Introduce 'living income' for better quality of life, lobby group urges

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...