay for bin collection etc

Buick_Lewish

There is no such a thing as 'free' health insurance.

Either you pay directly for it or you pay it through other taxes. It is hard to compare countries to each other as a higher tax may get you more.

If I presume that taxes are lower in the UK - you still have to add your own insurances (mppi, private health care etc) because the goverment wont help you out. You don't need this in some other western European countries (e.g. Sweden, The Netherlands etc).

Bannsider

dj9928 wrote: »

I can't help but wonder would a United Ireland be better for us, and I'm a protestant by the way.

It is a well known fact that they tax Protestants at a higher rate.

raptorman

Bannsider wrote: »

It is a well known fact that they tax Protestants at a higher rate.

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