Save the Children launches appeal for children in the UK

[Vagaceratops]

BBC link

And it will get worse :(

It's very easy to pick one target and blame it.

Like the feckless US poor, you mean? Who believed the tripe from the banks and wanted to put a roof over their heads? Shame on them!

It's not about random blame. It's a straightforward analysis of the factors leading to and causing the economic crisis and the out-of-control and deregulated banking sector was it. And, as ever, it was then bailed out by the public sector.

How nice that life is better for you, Xenia. Lovely. Unfortunately, it's not for the 1 in 3 children living in poverty in the UK. They're not your kids and they're not mine, but they matter just as much.

Did you grow up in a poor family in the East End in the 1950's Xenia?

Yes, because we all want to go back to the good ol' days of the 1950s - slum housing, disease, oppression of women, no blacks-no-dogs-no Irish.

can i just say xenia that i think you are a total pain in the arse? capitalist discourses of personal responsibility completely are completely ignorant of the fact that no individual person exists without society.

I LOVE Xenia's historical and sociological analysis - it absolutely intrigues me as to where it comes from.

What absolute tosh she speaks.

haha rosebud my historical and sociological analysis of her was reduced to 'total pain in the arse'

In this case I dont think what is going on elsewhere in the world matters. The UK is part of the developed world and if families can't feed their children for whatever reason that needs to be addressed.

If someone is on benefits, I don't care what they spend their money on. Also, some of the posts about the feckless unemployed sounds like some sort of bad Daily Mail parody.

All I care about is having a socially just and equal society where children from all classes are provided for.

In all the years I have been in contact with parents and children I have never come across a child who has been in absolute poverty. I have come across many parents who do not not go without cigs and a drink whilst perhaps not caring for their children as well as they might. Has anyone ever clocked the queue in McDonalds, on any day you will find parents who look as though they do not have 2p to rub together spending pounds on crap food for their kids. The same parents can be seen talking on their smartphones while the kids whine behind them. Kids in poverty give me a break, try explaining that one to the kids in Delhi.

I absolutely agree that McDonalds is terrible food and I hate the idea of anyone, especially children, eating it.

Although if you have access to a cooker, which may be the case if you live in a hostel, it may seem like haute cuisine.

don't have access, obviously ...

Rosebud05 "The rich have taken a massive hit in this financial crisis and the left never mention that at all. We get no thanks whatsoever.

Umm, pardon me for mentioning it, but it was actually the rich banking sector which caused this crisis. Who were then bailed out by the public sector.

I really understand why 'the rich' would expect thanks for that."

What about those of us who are quite well off who aren't bankers - tell me again why we should, thanklessly, pick up the bill.

Won't somebody please think of the children rich people...

In all the years I have been in contact with parents and children I have never come across a child who has been in absolute poverty.

I think you'd find it difficult to find anyone in the UK living in absolute poverty. It's what, an income of less than $1-2 a day. I'm sure even homeless people can scrape together more than that.

Poverty in the UK is very different to poverty in India, but there are children in the UK who are in poverty, who live in households where there often isn't enough to eat, where there isn't adequate heating. In winter there are children who will go to school with no coats, no gloves, no hat because their parents can't afford them. There are children living in houses with no refrigerators because the old one broke and there is no money to replace it. It's not reasonable to say there are no kids in poverty in the UK, because compared to a child in Delhi their standard of living is better.

What about those of us who are quite well off who aren't bankers - tell me again why we should, thanklessly, pick up the bill.

Have you ever thanked a poor person for providing you with free banking?

"Have you ever thanked a poor person for providing you with free banking?"

What the hell has that got to do with the price of fish?

I Havn't been on mumsnet recently; Due to spending my time job hunting! My job ends in a couple of month's and I'd hate to become one of those evilpeople claiming benefits.

I get so cross at how people are judged and demonised by those who don't have a clue? I know of a lady who is a carer for her very ill 84 year old father and recently while she was collecting her fathers pension and her carer's allowance in a local Post Office a woman said to her "I expect you are one of these people living off the state!" My friend soon put this creature (who probably reads The Daily Mail and believes every word) right. The Post Office worker also told the creature to "mind her own business!" This ladies father worked all his life for his pension and she is saving the state a small fortune caring for him. They have little in the way of luxury and don't need this kind of nastiness

Yes I know there are some people who defraud the system but most people are honest and deserving of help. Some experience poverty because they can only find part time work, some because they lose their job's through no fault of their own. They don't need to be put down or demonised by the smug "I've not walked in your shoes but I can tell you how great your life is!" brigade

I actually agree with part of Xenia's 1950's example, although I'm not that old, nor from london. When I grew up there were wealthier families and poorer families but like the old comedy sketch of classes, we all knew our place. If you couldn't afford the latest gadgets you did without or saved up. When times were hard you had one less spud on your plate etc. Nobody starved.
Now society is greedy and this is apparent in people from all walks of life. What frightens me the most is the general shift towards society judging particular sections of society, like people on benefits. Its not so long ago that we judged single young mothers as immoral and made it impossible for them to keep their children. I have read posts on here where people have implied that people shouldn't expect benefit or not have children if they can't afford them. How long before a segment of society are judged as immoral again and people are hurt. Child poverty exists because some parents are negligent in providing them with the basics, it has nothing to do with how much money you do or do not earn. My dcs have shared lunch/money with dcs from middle class families and underclass, in each case the parents hadn't given them the money/lunch.

