ChatterBank0 min ago
Can there be such a thing as child poverty in welfare Britain?
23 Answers
http://tinyurl.com/6gxee2g
http://tinyurl.com/5uveyul
More than 1.5 million children in the UK are living in severe poverty, Save the Children has warned.
It is said that in some areas of London, mainly Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Newham & Hackney, families have to switch off all their radiators except one, because they can't afford the heating bills.
Their children cannot have their friends round for tea.
Some boy children have to go to school dressed in their sisters shirts because they have none of their own.
They sometimes go to bed without a proper meal inside of them.
How is it that it is only some areas in Britain that suffers from child poverty, haven't all say, unemployed, single parent families the chance of obtaining the very same benefits as other poor families?
http://tinyurl.com/5uveyul
More than 1.5 million children in the UK are living in severe poverty, Save the Children has warned.
It is said that in some areas of London, mainly Tower Hamlets, Westminster, Newham & Hackney, families have to switch off all their radiators except one, because they can't afford the heating bills.
Their children cannot have their friends round for tea.
Some boy children have to go to school dressed in their sisters shirts because they have none of their own.
They sometimes go to bed without a proper meal inside of them.
How is it that it is only some areas in Britain that suffers from child poverty, haven't all say, unemployed, single parent families the chance of obtaining the very same benefits as other poor families?
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yes i know this one confuses me too. I don't doubt there are some very poor people living in the UK but why do they continue to breed if they can't afford to turn a radiator on?
I do wonder though where exactly they draw this "poverty line" that so many people are supposed to live beneath?
I guess maybe the child benefit could be being spent on other things like food, booze or drugs by the parents...?
bbc breakfast today was talking about child poverty today and how there is this charity that provides holidays for poor children - thats all very nice but why do they need a holiday if they are wearing their sister's shirt to school??? Surely if they are that poor, buy them shoes and schoolbooks not holidays. my mum and dad went through a few years of real strife & worry when I was little. Dad had no work and mum was a teacher in the days when they didn't get paid very much. we never went on holiday, I had hand me down clothes from neighbours kids, and free school meals. if we were cold at home we put a jumper on. my dad grew veg like tom & barbara off the good life.
i'm sure there are people poorer that we were so fair enough, but also my parents were resourceful and helped themselves, not just sitting there expecting stuff to be given to them.
I do wonder though where exactly they draw this "poverty line" that so many people are supposed to live beneath?
I guess maybe the child benefit could be being spent on other things like food, booze or drugs by the parents...?
bbc breakfast today was talking about child poverty today and how there is this charity that provides holidays for poor children - thats all very nice but why do they need a holiday if they are wearing their sister's shirt to school??? Surely if they are that poor, buy them shoes and schoolbooks not holidays. my mum and dad went through a few years of real strife & worry when I was little. Dad had no work and mum was a teacher in the days when they didn't get paid very much. we never went on holiday, I had hand me down clothes from neighbours kids, and free school meals. if we were cold at home we put a jumper on. my dad grew veg like tom & barbara off the good life.
i'm sure there are people poorer that we were so fair enough, but also my parents were resourceful and helped themselves, not just sitting there expecting stuff to be given to them.
child poverty yes. But then children arent the ones with access to the benefit money.
Perhaps the area differences are down to different costs of living, transport, council tax, rent etc?
There are certain housing estates near here where children are often deprived, sent to school without having had breakfast etc. But conversations at the school gates would shock most parents -talk of alcohol, drugs, benefit fraud by the parents of the children.
Perhaps the area differences are down to different costs of living, transport, council tax, rent etc?
There are certain housing estates near here where children are often deprived, sent to school without having had breakfast etc. But conversations at the school gates would shock most parents -talk of alcohol, drugs, benefit fraud by the parents of the children.
-- answer removed --
I think it is 'shock tactics' advertising by certain charities.
On a radio phone-in this morning, a chap who lives in Tower Hamlets says it is all nonsense, he said "that the kids didn't seen to go short, with their designer gear, Colour TV and games machines in their bedrooms etc.
