Save the Children launches appeal for children in the UK

[Vagaceratops]

BBC link

And it will get worse :(

Probably not better for the 3.5m children living in poverty but, hey, we need someone from the next generation to be doing the crap jobs.

Point taken re latch key kids - I was one . My Mum (it's never the Dad who cops all the criticism I've noticed),got a lot of flack for it in some quarters, now the pendulum has totally swung in the opposite direction.

There are a few feckless families around, one such can ruin the quality of life for a whole street or estate in a locality. They are easily identified, and due to increased vigilance, children from these families are often removed nowadays by SS.

However these do constitute a very,very tiny percentage of the UK population. 99.9% of parents want to do the best they possibly can for their kids, and ensure they grow up to be healthy, happy, well educated productive members of society. It's a basic desire that crosses all class and income barriers. It's infuriating when the Daily Mail tries to pretend that MOST parents don't give a damn, as those that do care are in the vast majority.

I live in what is described as a "deprived" area, and though it might shock some home counties types, books are NOT a rarity in peoples homes, even if the stationary and workbooks parents purchase are from the pound shops. People are trying, with very few resources & a variety of Saturday schools abound, all run by keen volunteers. The accents might not be plummy, the clothes might be Primark hand me downs etc but they are clean iykwim.

In London every year now a significant % of children are left with no school place at all each year, one little girl on my estate has been home edded for two whole years now, while she waits for a space to become available. While her mother does this, the family is left dependant on only one income as Mum can't work and play teacher at the same time.

Xenia.

Yes I choose to be there as I see it as important, my role, and it makes me happy. I would also like to add however, that before tax credits and other benefits I still did not work. If they were stopped we would manage as we did before, it would be very hard and maybe we would be considered as poverty stricken. So how exactly would stopping our benefit help. I know mine is by choice but its not like theres alot of jobs out there. Maybe if so many families didn't have both parents working there would be more jobs to go around, then so many families wouldn't be jobless.

I don't think there is a solution to poverty within the underclass as this is passed from one generation to another. The feckless will always exist and countless attempts to remove it has failed. Regeneration and several government initiatives including education has failed to solve the problem, maybe it helped for a while but visiting these areas many years later and its like it never happened.
I am not suggesting that all those in poverty are feckless moreover, suggesting most of this part of society can't be helped.

To be fair to Mrbojangles, these families do exist. However, being on benefits doesn't mean you are like them. Plenty of people, working or not, struggle through no fault of their own. It's offensive to lump them all into one category.

I think the solution to poor parenting would involve social services rather than the DWP.

And what wordfactory said re literacy.

If benefit was to be paid in voucher form for goods maybe people wouldn't object so much.
I can see why people who work hard find it difficult to accept those that spend benefit on non essentials, gadgets etc in times of recession.
My ds has turned down families using milk vouchers to pay for beer. He works at a well known supermarket and refuses to do it. He is a big chap and practices mma, if anyone thinks he must be mad or brave. I was so proud the first time he told me he had done this.
I think poor parenting should warrant compulsory parent classes and regular observations by ss, irrespective of how much the parent(s) earn.

FFS I'm hiding this thread now.

Oh yes, morethan. You could also make them wear a big B on their clothes, so everyone would know they got benefits and judge them accordingly.

complexo makes a valid point back at the beginning of the thread. People in the UK don't really know what true poverty really is. They worry if they cannot afford a PS3 for their child at Christmas and class that as poverty in some cases, yet in places like Belarus (where children are exposed to higher levels of radiation than anywhere else, prone to more health problems...) children are living without heating, struggle to find food to eat and have to spend time in sanatoriums because their daily life is so horrid they need a break from it. In the UK there are benefits parents can take to help make things easier for their family if need be, and food banks seem to be the latest trend.

NOT EVERYONE IN THE UK IS ENTITLED TO BENEFITS

lovechoc
FFS how can you call food banks 'the latest trend'.
I've read it all now.

I can see why people who work hard find it difficult to accept those that spend benefit on non essentials, gadgets etc in times of recession.

You can? Coz I can't. I don't understand the mentality that would begrudge a single mother on benefits a trip out to the cinema once in a while, or her kids having toys, or a takeaway meal. It seems very petty and mean spirited to me.

for example I know a girl who came from Jamaica at 17 or 18 and is now in her thirties, she has no home or family in Jamaica as her mum died.

In that time she has had 2 children with a man with an irregular income (he is a twat actually).

these kids are in poverty, they have hardly any belongings, she has to rely on subletting council properties to have a place to live, and as this is risky to the tenant who is suppossed to be in the property after 2 months she always has to move, that means she is far from kids school and has to pay travel for 2-3 buses every day to get them one way to school.

she has no money to eat somedays. a lot of the days. the lawyer is trying to sort out her immigration status, but at the moment she is not entitled to any benefits and never has been.

she does work cash and hand as a cleaner when she can find work, but hasnt got anything regular.

SHe cannot heat her home. Or afford to give her kids regular baths.

She does not have flat screen tv.

Sending her back to Jamaica wouldnt take the kids out of poverty, just mean they were in poverty in a different country.

twofingers sorry bad wording on my part there! With regards to the food bank, I meant at least there's a place for parents to go in times of genuine need when they are struggling these days, food banks are a recent thing which are helping families out. It's brilliant. But sadly there are many countries who don't have this kind of luxury and children just don't get fed at all for days.

But nailak the temperatures in this country are not likely to drop to -30 or -40C in the winter time (like some countries, Belarus being a good example). There are always others worse off.

Inequality. Less inequality.

Wow, I suggest you go write the Labour party manifesto. Can't go wrong with such detailed insight into the causes of poverty and well thought out, costed solutions.

There are many places in the UK that don't have foodbanks and children just don't get fed at all for days.

Wow, I suggest you go write the Labour party manifesto. Can't go wrong with such detailed insight into the causes of poverty and well thought out, costed solutions.

Don't get pissy at me. You asked a question that has already been answered, heck even the sodding Tories agree with the answer.

The poverty in the UK is nothing compared to what's going on overseas. Children in this country just don't know how lucky they are. The majority of children in the UK are fed well in comparison to others around the globe who have to fend for themselves.

The poverty in the UK is nothing compared to what's going on overseas. Children in this country just don't know how lucky they are. The majority of children in the UK are fed well in comparison to others around the globe who have to fend for themselves.

The UK comes bottom out of all the developed countries for child welfare, did you know that? Are you suggesting we should do nothing to try and improve this because there are kids in other countries who have it worse?

Last winter temperatures went down to -10 in some parts of the country.

Smellsliketeenstrop.

I am not talking about visits to the cinema, takeaways, or any other thing that benefits the kids, nor the parent/s who care for their dcs. We are low income and receive benefits, but we feed our kids don't make them go without because we want designer labels, beauty treatments, beer etc. So yes I can see why the working population are fed up with this type. I see them near where I live and feel sorry for the poor kids as they grow up similarly. Those working and struggling see these people having the same life style as them and of course begrudge them, its human nature. I also have single parent friends on benefit who treat their kids well, so I don't think its a single or married debate nor even working/ non working. But will admit I didn't think my comment through about the vouchers for benefit.

I think those trying to make political capital out of child poverty actually do poor DC a diservice.

Prenetding that there are millions of starving DC out there, shoeless and cold is a misrepresentation of the situation and takes away from the very difficult siutation that some families live in. It allows people to roll their eyes at all the hyperbole and refuse to look.

"Last winter temperatures went down to -10 in some parts of the country."

Again, it is not as cold as other countries esp in Eastern Europe's winter months. It's difficult to get out the mindset that the UK is such a small country, and there's a whole world out there where children cannot even be educated, cannot find food (and if they do, it's from rubbish bins on the streets), don't have clean clothing or have to wear the same outfit for days, have no shoes, etc.

We don't know how lucky we are here in the UK.

Many charities are exploiting the situation for their own ends (IMO!).

I'm with you there wordfactory.