The Carer Poverty Commission is running a series of focus groups with unpaid carers throughout May and June 2023 to understand their experience of poverty and financial hardship. There are options to join online or in-person.
The Carer Poverty Commission is a project from Carers NI and was established to better understand the causes of poverty among Northern Ireland’s unpaid carer population and deliver the fresh thinking needed to address it.
These focus groups will play a critical role in our research, exploring:
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How those with unpaid caring responsibilities have experienced poverty and financial hardship, and the impact this has;
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How their circumstances may have changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing cost of living crisis;
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What the key drivers of carer poverty are, and the risk factors associated with carer poverty; and
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What policy solutions unpaid carers would like to see implemented to address poverty.
By taking part in these focus groups, carers will be providing the Commission with invaluable insight into the drivers and impact of poverty on unpaid carers in Northern Ireland. Crucially, they will also have the chance to shape the recommendations the Commission makes to the NI Government to address carer poverty in the future.
The focus groups will be conducted by WPI Economics, the Carer Poverty Commission’s research partner, in collaboration with Carers NI.
All carers participating in the focus groups will receive a £20 Amazon voucher to thank them for their time and contribution to the project.
To register for one of the focus groups, click your preferred date from the list below.
- Friday 26 May 2023, 11:00-12:30, Zoom
- Friday 2 June 2023, 11:00-12:30, Zoom
- Friday 9 June 2023, 11:00-12:30, Duncairn Gardens, Belfast
Please note that space at each focus group is limited, so we recommend registering early.
If you would like to contribute to this research but can’t, or do not wish to, attend a focus group, we may be able to arrange a one-to-one interview on a date and time convenient for you. Please get in touch via povertycommission@carersni.org to discuss this further.