The parents didn't do bad either with Sky TV, designer clothing also, nice cars plenty of fags, and frequent trips to the bookies.
On a radio phone-in this morning, a chap who lives in Tower Hamlets says it is all nonsense, he said "that the kids didn't seen to go short, with their designer gear, Colour TV and games machines in their bedrooms etc.
The parents didn't do bad either with Sky TV, designer clothing also, nice cars plenty of fags, and frequent trips to the bookies.
The only reason this is happenning is because the parents use the money given by the state for non essential items like ciggarettes/drugs and booze. All this "I can't put the washing machine on" is cobblers, they could if they didn't smoke 40 snout a day. We are among the most generous in the world for handouts.
I worked with a guy whos daughter was at university trainign to be a dietician an in yer placement year was put to work in a London Hospital to deal with children from poor background with Nutrician problems. She said that some of the children had scurvy and rickets. they lived in poor quality council accommodation with no bedding. In some cases they were single parent families but the parent had got into debt wth loan sharks and couldn't afford to pay it back. In cases like that they are a no win situation
-- answer removed --
From the web
Over half of Tower Hamlets’ population are from non-white British ethnic groups. A third of these are Bangladeshi, of whom over a third are 15 years or less old.
According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2006 population estimates:
* fifty six per cent of the population in Tower Hamlets belonged to an ethnic group other than white British
* thirty per cent are Bangladeshi
* eight per cent are from other white backgrounds
The 2001 National Census recorded 153,893 people of Bangladeshi origin living in London and just over two fifths as living in Tower Hamlets. Bangladeshi’s were also more likely to have large families. For London as a whole the percentage of Bangladeshi households with two or more dependent children was 57 per cent, more than three times the London average of 17 per cent.
Only eight per cent of Bangladeshi households were single person households as compared to 35 per cent for London.
These factors still echo in the population today. Just over 170,000 people of Bangladeshi origin are estimated to live in London and just under two fifths live in Tower Hamlets. Children make up a much larger proportion of the Bangladeshi population than they do the white British population. Whereas under 14 per cent of the borough’s white British residents fall in the 0-15 age group, 35 per cent of Bangladeshi residents fall in this age group (ONS 2006 population estimates).
Over half of Tower Hamlets’ population are from non-white British ethnic groups. A third of these are Bangladeshi, of whom over a third are 15 years or less old.
According to Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2006 population estimates:
* fifty six per cent of the population in Tower Hamlets belonged to an ethnic group other than white British
* thirty per cent are Bangladeshi
* eight per cent are from other white backgrounds
The 2001 National Census recorded 153,893 people of Bangladeshi origin living in London and just over two fifths as living in Tower Hamlets. Bangladeshi’s were also more likely to have large families. For London as a whole the percentage of Bangladeshi households with two or more dependent children was 57 per cent, more than three times the London average of 17 per cent.
Only eight per cent of Bangladeshi households were single person households as compared to 35 per cent for London.
These factors still echo in the population today. Just over 170,000 people of Bangladeshi origin are estimated to live in London and just under two fifths live in Tower Hamlets. Children make up a much larger proportion of the Bangladeshi population than they do the white British population. Whereas under 14 per cent of the borough’s white British residents fall in the 0-15 age group, 35 per cent of Bangladeshi residents fall in this age group (ONS 2006 population estimates).
The append below follows on from my append above about tower Hamlets.
So much for immigration being a great benefit to this country.
1 in 4 have skils too low for business to use !!!!
From the web
At the last census Tower Hamlets had the highest rate of unemployment in the country and a population of almost 200,000, 30% higher than 10 years earlier. It is home to a diverse and vibrant community and one of the largest and fastest growing youth populations in Europe.
The council reports that a third of the population is Bangladeshi in origin, half of whom are under 20, and unemployment is as high as 32%. Community cohesion and race relations are often poor, drug use and anti-social behaviour persist and crime levels are more than double the national average.
