Severe child poverty has increased

[BetsyBoop]

BBC News item

"13% of the UK's children were living in severe poverty, up two percentage points on 2004."

"Save the Children defines severe poverty as those living in households with incomes of less than 50% of the UK median income disregarding housing costs) and who were also missing some basic possessions, such as a winter coat."

"Save the Children's director of UK programmes Fergus Drake said: "It's shocking that at a time when the UK was experiencing unprecedented levels of wealth the number of children living in severe poverty - we're talking about children going without a winter coat, a bed and other day-to-day essentials - actually increased."

The story varies across the UK. In Northern Ireland, 8% of children are extremely poor. In Scotland it is 9% while in England and Wales it is 13% - a figure pushed up by the situation in London where 19% of youngsters live in severe poverty. "

Part of me finds this totally shocking and part of me thinks surely this can't be true. Are one in 8 children (one in 5 in London) really not getting enough food, warm clothes & a bed to sleep in?

"Someone on here said about a tv licence and not getting one as they dont watch the telly well you need one for the computer and if you watch DVD's I am afaird and it would be a colour one you'd need as well as DVDs are in colour. Sorry to be the bringer of doom and gloom."

Not true.

This is what the TV Licensing people themselves have to say:

"It makes no difference how you watch TV - whether it's on your laptop, PC or mobile phone or through a digital box, DVD recorder or TV set - if you use any device to watch or record television programmes as they're being shown on TV, the law requires you to be covered by a TV Licence.

If you don't use any of these devices to watch or record television programmes at the same time as they're being shown on TV - for example, if you only use your TV to watch DVDs or play video games, or if you only watch programmes on your PC after they have been shown on TV - you don't need a TV Licence. If this is the case, please let us know."

So you don't need one for a computer, unless you watch live TV. iPlayer isn't live and so if that's what you use you don't need the license.

You don't need one for a DVD player, colour or otherwise.

DollyPS - that's completely wrong I'm afraid.

you just have to be able to show that you can't watch TV on it (ie no aerial/not connected to a freeview/cable/satelite box).

Don't worry I am aware of the rules, thanks for pointing it out though I know they are thinking of changing it soon to cover things like BBC iPlayer, but at the moment you only need one if you watch TV as it is being broadcast - so live streaming over the internet needs a licence but iPlayer and DVDs do not. I have got a licence now for this year anyway so will recheck next year before I make a decision.

I agree that the working poor are often worse off. When I was with XP we had less spare money even though he worked full time, I think mainly because we had higher living costs (running a car etc which was essential for his job). If I had gone out to work, even part time, when living with him, the difference in our income between me working and me not working would have only been about £10 a month, but as I am on my own now if I was to get a job I'd be about £50 better off (can't remember if this was a week or a month, I think a month?) - this is on minimum wage.

well if they are thinking of doing that (I would be suprised as Iplayer isn't really any different to a video/dvd and that rule has been in place for years) it's a relatively new thought they've had (last 12 months) and so will probably take years for them to decide to do.

Especially given they decided to start using hand held devices for their SO's and EO's YEARS ago, but as of 12 months ago had only just started training people on them