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Tory welfare cuts will impoverish 200,000 children next year and more than 600,00 in 2020

(700 Posts)
Gracesgran Thu 08-Oct-15 21:49:08

The Resolution Foundation has found that Tory welfare cuts will impoverish 200,000 children next year and more than 600,00 in 2020.
Their report can be found here and starts:

Measures announced at the Summer Budget are expected to significantly increase the number of children (and households) living in poverty (households with less than 60 per cent of median income). Despite positive action on low pay, cuts to working age benefits mean that most of this increase is expected to be among those living in working households.

Their worry is that this will go unnoticed because "The Welfare Reform and Employment Bill removes the requirement on Government to meet the 2020 child poverty target established in the Child Poverty Act 2010."

rosequartz Wed 21-Oct-15 20:19:10

And apprenticeships!

Which takes me back 50 years when I knew students who were on sandwich courses, their six months in industry being at the original Hinkley Point Power Station.

rosequartz Wed 21-Oct-15 20:17:17

If you read my link, djen wink you will see that all types of workers are needed, only a certain number of specialised workers will need to have experience in nuclear power.

Opportunities will include construction, civil engineering, electrical installation, hospitality, catering, logistics, security, site services, support roles and others over the coming years.

Ana Wed 21-Oct-15 20:15:39

Pity Tony Blair signed us up to obtaining 15% of our energy from renewable sources all those years ago...no wonder the steel industries of England and Wales are unable to compete in the global market and so many jobs have been lost.

rosequartz Wed 21-Oct-15 20:15:14

It's not the far south-west, Bridgewater prices are not astronomical.

We had to do the same when we moved from the south-west to London. 15% interest on the mortgage too!

durhamjen Wed 21-Oct-15 20:12:06

How many people do you know who want or are qualified to work in nuclear power, roseq?

rosequartz Wed 21-Oct-15 20:11:16

Misread it, sorry blush

But still .....

durhamjen Wed 21-Oct-15 20:07:24

I said there are a million more looking for work than there are jobs available.
If all those jobs are taken, that still leaves a million looking for jobs that are not there.

Round about 5000 steelworkers will be looking for jobs, too, on top of those numbers. I do not think any of them live in the south west, and will not be able to afford housing down there if they move. Redcar and Scunthorpe are not exactly in the same price bracket as the south west.

rosequartz Wed 21-Oct-15 19:49:21

So: do those 700,000 jobs not suit any of the million looking for work?

Here are a range of jobs that will become available:

www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-new-build-projects/hinkley-point-c/jobs

durhamjen Wed 21-Oct-15 19:48:17

Whitewave, I noticed the speaker told the Lords to keep out of it.
Hope they take on his challenge - 'Nobody's telling us what to do!'
Monday will be interesting. Baroness Meacher is not backing down.

durhamjen Wed 21-Oct-15 19:45:50

I keep saying there are not the jobs, Lucky.
700,000 jobs on the market, and a million more than that looking for work.
The numbers may be out by a hundred thousand or so, but the principle is the same.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrbu6NFazfU

This is a very interesting video by Owen Jones.

Ana Wed 21-Oct-15 18:39:19

And children certainly don't go barefoot. Unless it's by choice, of course!

Iam64 Wed 21-Oct-15 18:33:55

What makes you feel it's an outdated view Luckygirl? All the young people I know do exactly what you recommend.

British society has always had a group of people who have more children than is wise in their circumstances. In Victorian times they ended up in the workhouse or the debtors prison. Today, thankfully, we have a safety net with the aim of keeping families together. A small number of families still don't cope and further state intervention is necessary. No one is saying any of this is ideal (so far as I've understood various posters) but I don't want to live in a society where children go hungry and bare foot. Before I get shot at, yes I know, there are necessary food banks, I fully accept it isn't perfect, but it's certainly better than it was 100 years ago. Yes ok, I know I know, it feels like we're returning to the days of the deserving and undeserving poor but it's still better than it was.

rosequartz Wed 21-Oct-15 16:42:51

Not necessarily out-dated Luckylegs9
I know a lot of young couples who have the number of children they know they can afford.
It worries me the number of single mothers there are who need support; I know that no-one should have to put up with a terrible marriage, but the numbers now who need support have increased such a lot.
Some fathers must be getting away with paying very little despite efforts by successive governments to make them responsible for the children they brought into the world.

