3.8m children in total poverty as families hit the ‘tipping point’

[joebloggs]

what do you expect from the tories ‘While this government is committed to eradicating child poverty, we want to take a new approach by finding the source of the problem and tackling that. new approach tax cuts to the rich and make the poor pay more

About 3.8million children in Britain are living in absolute poverty, with 300,000 more falling into extreme hardship over the last year, figures reveal.


http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/14/3-8m-c...point-3840825/

[grahamw48]

Well, for the past 10 years I have been visiting many of these poverty-stricken families as part of my work (maybe four or five a day).

The children have no choice, but the parent(s) who seem to manage to smoke, drink alcohol, run a car and feed several pets, but evidently can't afford contraceptives, don't normally receive much sympathy from me, just the free home insulation, new central heating boiler, etc.

[imagine]

the kids round here must be wealthy, they troop out the school at lunch time in their drodes, down to the village shops an chippy, they dont fuss about their change, they scatter it over the road and pavments,along with wasted chips for the birds, there is a couple less wealthy take a walk after lunch , they pick up the change, well someones got to tidy up

[grahamw48]

Thanks for the tip Stewart. There is such a 'school chippy' just around the corner from me ...not that I've ever felt able to splash out on chips from it...or even one battered sausage.

[gWaPito]

what do you expect from the tories ‘While this government is committed to eradicating child poverty, we want to take a new approach by finding the source of the problem and tackling that. new approach tax cuts to the rich and make the poor pay more

About 3.8million children in Britain are living in absolute poverty, with 300,000 more falling into extreme hardship over the last year, figures reveal.


http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/14/3-8m-c...point-3840825/

I'll post here on the off chance the dragon indoors reads your post Joe. ..she seems to think my wages are what everyone's on. ..This should kick that notion into touch.
I agree with Graham and Stewart, there is a lot of benefits being spent on luxury items instead of on the kids. ..This has been going on for decades.
I thought they were bringing out food stamps/vouchers to combat misuse of public money. ..it'll sure make the hard pressed Great British Tax payer feel a whole lot better.

[Michael Parnham]

Is £250 a week considered a low income? If so I'm very surprised!

[stevewool]

you live by your means, thats what i was brought up with, being 1 of 13 children we did not have much, free school meals for dinner, but always 2 meals at home, pocket money did not happen, but we was happy, we was learnt to respecthave manners and this is how i have turned out, hopefully i have past this on to my kids too,

[joebloggs]

I.it'll sure make the hard pressed Great British Tax payer feel a whole lot better.

I'm sure many are British taxpayers many working for minimum wage


£250 a week low income, if you need to clothe and feed kids it is

we all dream about the good old days where we all lived on nothing and were happy hang on i've heard this b4

Filipinos want beauty. I have to look beautiful so that the poor Filipinos will have a star to look at from their slums.
Imelda Marcos

I get so tired listening to one million dollars here, one million dollars there, it's so petty.
Imelda Marcos

If you know how rich you are, you are not rich. But me, I am not aware of the extent of my wealth. That's how rich we are.
Imelda Marcos

cost of food, util bills have increased greatly over the last few years, if you've got kids these days and your not on a good wage you will probably be struggling.


for some its not their fault they are struggling, some have lost their job (2,000 jobs just gone at RBS), health reasons or family problems

[grahamw48]

I agree there are people in genuine hardship...well by their own standards (or standards they've become accustomed to).

I do think that there is a vast gulf between what is termed as 'poverty' in this country and in say, the Philippines though.

Let us also not forget that we're talking disposable income here.
The vast majority of families in this country are able to claim from a range of benefits to bring their disposable (ie rent and council tax already paid for) income up to a minimum level...often more than some working families receive.

Of course, how 'sensibly' or otherwise they choose to spend that money is up to them.

It is the single people and those working people who have kept reproducton within reasonable bounds who can justifiably feel left out of the great giveaway, IMO.

[joebloggs]

in my own case, my dad died at 58, he went to work when he was ill, he never took a day off work thru illness, the next day he died of a heart attack, which left my mom a widow struggling with 3 kids (7,11 and 13yrs old)

my misses told me about a patient the other day, he had a stroke at 50yrs old, he will never work again..

what would you rather have graham, stop paying benefits to the ill and unemployed and you get that money back in your pockets thru tax cuts, but have millions of desperate people who will either starve or go and commit crime to live or would you rather pay that extra tax so they get something to live off

[grahamw48]

Of course I have no problem with those in genuine need receiving support Joe.

THAT is what the welfare state was originally designed for.

It's the millions of scroungers and layabouts, 'poor' through choice who I take issue with.

[stevewool]

i would be happy to pay more tax if it was going to the right people at the right time, but who and where ever they are its going to hard to give to the one and not the other

[alan_mac]

Fascinating note in Wiki regarding how we define poverty:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty...d_and_measured

"The most common measure, as used in the Child Poverty Act 2010, is ‘household income below 60 percent of median income’. The median is the income earned by the household in the middle of the income distribution"

[grahamw48]

Good points.

[DaveyWallis]

It's not real poverty just statistical poverty.

Every time Harry Rednapp signs a footballer another 100 kids 'fall into poverty'.

You might as well wonder around council estates and multiply every satellite dish by 5.

All of us who have been over to the Phils knows what real poverty is - and it's a million miles from the situation in the UK.

To the £250 add paid for accommodation, council tax benefit, tax credits, child benefit etc etc.

[grahamw48]

Some whining people in this country just have no idea.

.


Manila.

[grahamw48]

[joebloggs]

true graham, but we never had politicians or leaders who came out with like Imeldal Marcos did . imagine what would happen if she was in the UK and said these quotes below

Never dress down for the poor. They won't respect you for it. They want their First Lady to look like a million dollars.

Filipinos want beauty. I have to look beautiful so that the poor Filipinos will have a star to look at from their slums.

If you know how rich you are, you are not rich. But me, I am not aware of the extent of my wealth. That's how rich we are.

We practically own everything in the Philippines.

I will come up with a project that will wipe out poverty in the Philippines in two years. I want to remove the people from economic crisis by using the Marcos wealth. Long after I'm gone, people will remember me for building them homes and roads and hospitals and giving them food.

[grahamw48]

Yes, I've read her biography called 'Imelda'.

Many still believe her b/s though, and her kids have taken up the reins of course.