Efforts to eradicate poverty will only work if the focus shifts to making sure people can afford to live “a decent life”, lobby group Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar believes.
Times of Malta sought comments from the anti-poverty group following the publication of statistics by the National Statistics Office last week, which showed that 55,000 people in Malta are struggling to make ends meet and are considered materially deprived.
Activist Matthew Borg from the group said that providing a ‘living income’ was the way forward if the authorities really wanted to find a long-term solution to poverty.
The so-called ‘living income’ is the amount that a household would have to earn to afford a decent standard of living. It is made up of a number of elements including food, water, housing, education, health care, transport, clothing, as well as other essential needs, such as provision for unexpected events.
He referred to a research study carried out by Caritas three years ago which focused on low-income households and what basket of essential items these would require for a decent living. Taking such an approach, he said, would ensure that people were no longer pulled out of certain poverty bands only to get stuck in the “at-risk-of-poverty” classification.
“This living income would allow a person to live a decent life. We’re not saying people with low income will suddenly be able to afford to travel abroad once a month, of course not, but at least people would not be at risk of being pushed back into poverty at the first unexpected burden.
When you live in a country constantly discussing ‘L-aqwa żmien’ people struggle with admitting they cannot afford to heat their home
“This should, of course, not be someone’s final goal in life, but it should serve as a good push, backed by studies and efforts that are specifically catered for the person, so that one can move on further,” Mr Borg explained.
While the Alleanza Kontra l-Faqar is gearing up to start pushing for such a change with decision-makers, Mr Borg admitted that the group was aware of the hurdles it might face in the process, pointing to the Caritas study as an example.
“That was a good study and it was discussed for some weeks but in reality it remained on the shelf gathering dust,” Mr Borg said.
A similar approach was rolled out on Wednesday in Italy amid widespread criticism. The Italian government’s scheme, dubbed the citizens’ income, will see those below the poverty line receiving a benefit that is paid via pre-paid debit cards and which can only be spent on food and medication. If there is money on the card at the end of the month, this is debited, rather than being carried over to the next month.
Those benefiting from the scheme must also enrol in job training, with the scheme being lost if they turn down three job offers.
The Alleanza activist expressed a degree of scepticism on the figures published by the NSO last week. While there was nothing wrong with the methodology used by the NSO to calculate income and living conditions, there could be people reluctant to admit they are materially deprived.
“When you live in a country that is constantly discussing ‘surplus’ and ‘L-aqwa żmien’ [‘the best of times’ – Labour’s 2017 election slogan] people struggle with admitting that they cannot afford to heat their home or to buy a second pair of shoes,” Mr Borg said.
The figures were also two years old, meaning the current housing crisis affecting a good number of people might not have been reflected in the results, he noted. An increase of foreign workers and a booming economy should not be used as an argument to justify poverty, Mr Borg went on, expressing disappointment that the government had downplayed the increase of 0.7 per cent in the material deprivation rate.
According to the NSO figures, 8.7 per cent of the people living in Malta last year were considered materially deprived while a further three per cent were severally materially deprived. This translated to a total of 55,000 people.
The number of people considered to be materially deprived increased for the first time since 2013, while those who were found to be suffering severe material deprivation decreased by 0.3 per cent.
Material deprivation is defined as the inability to pay for unexpected expenses, afford a one-week annual holiday away from home, a meal involving meat, chicken or fish every second day, the adequate heating of a dwelling, durable goods such as a washing machine, a colour TV set, telephone or car, and being confronted with payment arrears.