The Government’s Multiple Deprivation Index ranks much of the borough within the worst 5% of the country. 1 in 4 people are deemed to have skills too low for business use, demonstrating how the area has continued to struggle despite an influx of new jobs which now outnumber residents more than 2 to 1.
For Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women economic inactivity is as high as 70%.
So much for immigration being a great benefit to this country.
1 in 4 have skils too low for business to use !!!!
From the web
At the last census Tower Hamlets had the highest rate of unemployment in the country and a population of almost 200,000, 30% higher than 10 years earlier. It is home to a diverse and vibrant community and one of the largest and fastest growing youth populations in Europe.
The council reports that a third of the population is Bangladeshi in origin, half of whom are under 20, and unemployment is as high as 32%. Community cohesion and race relations are often poor, drug use and anti-social behaviour persist and crime levels are more than double the national average.
The Government’s Multiple Deprivation Index ranks much of the borough within the worst 5% of the country. 1 in 4 people are deemed to have skills too low for business use, demonstrating how the area has continued to struggle despite an influx of new jobs which now outnumber residents more than 2 to 1.
For Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women economic inactivity is as high as 70%.
from living on a rough council estate, there were no kids with latest game consoles or designer gear (possibly counterfeit cheap designer gear maybe) unless one of the parents was earning cash in hand on top of their benefits.
one thing about a lot of rough estates I found was a drink/drugs/cigarettes bias, I would imagine the kids ate poorly because the majority of the money the parents receive to feed and clothe the children is almost always wasted on cheap booze, drugs and fags.
most of the kids end up smoking and drinking at the ages of 12 onwards so you are constantly accosted by kids asking would you buy them some fags from the paper shop or lend them a few quid. its quite sad
one thing about a lot of rough estates I found was a drink/drugs/cigarettes bias, I would imagine the kids ate poorly because the majority of the money the parents receive to feed and clothe the children is almost always wasted on cheap booze, drugs and fags.
most of the kids end up smoking and drinking at the ages of 12 onwards so you are constantly accosted by kids asking would you buy them some fags from the paper shop or lend them a few quid. its quite sad
If people on benefits are doing so well why don't some of you try and claim.
Then the truth will hit you, the few you read about in the Mail are not like the majority.
Not one person i know that is on benefits has Sky and they have just gone through a very cold winter unable to keep the house warm.
How many of you have actually ever lived on benefits ?
Then the truth will hit you, the few you read about in the Mail are not like the majority.
Not one person i know that is on benefits has Sky and they have just gone through a very cold winter unable to keep the house warm.
How many of you have actually ever lived on benefits ?
VHG - any reason you didn't feel the need to put in the last paragraph of that report:
There is hope for the future - despite the impact of the credit crunch, developments in Corporate Social Responsibility and local procurement policies are helping bring much needed training, investment and jobs right into the local community. City Gateway’s work, in partnership with other organisations, has seen NEET (young people not in education, employment or training) figures fall from 15% to 6.7% in the past two years. The New Statesman reports that of the 250 young people removed from the Borough NEET register in 2007, City Gateway had worked with 220 of them.
Oh, hang on that's positive. Why would you want to put that in.....
I should point out that in Great Yarmouth (where I live) there are very few immigrants and the NEET levels are around 11%. sadly there are very few Bangladeshi or Blacks to blame our problems on. Luckily there are a few Eastern Europeans and Portugese, so they will have to do
There is hope for the future - despite the impact of the credit crunch, developments in Corporate Social Responsibility and local procurement policies are helping bring much needed training, investment and jobs right into the local community. City Gateway’s work, in partnership with other organisations, has seen NEET (young people not in education, employment or training) figures fall from 15% to 6.7% in the past two years. The New Statesman reports that of the 250 young people removed from the Borough NEET register in 2007, City Gateway had worked with 220 of them.
Oh, hang on that's positive. Why would you want to put that in.....
I should point out that in Great Yarmouth (where I live) there are very few immigrants and the NEET levels are around 11%. sadly there are very few Bangladeshi or Blacks to blame our problems on. Luckily there are a few Eastern Europeans and Portugese, so they will have to do
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