Growing up poor. Life on £8 a day.

[chem1st]

The growing up poor documentaries on BBC3 follow 3 young women and 3 young men existing on just £8 a day.

 

Episode 1 (Available on iplayer) - Girls.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pvbp3

 

Episode 2 (Available on iplayer in 3 days) - Boys.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pybfc/

 

Episode 1;

 

http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/growing-up-poor-this-fabulous-bbc3-documentary-looks-at-three-girls-who-have-very-different-experiences-of-summer-2012/

 

I must’ve said this several times before but if there’s one thing that BBC3 do well it’s their documentaries and in 2013 they’re already off to a flying start. While the terrestrial channels are still busy celebrating the stars of London 2012 two new documentaries are shedding light on how last summer was for some of Britain’s teenagers.

 

The first instalment of Growing Up Poor focuses on three girls from across the country all of whom are connected by the fact they’ve grown up in under privileged circumstances. Tim Lawton’s film is refreshing as he lets the girls speak for themselves and I never really feel he judges any of them for the situations they find themselves in though towards the end there is a little finger-pointing to be done towards our current government.

 

This program is really quite sad. Like many youth up and down the country struggling to find employment, these girls find themselves having to live on just £8 a day. One of them works 30 hours a week for her £56.25 dole, for 6 months. A wage of under £2 per hour!

 

After completing her 6 month work placement, where she works for her dole and provides free labour to a business, the poor girl is laid off. I can't help but think, her getting pregnant is a blessing in disguise, a route out of poverty even! Because hard work didn't get her anywhere. She was worse off for working in the first place and then thrown back onto the scrapheap.

 

This is the UK today, and this is life for many young people.

[Happ Hazzard]

£8 a day for a 16 year old really isn't that bad, is it?

[harestone]

£8 a day for a 16 year old really isn't that bad, is it?

 

It's rubbish, doesn't even cover fags, booze and a kebab let alone xbox live.

[Expat owl]

Two of the girls (aged 17) out of the three end up pregnant.

 

A sad reflection of todays society. Perhaps if we stopped dishing out flats and benefits then girls would take more responsibility and we wouldn't have as many poor kids born into a life of poverty, etc

[Resident]

One of them works 30 hours a week for her £56.25 dole, for 6 months. A wage of under £2 per hour!

 

After completing her 6 month work placement, where she works for her dole and provides free labour to a business, the poor girl is laid off.

 

These two points are why work programs are unfair. Working full-time hours for £1.88 an hour, basically HALF the national minimum wage at no cost to a PRIVATE business who have no intention to take on at the end of the program, because they can just get another 'freebie' from the dole.

 

I have no issue with people working for their benefits, but it should be earned inline with NMW. So this girl should have worked no more than 15hrs per week and there should be an agreement that there will be a job offer at the end of the period.

[maxmaximus]

And?

 

 

She's clearly not as poor as millions of other people on the planet.

[Happ Hazzard]

I have no issue with people working for their benefits, but it should be earned inline with NMW. So this girl should have worked no more than 15hrs per week and there should be an agreement that there will be a job offer at the end of the period.

Good luck with finding firms that would agree to do this.

[maxmaximus]

Kg of tobacco is just £2 without tax. Many people in 'poorer' countries smoke.

 

If they are choosing smoking over food then they only have themselves to blame if they are hungry, and if they aren’t hungry what’s the problem?

 

---------- Post added 14-01-2013 at 19:19 ----------

 

These two points are why work programs are unfair. Working full-time hours for £1.88 an hour, basically HALF the national minimum wage at no cost to a PRIVATE business who have no intention to take on at the end of the program, because they can just get another 'freebie' from the dole.

 

I have no issue with people working for their benefits, but it should be earned inline with NMW. So this girl should have worked no more than 15hrs per week and there should be an agreement that there will be a job offer at the end of the period.

 

Or working 15 hours a week for the state.

[Happ Hazzard]

If they are choosing smoking over food then they only have themselves to blame if they are hungry, and if they aren’t hungry what’s the problem?

 

---------- Post added 14-01-2013 at 19:19 ----------

 

 

Or working 15 hours a week for the state.

Doing what?

[Penistone999]

 

This program is really quite sad. Like many youth up and down the country struggling to find employment, these girls find themselves having to live on just £8 a day. One of them works 30 hours a week for her £56.25 dole, for 6 months. A wage of under £2 per hour!

.

 

You fail to mention many of todays Yoof`s do not want to work , they are happy picking up benefits and standing outside the shops all day drinking cheap cider and smoking dope. They have no intention of finding work .