Child Poverty

David, ‘activists’ and experts are totally ignored by our government. That goes for any area of policy in our public services. That’s the major problem, not what may look good in statistics

I would criticize that report because nobody is going to react to a report that says 50% of children are below the poverty line, most don't agree with a poverty line set at £16000 a year, so nothing will be done. It also highlights 1.5m destitute and there are a lot of families that are just that, something should be done about it because that is the root of a great many social problems, if activists concentrated on the worst deprivation and moved upwards it would change. But of course that means tacking the hardest problems first and that is not going to look good in the statistics.

Thank you for the link Granny23 I shall read it in the next few days although I suspect it won’t say anything much we don’t already know ourselves.

I much prefer it to car......I think the key word there is prefer.

Here is the text of Philip Ashton's report to the UN. Read it and weep all those who are poverty deniers.

www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Poverty/EOM_GB_16Nov2018.pdf

Sweetie the child neglect disgrace is nothing to do with the poverty line, that is set an arbitrary 60% of median income, by that definition all single parent families on benefit are below that line and a lot of two parent families as well.
That amounts to around £1300 per month and if ALL families received what they were entitled to they have a basic but tough life. It's those that don't that are the problem, the parent has lost control and nobody is supporting her, in this area you see mums taking kids to school all reasonably dressed.
However I did have to visit a neighboring large town back in June, it was 8.30 am and shocking, children were very badly dressed and the mothers worse!, many had put a coat on over pyjamas and some had a dressing gown on, their plight was nothing to do with entitlement there were many other problems.

Ok, how many more times are people going to ask me to justify my figures when I’ve said several times check out “entitledto” and “gov.uk”

Bus travel is mega expensive for those without a free pass Fennel

I know plenty of families ( at my DGC’s school) who could never afford to travel into town by bus . It makes me sick ! And angry ! We are a seaside town and many children from the estate in which my DGC’s school is situated have never seen the sea ! How can we say this isn’t poverty ?

"How many of us waste hours waiting for buses and traveling by bus? "
Bus travel is a treat for me, with an OP bus pass. I much prefer it to car. But maybe not for longer distances.

Two small examples, I am supporting somebody who is doing a college course....one of the tasks was compare two newspapers, he couldn't afford to buy them
A great deal of the course is on Moodle.He has no internet.

Tiny, tiny things which make life so difficult.

How many of us waste hours waiting for buses and traveling by bus? On and on it goes.

I agree about the fridge ( how did I forget that?) and internet access ( computer, iPad) too. By telephone I meant “a” phone not necessarily a land line . But maybe in order to have the internet you need a land line ?? Not sure ? I dispute the microwave as if I was in a mad hurry I could microwave a potato much easier/quicker/cheaper than I could oven bake .

I have just had my boots re-heeledat a cost of £ 13, it's little things like this that add to the stress of living on a strict budget. There are also things like dry-cleaning, or having an appliance break down. Benefits just cover the bare minimum. I don't know if there are still grants for school uniforms but when my DC were young you only got one amount of money when the child started secondary school at 11, the next payment was at 13! Obviously childen didn't grow during this period!

There is a another thread running where a single mother obviously cannot cope due to depression or some other mental condition and Granny is struggling to help. The child would be badly neglected otherwise, it's these cases where children are sent to school not fed and not dressed, the mother can't cope.

You forgot

a fridge

A basic computer/tablet. and internet access.

So many forms have to be filled in on line and if there are children there is so much that is educational that just does not work on a ......

smart phone.
One per household of those also necessary.

I would quibble over a microwave. It only heats things through and that can be done in the oven, I would also forget a telephone, by which I mean land line.

Children also need an ipad or similar when they get to secondary school or else they will not be able to do homework, keep up with lessons etc.
Sad but true.

I think the basics for any family in the U.K. 2018 should be;

A washing machine
A cooker
A microwave
A telephone
A television
Clean beds and bedding
A table and chairs
A comfortable sofa /suite to seat the entire family .

I fail to see how anyone could consider these items as luxuries .

I could take umbrage about the accusations you have thrown at me which are untrue but, quite honestly, it's not worth my time
Thanks....... a familiar theme. A sort of passive aggressive you are beneath me.

I don't agree but I can't be bothered/toodle pip followed by variations on " you're mad"

Read my posts oldbatty before throwing unsubstantiated allegations against what I have said in my posts. I could take umbrage about the accusations you have thrown at me which are untrue but, quite honestly, it's not worth my time.
Thanks.

M0nica I worked out some figures earlier in the thread based on what Sweetie had said was the probable income of a single parent, and found them unsubstantiated too.

I didn't say that it was your comment J. I merely sited it as an example.

Do not insinuate I am insane and then throw out a comment to HQ.

Sweetie, it is all well to challenge us, but I did the first response to your thread and asked you for the sources for your figures and you have not provided them.

I have done my research. The Office of National Statistics has published figures showing that nearly 6 million households in Britain have incomes of less than £20,000 a year.
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/adhocs/009331thenumberofukhouseholdsbygrossincomebandandage

Then there is the Gingerbread report. All of whose figures are referenced www.gingerbread.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/One-in-four-a-profile-of-single-parents-in-the-UK.compressed.pdf

You now have the statistics supporting all of us who disagree with your statements. Let us now have references to the statistics supporting your side of the argument

Some will take electrical goods, some will not.

We have an 'upcycling' charity which will take anything.

We had to clear out DS's flat. As the washing machine was in reasonable condition, we offered it to a local charity.
They had three people waiting for a washing machine. It went to an old lady with arthritis in her hands, who was struggling to wash by hand. She had never had a washing machine in her life. I know this is accurate because I spoke to the men who were taking it to her home.
We were also inundated with people begging us to reduce the price of the cooker and fridge freezer, as they were desperate.
Perhaps the elderly lady should not have asked for help, climbed into the sink and stamped on the clothes, just like I remember my mother doing in the communal, tenement wash house sixty years ago.
Times have changed and as Gillybob has said and poverty is relevant to time and place.

To tell people they are not entitled to a washing machine and shoes is despicable.
I didn't say that.
I think you are losing the plot oldbatty

GN can delete that if they wish.

Thank you Fennel, how true is that and how relevant.

oldbatty your examples detract rather than add to the argument against poverty because they are extreme cases of abuse and neglect which have been reported in the press.

If you have ever had anything to do with such cases you would realise the difference between them, cases of cruelty, and parents who struggle on extremely limited means to look after their DC as best they can.

You do a disservice to the many parents who want the best for their children despite the odds being stacked against them.