Return to Dickensian poverty?

[B00]

Following on from the link provided by DrFilth in a previous thread...

http://www.telegraph....tired-and-hungry.html

How is this allowed to happen in this day and age?

There's a paragraph that claims a 6th former (16/17- right?) hasn't eaten for 3 days!

Surely even the poorest family could cobble 40p together to buy a reduced loaf from a supermarket?

[daffy654]

Even when I was cripplingly poor I never allowed my children to go without food.I could get a 55lb sack of potatoes, 2 doz eggs and some cheap baked beans and that would last for ages. Yes the diet wasn't brilliant, but at least they had a hot meal every day. If I got bread as well they could have scrambled/poached eggs on toast, egg bread or boiled eggs and soldiers :)

[Ankou]

but the kid in the articlce who supposedly hadn't eaten for 3 days was a sixth former, do over 16s qualify for free school meals ?

[B00]

Cheese is extortionate lately!

However like Cazzz, if you budget mercilessly, food can work out relatively cheap if you use a bit of savvy. A sack of potatoes from my local asian shop is a tenner and lasts the entire month. Granted, I accept not everyone has access to those types of shops, but still...to allow a child to go that hungry in this day and age is nothing short of child abuse IMO.

[cazzz1975]

its down to the parents im afraid, I cant see there being an excuse not to have at least the basics in the house, enough to make toast, there are also organisations like food aid that help people who are struggling. then you have all the clearance food that is a bit bruised or dented.

[Ankou]

"I find it odd that parents don't make food their first priority - even if it's only egg and chips, or beans on toast."

what are you suggesting is their 1st priority then ?

[cazzz1975]

jumble sales were great for cheap bargains as well

[naomi24]

No idea, but it's clearly not food otherwise their kids would be fed.

Daffy, me too.

[cazzz1975]

agree daffy

[Ankou]

"No idea, but it's clearly not food otherwise their kids would be fed."

oh, you don't suppose it could be rent and utilities bills do you ..... ?

[rowanwitch]

Some of it really is to do with education...not that long ago when on the wards there was a group of student nurses I noticed helping themselves to thepatients leftovers... this coulds have got them in serious trouble so I took them aside and asked what the problem was... failing to budget their bursaries they were left with next to nothing ... took them back to my place at end of shift, fed them (pasta, veg sauce, salad) and took them shopping... they had no idea .... and had bought ready meals, and stuff in tins because they didn't know how to cook... As we were a first placement ward I always checked as each batch started... most groups would have at least one mature student who could teach the others but some were getting in real trouble

[ummmm]

No point buying a rake of eggs and spuds if you have no electricity/gas to cook them on.

[B00]

But surely if you're below a certain threshold, money wise, you can get help with those Ankou?

[naomi24]

rowan, I think the inability to cook from raw ingredients is a big part of the problem.

[B00]

Good reply Rowan and totally agree.

[bednobs]

ummm your arguement about not all people spending their money on fags and booze rather fell down when you said "she only smokes roll ups"!

[cazzz1975]

totally agree rowan

[ummmm]

Can you get help with utilities? Never heard of that...besides winter fuel allowance.

It's a catch 22 with many people. They can't afford the bills so are put on card (?) meters...which work out more expensive each week.

[Ankou]

maybe b00, but who's to say that these kids don't come from previously well to do families whose dad has just lost his job ? are the pay outs instant ?

[bednobs]

ps if the sixth former hadn't eaten for 3 days, then why not leave college and get a job?

[cazzz1975]

its still works though ummm, my neighbour who by her definition is poor uses a card meter, she is still able to afford to smoke which I think is bloody good on the poverty line.