The ’new poor’ in Ireland: ‘All that came in the door were solicitor’s letters’ 

As Barnardos launches its Children’s Budget, a client tells Noel Baker how life changed for her family as they became the ‘new poor’

Michelle, (not her real name), was nearly half the woman she used to be — literally.

An engaging woman who betrays no sign of the stress she and her family have been under in recent years through enormous financial pressure, she recalls how she lost almost five stone from what she calls “pure stress”.

Her husband, who was previously self-employed and a sole trader, has been on Jobseeker’s Allowance while she has been working part-time.

The house they felt they would be living in forever had to be sold. Finding new lodgings was made difficult by landlords’ aversion to tenants utilising rent reliefs. Her children have found adjusting to their ‘new poor’ status difficult.

Their story is one shared by many families around the country. As the recession cranked on, the financial pressure became increasingly intense. “Between 2008 and 2013 all that came in the door were solicitor’s letters,” Michelle says, recalling other correspondence regarding the possibility of the electricity being cut, the installation of meters, the popping-in of coins to keep the lights on.

“It was constant stress and pressure,” she says. She never considered the prospect of having to leave their ‘forever’ home, but ultimately they had no choice. The house was sold, and they are now in rented accommodation in a different area, away from schools and old mates.

At one point her children didn’t want to go to school — they found it hard to adjust to the change in circumstances.

However, with support from St Vincent de Paul and Barnardos, the family hope they have turned the corner, with everyone undergoing some counselling. Yet amid the optimism, Michelle strikes a note of caution: “I would hate to think what would happen if they were forced to move again.”

Speaking ahead of Children’s Budget 2015, which takes place today, Barnardos CEO Fergus Finlay said: “Budget 2015 is the most crucial for a generation as it will set out the stall for how we build Ireland’s recovery. It must be sustainable and support all children to achieve their potential to become the building blocks of our long-term recovery.”