Save the Children launches appeal for children in the UK

[Vagaceratops]

BBC link

And it will get worse :(

Dolomites Your attack on expat was completely uncalled for. What's with the patronising 'love'? She's as entitled to post her views as much as anyone else.

Notice you didn't answer my question about whether you'd be happy to have someone kipping on your sofa for an indefinite period... Strange that.

I haven't said I had 4 children. I said I had 4 births. I have never said I lived in a small flat. If people want to do a PhD in my earlier posts that's fine but I reserve the right to say they have failed the exam. Pay more attention. My comments about some older people who won't claim benefits was about a minority and it was about those ofer 70. I have no bitterness against anyone. I want the poor to prosper and I want us to encourage people to better themselves.

Twofingers, I didn't respond because I didn't read it. Actually I moved to Brussels for work and had someone stay for 8 weeks until she found work. I've always moved to where the work was. I didn't "attack" expat, I had an opinion. Are you clear now how opinions work?

Yes, I know what an opinion is and "expat - it's not all about you - there's a love" hardly falls into that category. There was no need for it, especially the passive aggressive 'love'.
You're doing it again with 'Are you clear now how opinions work? which is patronising, supercilious and does you no favours.

Istn't it interesting that older people many over 70 and 80 regard it as shaming and wrong that they need

NO Xenia you did NOT You said MANY over 70 and 80 as i have copied and pasted above.
You did NOT say a minority You said MANY.

so you see Xenia I HAVE paid attention.

It's taken 3 days but I've finally read all the posts on this thread. Why the hell did i bother 90% of it is bullshit and 95% of it has nothing to do with the point save the children are trying to make.

What part of the words WORKING POOR do you unemployment obsessed people not understand?

These threads are so depressing! They always follow the same pattern. People come out with real life examples regarding the struggles and issues they are facing and they are ignored and given mainly rhetoric in return by a group of posters. Who prefer to cherry pick a few headline grabbing examples (kensington mansions...) rather than listen to what peoples reality is. Why is it so hard to believe that the people who are posting about the struggles they face are more the norm in that situation rather than the Daily Mail et al "feckless" poor? Why do people find it so hard to believe they are only one redundancy, one mental health breakdown, one car accident, one serious illness, one recession or one family tragedy away from needing that support? And as for the comment re Glaswegian council reliant culture... just wow!

I'm sure there are many people out there struggling Banana. I wouldn't even try to dispute that at all.

The problem isn't lack of compassion or desire to do something. The problem is what/how do we address this.

As I keep saying. The report suggests raising benefits and paying higher wages. That's easy to say. But how do we go about achieving this?

No feckless poor DM stories from me. Just a genuine question. In a time when just about everyone is struggling, how do we go about giving more money to the needy?

Many can be a minority. Many does not mean most. I think an hour studying the OED might be sensible before I award the PhD in Xenia posts.

niceguy Lots of people on this thread have suggested more income equality would help with the issue of childhood poverty. The cost of giving the lowest paid more could be offset by paying the high earning (£1 million/year plus) CEOs and senior management less. I personally don't see much wrong with the John Lewis Partnership model and haven't noticed them struggling to attract staff on this basis.

I also believe that a fairer society would have all sorts of other measurable benefits, as well as ensuring that people weren't reliant on food banks.

or you'll be told to go and live in North Korea Gideon which is another standard response. Totally agree re more income equality. Am a big fan of The Spirit Level book which looks at the benefits to society of more income equality and illustrates with numerous examples and stats from various countries (none of which from memory are communist).

Yes, Banana, I'm also a Wilkinson & Pickett fan.

Unfortunately, I think people are just incredibly greedy. To my mind there should be a point at which people acknowledge that they have more than enough income and don't need £4 million a year. I really don't buy the argument that these CEOs on multi-million pound salaries have some particular talent, particularly when we see over and over again that their main 'talent' is being underhand/corrupt/responsible for dubious business practices.
Like this guy...

As I keep saying. The report suggests raising benefits and paying higher wages. That's easy to say. But how do we go about achieving this?

By raising benefits and raising the minimum wage to a living wage.

Hungry children turning to shoplifting, say police

Children are turning to shoplifting things like bread because of hunger, the police have told Newsround.

Inspector Andy Briers of Islington Police in London said: "They're not stealing sweets and chocolate and chewing gum, they're actually going out and stealing bread and food for themselves and their families."

He explained that they're tackling the problem by handing out food vouchers which can be swapped for three days' worth of food.

Charity Save The Children say that 3.5 million kids in the UK are living in poverty.

They found that one in eight children doesn't get a warm meal every day - apart from the one they might get at school.

www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/19493761

If, instead of paying benefit in cash, we gave food parcels / food stamps out we would at least guarantee that taxpayers money, meant to be used for feeding poor children, was at least being spent on food. That seems like a huge step in the right direction to me.

That is certainly one route. We could also ensure they eat healthy foods - so eggs, veg etc but no processed foods. I don't really understand how Save the C can say 1 in 8 does not get a warm meal every day exclude that at school. If they are getting a free school hot meal is that not the same number of hot meals most people eat? How many hot meals a day does anyone need?

Anyone who had ever been in receipt of benefits - even for a few weeks - would never suggest the use of food stamps. I'm fairly sure most market stallholders wouldn't accept them and the only people to benefit from an arrangement like this would be people like Asda (Walmart) or Tesco, who would probably love to see a scheme like this. As for food parcels, who on earth would distribute these and how would you cater for different dietary needs? What an ill-thought out suggestion, to say nothing of the stigma.

Oh here we go, back to the old ''ZOMG THE POOR CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO SPEND MONEY PROPERLY!!111oneoneno11!!''

Where is your evidence that these children living in poverty predominantly live in households where any money is pissed up a wall, or smoked away etc?

Actually, on second thoughts, I'm sure there are a lot of people who would be entirely in favour of the poor being stigmatised...

Their 'evidence' is in a bigoted opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph, I expect.

''We could also ensure they eat healthy foods - so eggs, veg etc but no processed foods.''

That would be creepy and controlling tbh

The probloem is that the benefits are high enough to feed chidlren but parents do not manage money well (often not their fault, they have a heap of problems, drugs, alcohol, or just inability to balance a budget, not very bright etc) so one solution is that food is given out. Another route to feed children is a free school breakfast and meal at 5 after homework supervsion at school not just a free school lunch so all meals are at school and you have zero access to chocolate and junk food.

No, the problem is that wages are low and the cost of living is high. Salary increase have not kept pace with increases to the cost of living apart from among the wealthier.

You propose sticking a plaster over a gaping wound, not actually fixing the problem.

UK Average Income from 1990-2010-

www.blog.rippedoffbritons.com/2012/09/liebrary-only-way-to-save-our-children.html