Sorry realise my last post isn't really about child poverty. Which I can assure the doubters does exist. I can't help wondering how so many people can be so lacking in compassion.

Do they really wan't us to become like a third world country before we help those in need. Two wrong's don't make a right and a hungry child is deserving of help regardless of where the come from. We should have better standards for our children not lower then to become like a third world country.

judgeypants, 'the rich' aren't picking up the bill. They're not the ones struggling to feed their children, or not being able to afford to turn their heating on. They're just not.

And 'the rich' are rich because other people are 'poor' and do the shit jobs. 'The rich' should be eternally grateful to 'the poor', but most of them appear to lack the economic and political understanding and vision to recognise this.

60% may have somebody in the household working but they could work just 1 hour a week and qualify for the title of worker.

If they are both working 40 hours each and still struggling to buy basic food and heating then something is wrong, be it they had children they couldnt afford or have debts etc. i suspect most dont work full time though and have the luxury of working part time knowing the state will top up with tax credits or choose to have one partner stay at home. They then cant complain that they have little money as its a lifestyle choice just like having children is.

Our benefit system is very generous, if it wasnt people wouldnt chose it as a lifestyle.

'Child poverty exists because some parents are negligent in providing them with the basics, it has nothing to do with how much money you do or do not earn.'

Oh dear.

Many families living on a very low income have about £12 or less per person per day.
This is to cover food, transport, shoes, clothes, household items and all household bills.

Familes stay in poverty because more often than not, the workers in the family (nearly 60% of children living in poverty have a parent or member of the family who works) have low paid jobs with little chance of progressing. This means they stay low paid, keeping them trapped in poverty.

We cannot compare us to the absoloute poverty seen in developing countries: it is not the same. But if the cycle of poverty isn't stopped and things aren't done to help these 3.6 million children, things will get far worse.

Already, the instance of infant mortality is 10% higher in this group.
Three year olds are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from chronic illness.

This is 2012 in the UK. It is frightening.

Let compare ul to another developed world the usa

they get 99weeks jsa-thats it
they dont get housing benefit and ha like we get here.
They have no free healthcare
workfare-where they dont do voluntry they dont get paid.

only have to look at mtv teen mum programme-none of them say its ok im having a baby and get nice little council house they all live ith their parents or one of them gets a job and they move into private.

seen things on newsnight of people living in cars and tent cities.

its very easy to fall on hard times in usa

There is no safety net

so by comparisiion with

whats on offer in uk which is generous.

we have free healthcare
free education
council/ha homes
housing benefit
income support
family tax credits
child credits
fuel allowances.
maternity grants.
min wage.

raised income tax to 8grand double then when I first started working.

so why are we so poor.

how do we target extra money to raise eradicate poverty.

I fail to see how extra benefits would be the answer.

TB & rickets are on the rise in UK children - both fairly traditional poverty indicators. In my area I see very few obsese kids, but lots of grey skinned undersized sickly weaklings. I went last winter without heating or hot water due to lack funds to repair the boiler - it's not that unusual for those in the lower income groups.

If you lose your job & can't pay your mortgage (not all banks will accept interest only payments, which is all the state provides) you have made your family intentionally homeless & so not entitled to social housing. Many families have resorted to sofa surfing or moving back in with the grandparents since this recession started. Others are living in illegal HMOS up to and including garden sheds in parts of N. & E. London. Aysylum seekers often survive in horrible conditions, not having the same rights to benefits as EU economic migrants.

We aren't as badly off as the US, it's true - but to say poverty doesn't exist, especially where there is a family member with longterm illness or disability in the UK, is incorrect.

In my locale the myth of being able to get pregnant and automatically be given a flat was killed off a LONG time ago. Overcrowding is the norm, not the exception due to all those 1 & 2 bed flats being built with no family homes.

mam29 no thaks i font want my child growing up thinking you get domthing for nothing its hard enough to git lefty proaganda as it is

The reason why the roits kicked off it because young people feel entitled because The left tells them despite free education, free travel more money on welfare than most working people earn they poor shame the left wont tell them to get any were in life hard work is rquired and nothig comes for free

I am a single working mother, who earns according to the government a decent taxable salary, but once rent, council tax, my train ticket money, bills, insurance, an IVA which I unfortunately have and childcare come out of the bank I am left with not even £200 a month this includes my child benefit, I have reduced my IVA and this will just get extended which means a further year short of this money. Out of this £200 a month I am supposed to feed and clothe me and my 14 month old son who obviously needs clothes on a more frequent basis than me and buy nappies, now if my landlord were to put my rent up what would I do, I pay cheap rent for a 2 bedroom flat as it is, what I pay most people pay for a 1. I have asked the council to rehome me but I am not a high risk or someone who is need of rehousing as I work and earn my own money.

The Government does not take into consideration the outgoings of a typical family, I would like to see them survive on it! Giving up work for me is not an option but I would be better off as a non working single parent, it's an absolute disgrace! MY friends who are single parents can afford to take their children away and they have nice things, I don't get that luxury because I work to live each month and as things get more expensive and the cost of living goes up what gives, I don't mind not eating and going without so that my son doesn'tbut something has to give.