Little progress has been made on reducing poverty, according to our new report – with too many people locked out of the opportunity to secure a decent standard of living.

The warning comes as JRF launches its monitoring report, Poverty in Northern Ireland 2018, setting out poverty rates in Northern Ireland and the challenges facing low income families.

Overall, 370,000 people live in poverty, around one in five of the population - made up of 110,000 children, 220,000 working-age adults and 40,000 pensioners.

Poverty among pensioners has fallen considerably over the last decade. Families with children have seen steady or falling poverty rates, but working-age adults without children are now at higher risk of poverty than 10 years ago.

Raising the employment rate could lead to significant falls in poverty. JRF is calling on the devolved and Westminster governments and businesses to work together to deliver an industrial strategy that creates more and better jobs.

The report found: