For millennia, societies and individuals have struggled against the adverse effects of poverty. There are a myriad reasons for the onset and persistence of poverty, which are chiefly lack of skills, economic stagnation, natural disasters, sickness or strife.

This social reality, so common for so long, has been a constant challenge for leaders around the globe. Much has been achieved through political, social and economic policies implemented, especially in the Western industrialised world. This ongoing effort has transformed the lives of millions of individuals and their families in a relatively short period.

Yet this does not mean that poverty has been completely eradicated. Far from it! To complicate matters, it has become apparent over the years that the economic and social evaluation of poverty has changed dramatically. We now talk euphemistically of the ‘poverty line’ or relative poverty. Poverty is not simply unable to afford things. Social inadequacy, aspects of health, education, housing, drug abuse and domestic violence have become essential parts, and rightly so, of this complex jigsaw.

All this has transformed our perspective on government, has heightened our expectations both social and political, and improved the rights and conditions of so many generations. The concept of social welfare is now, by and large, entrenched in the European model. Yet it is equally true that in some degree or other, poverty has persisted and that despite its best intentions this social welfare model is showing persistent cracks.

Malta is not immune to the plague of poverty. This complex theme has risen up the agenda with the recent publication of a controversial Caritas report highlighting aspects on the presence of poverty in Malta. Without doubt, everyone recognises the existence of pockets of poverty around the islands. This is probably a tiny percentage but it remains a social reality with its repercussions on the individuals involved and society at large. Clearly, some individuals have fallen through the social network for diverse reasons. Chief among these are health reasons, lack of skills, drugs and the collateral effects of criminality.

The Caritas report, entitled “A Minimum Budget for Decent Living”, is a follow up on an earlier report published in 2010. The significance of this report lies in the strategy applied in the study. For too long one has observed that when the subject of poverty is raised too much anecdotal evidence is bandied about in the discussion. The dearth of statistics or the relative inexistence of collated data paints a cloudy picture that gives rise to many platitudes but very little serious debate. So far we have always calculated the benchmark for poverty in terms of a European model that calculates incomes according to average median pay. With this model, any individuals with incomes less than 60 per cent of this average are considered within the poverty line.

The Caritas report has taken a different approach. Based on an American model, the report considers the basic needs a family requires for a decent lifestyle throughout the course of a year. These needs include food, energy, education, transport and other essential necessities that constitute a basic and decent lifestyle. The study revealed a set of interesting figures. The report suggests that a couple with two children require a minimum €200 weekly to attain this threshold. A single parent with two children would require €160 while a retired couple would need around €120 a week.

Although these figures are not set in stone, they at least quantify specific numbers for specific family realities. In this sense, the number of individuals that might be under the perceived poverty line shrinks from the astronomical figure of 60,000 to around 6,300. This study, although not conclusive, helps policy makers understand better the situations and realities of specific family units. This will facilitate a faster approach to addressing the more pressing and immediate individuals at risk.

The Prime Minister was quick to acknowledge this report and summoned Caritas for a detailed report in Cabinet. The report was also presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Family Affairs with some contrasting analysis. Furthermore, the report will soon be thrashed out in front of the MCESD. In a sense, the government has, and rightly so, recognised the pertinent basis for this study and is willing to take the subject further.

Of course, some of Caritas’ suggestions have a particularly profound impact on the labour market as we perceive it at the moment. While both political parties have recognised the work carried out, they remain uncommitted on the way forward. Hopefully, the reality of poverty will remain above partisan politics. Unfortunately, the subject is sometimes crassly used as a political football and this clearly diminishes the importance of quashing poverty once and for all.

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