Poor Kids

[NearlySpring]

Documentary on BBC1 now.

Sat here in tears watching this show following children living in poverty.

One woman, with 3 young girls all under 8. Her partner left her alone and she is struggling with money. The girls were given a sausage roll each for dinner. They are let out to play on a building site and derelict houses- where the he'll is the mother? Mother comes on saying how she can't cope financially- kids saying they have to miss meals as mummy can't always afford food. Next scene, mother has acrylic nails and a massive dog!

AIBU to ask if she can't afford to feed her kids basic cheap meals how the he'll does she feed a massive dog that is bigger than her 3 kids put together!

It must be terrible to be in that situation but surely you get your priorities straight. Who has a pet if they have no money?!!

MilaMae there's always a million reasons, aren't there, why people can't do something. I too work, and am a mother, and volunteer in my community.

But I agree with Dione that many of the families we are talking about are hard to reach, very hard, even for people with years of experience. And those things that have been put in place to help are now being brutally cut back.

I dont beleive that for one minute. She wuld get approx £18 CB £90 TB and £62 income support.

zukie - there is no way in a million years that she is doing all that on her benefit money alone. She just isn't.

i was on benefits for years following my family breaking up, and I really dont get it??

I always had enough for food, bills, car, petrol, ballet lessons, everything....my sister was the same and has has 3dc. Our homes were always clean, the dc's rooms well decorated.
I dont understand how these families were living in such total poverty??!!

'Our allottment is £24 a year,not a fortune.

6 uear waiting list. Ppssible not coincidentally we are an area notorious for employment / poverty- se walles.

I should emphasise as well that we are a working family, so have no axes wrt to out of work benefits. I have however grown up in a poor area (not here, we moved here for study) and did work as a manager for homestart.

Having to work is an intersting tthoiught; I had to ork until I had to become a carer. Fortunately I have dh but would still have to if he was not here. Working, or rather the chance to, is occasionally not an option.

Zukie the entiled to website is usefulfor working out what you can get, but there's more going on there somehow. She's either running down past savings, working cash in hand or somehing.

Mamamission I worked for an HS that ran out of money also; we coverd an area on teh deprivation index but nevertheless they let us run down.

heartbreaking.

Well done for training though and I really hope that you gert placed somehow.

'I'm sympathetic with those truely disabled and all for added support but that isn't everybody.The vast majority of the general population aren't disabled.

true

although the group is massively over represented in the poorer income level groups

Pumping money into schools willy nilly won;t work but startegic spending. One of teh reason I loathe the proposed changes to sen provision is that it directly impacts on teh chances of the most vulnerable chidlren to become fully independent. but i woudl also love to see ds3- who has autism- taught skills such as gardening in school (he has some sessions at home but what can I say, I have 4 kids with Sn /AN, I do my best and it's never enough). there should be far more emphasis on basic self sufficiency full stop. My aprents grow all their own produce (I admit tehya re lucky to be able to with housing etc) and I am sure it'w why they are fit well into their sixties. grandad has just stopped growing his own, he is 91. It's healthy on so many levels. but of course asda etc have a vested interest in not getting us to, and they ahve a lot of say and kick back.

Zukie i think benefits allow you a fair few thousand when you first claim in savings (so that people can pay mortgages etc) and she might be drawing on that.

Zukie - so therefore she is not living that lifestyle on benefits. Ring benefit busters

Zukie I am a single parent of one living on benefits. There is no way your friend's lifestyle is being funded by benefits alone. I'm not saying that you are being untruthful, I am saying that your friend is not being completely honest with you.

she wouldnt have to paay rent if she was on benefits

just water rates and no CT

I'm really amazed how many people say that keeping a decent home costs nothing. Cleaning products cost a lot, not to mention water bills for laundry/washing up/bathing! If they can't afford a washing machine, they are stuck with an expensive launderette which may be difficult to get to. If say a curtain rail breaks, they can't just nip to homebase and get a new one. If there's a spill they might not have the decent cleaning stuff to get it out.

And I'm damn sure if my house had that much mould I would give up cleaning it too. What's the bloody point in putting your clothes away or making the bed when it'll get mouldy anyway? Why bother having a daily wash when the bathroom is covered in limescale and mildew and you just feel dirtier after?

I lived like that until I moved out with DH. Not really due to lack of money, but in hindsight my parents always been depressed. It is no way to live, but it's hard to find the strength to change it. You just don't know where to start. They have rats now. :(

Fuzz - I would agree that it's all linked to depression and self esteem. Though I would disagree that it costs a lot to keep your house reasonably clean and tidy. You can get Value/basic brand bleach and cheap cream cleaners. Use an old pair of knickers for a cloth. Boil the kettle for the hot water.
My bathroom is horrendous it has mould and mildew everywhere and will stay like that until we can decorate. I still clean it though.

There is not excuse for not putting bedding on your childrens beds imo - there wasn't a damp problem in that particular house was there.

zukie She must have inherited some money and is keeping it quiet.

My allotment wait is 3/4 years.

zukiecat I know someone just the same she has for kids never worked and loves very well she has real oak flooring, we had to get carpet because we could never afford anything like that in our house.

All four of her kids have I phones the two oldest both have laptops and Christmas gone she got her youngest a xbox Nd the connect with six games in my home that kind of thing would have to be a present for all four

She lives better that us my oh didn't believe me until he picked me up from their couple of months he was like are you sure shes on income support.

Thinking maybe I should stop work so I can by my kids a xbox instead of paying my tax , rent and school dinner money

ahh the old I know someone posts

Why haven't I hidden this thread?

Ahh the old why haven't I hidden this thread whilst still commenting at every turn