UK child poverty - still of huge concern - how can it be sorted?

[PersephoneSnape]

Whilst I appreciate that poverty in the UK is relative and that there are billions of children worldwide who are far worse off, I found this news story very unsettling yesterday ?

The government has various targets designed to half child poverty by 2020 ? and it doesn?t seem to be working quickly or going far enough.

What are your thoughts? Any solutions?

I think if you castrated them it would cut the number of fatherless kids down dramatically!

'Throwing more money at benefit claimants wont help at all, it will just encourage them to stay on them longer or for others to join them.

Like other posters have said, its also about personal responsibility. Having a child / children does not render anyboy uncapable of working (unless the child is disabled and needs special care) - takes a bit of juggling but that goes for all mums that work.'

ok, so start with those families, or the other families where choice isn't an issue!

You can't do much about the feckless adults but you sure help the trapped ones.

That might not be benefits; it might be childcare support, respite, whatever. (trust me that makes a difference- my childcare for my 1 night out this past 2 years just backed out ).

Then ask yourself: why do we care about child poverty? Its not because of the adults surely? nar basic benefits they can usually do something; its about protecng the little kids who didn't choose poverty; thats where free school meals etc etc help. But instead of providing cash i'm sue i've seen success stories about after school clubs that feed the needy kids whilst providing somewhere warm, help wih homework, a book etc. In turn those kids will have the support to schieve their potential at school and maybe change the cycle.

True enough, Peachy, but that means the government in effect parenting as they see fit.

Now I have no problem with that because I'm off the opinion that if you're not willing to do the job yourself then society will do it as it sees fit.

But you do have plenty of parents who don't want to be arsed but still want to dictate how the job they absconded from is to be done.

Child poverty is something to care about because of course, kids become adults.

certainly agree with the last line- and that's why I see the parenting as seen fit as viable; if you don't provide a structure for those kids to grow within then the next generation won't have any more of a clue.
I do actually think the vast majority of paents want their kids to attain but it sometimes seems that attain seems more defined by some people as to whether you can win x factor etc, rather than what? ho do we define it? Do your damned best to maximise your own life potential and that of peole you care for? I know that I won't class myself as having failed to attain if ds3's needs do prevent me using my degree; a bit sad for myself I guess but he has to come first.

Ultimately the benefit system is there to ensure that no child lives in poverty. So how come so many still are?

We have a culture where people no longer save, and people are servicing huge debts they can't afford with their income. We have higher individual debt than any other European country (more that twice that of the average). No one lives within their means - and the banks (and by extension the government for deregulating) must bear some responsibility for that.

spicemonster you are right, the benefit system is there to ensure that no child lives in poverty.

The problem is, as seen in places like Scotland and Hull, parents are NOT allocating the money they get correctly, ie, on food for their kids . Because if they were, this free food initiative wouldn't be necessary. Sadly, it's not the children that control the money, it's the parents.

Haven't read whole thread but agree with the comments about personal responsibility. I am ASTOUNDED by some parents I know who don't make proper nutritious meals - and it's not about not having the time or the money, it's a case of priorities.

I am ASTOUNDED by parents who plead poverty in some ways - eg don't buy fresh fruit and veg yet buy cigarettes!!

I am ASTOUNDED by a family I used to know whose children were often dirty and poorly dressed and they were a big family squeezing into pretty inadequate accommodation - yet they had a HUGE flatscreen telly and HUGE 4x4 which the mum admitted was on HP.

I know there aren't simple answers but I think our culture has become so obsessed with NOT taking personal responsibility, that this is the urgent issue that needs to be addressed.

findtheriver - I find the attitude of the British towards massive quantities of personal debt staggering.

Here is an example. Where I used to work, our team secretary got married and borrowed money on her credit card to pay for that. Then they bought a new house and shortly after she became pregnant. They then bought a brand new Honda Civic and furnished the baby's room in matching items from Mamas & Papas and bought a Silver Cross travel system for the baby. I know they borrowed the money to pay for all of it and that her and her husband's joint income is less than 40k (and he has another child to support from his previous marriage). To me, that is an insane amount of debt to get into, most of it for things they really didn't need.

If one of them loses their job, they will be totally fucked financially. And so much of it is avoidable.

'If one of them loses their job, they will be totally fucked financially. And so much of it is avoidable.'

and moaning away on here about how hard up they are and how 'the government' (you and me) should bail them out/'support' them and of course it's always someone else's fault.

because when you have no sense of personal responsibility, you think the world owes you a living and you're due everything you want right now.

hear hear spicemonster and expat.