I am not including people who need help due to redundancy, disablement etc.

That being said, in the 'old days' people did not get tax credits, but their income tax was adjusted - there was 'married man's allowance and then a reduction in tax for each subsequent child born. It seemed a much simpler system and way of life then.

Luckylegs9 Wed 21-Oct-15 16:25:59

I know this is a very outdated view. You have the children you can afford when you have a home, you live within your means whatever it is. You cannot live in a home that is not within your means. You don't expect the state or other people to fund your lifestyle. If circumstances, you lose your job for example you change, you adapt, not whinge that your owed. I had to do several jobs that I didn't like and work long hours when my circumstances changed, never went winging to family or state for handouts. Millions to this everyday and just get on with it.

whitewave Wed 21-Oct-15 16:16:11

Tories have taken on Lords who seem to have backed down, so still no respite for the disabled, mentally infirm and poorest.

trisher Wed 21-Oct-15 15:59:09

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-mp-uses-maiden-speech-to-plead-with-george-osborne-to-soften-impact-of-tax-credit-cuts-a6701666.html
If you want to hear her

trisher Wed 21-Oct-15 15:58:39

Interesting that a number of Tory MPs are against the cuts and one, Heidi Allen, made her maiden speech, speaking out against them, So it's not just the "looney left" who find them disgusting

Anniebach Wed 21-Oct-15 09:33:48

Reading the posts yesterday reminded me of a conversation during the fight against apartheid in a S A, when the plight of the black S A was talked of someone said - well they have a job and a roof over their heads so not all bad for them

durhamjen Tue 20-Oct-15 23:27:48

www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/inquiries/parliament-2015/inquiry-name/

65 items of evidence to be read, from groups such as Oxfam, CPAG, etc.
It'll soon be half term so I might have time to read some.
DWP submission will be a load of obfuscation, I imagine, like their figures on the number of people who died while being sanctioned.

durhamjen Tue 20-Oct-15 23:22:42

www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/19/welfare-system-failing-thousands-vulnerable-claimants-mps-long-waits-payments

About time. An enquiry into how benefit sanctions affect people, including those who have died while sanctioned.

Anniebach Tue 20-Oct-15 23:17:48

You are wrong rosesarered, I do not belong to any camp, I was a socialist before Corbyn became a MP, my views and principles have not changed because of Corbyn , I agree with much that he stands for , I voted for him because I wanted socialism back in my party , not more Blairites who were so far to the right they had forgotten they were members of a socialist party

durhamjen Tue 20-Oct-15 23:17:44

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/10/19/tories-threaten-to-suspend-house-of-lords-if-it-kills-off-tax-credits_n_8332674.html

Should this happen in a democracy?

rosesarered Tue 20-Oct-15 22:59:11

No it doesn't, as you well know. however, since you are a fan of JC, also Djen, then you do fall into the Corbynites 'camp' I believe.

Anniebach Tue 20-Oct-15 22:50:51

And I have come to realise anyone who criticises this government is dismissed as a Corbynite. It follows all who defend this government is a Cameronite ?

rosesarered Tue 20-Oct-15 22:31:18

trisher I am talking about how things actually are at this moment in time
Not at the next election.Therefore, if the Lords pass the tax credits policy, then there is no alternative.
Saying as you do, yes, the alternative is a fairer society etc, is no kind of practical answer.
I have come to realise that any answer which doesn't agree with the Corbynites on the threads is called (melodramatically) an 'attack'.