Crisis centres should be set up to offer support and shelter to poor people until space is found for them in a permanent home, according to the Alliance Against Poverty.

In a statement issued yesterday the group said it agreed with the proposal put forward by Caritas to increase the minimum wage.

The alliance said this should be supplemented with benefits that would help people out of poverty.

As part of the consultation process into the strategy for combating poverty, the alliance was also suggesting having a national campaign to shatter the misconception that poor people were ignorant and that they had brought the situation on themselves.

It also called for the introduction of conditional cash transfers that would be added on to existing benefits.