What's your definition of child poverty ?

[teeny]

child poverty to me is , starving child , malnutricain , rickets , no shoes , only owns what they stand up in , living in a shed on a slum in africa, Brazil , and other places.

When i lived in wakefield we had children in poverty but by and large it was how the parents spent the money,

My mum was a widow, we were classed as less well off but there was always food , I always had clothes, I had free dinners , uniform grant and was always warm at home , my mum spent what little she had keeping me and providing for me, we didn't have expensive holidays but i never thought we were poor because in many ways coming from a loving home is better than a rich one where parents were out at work all day.

[janie48]

child poverty to me is , starving child , malnutricain , rickets , no shoes , only owns what they stand up in , living in a shed on a slum in africa, Brazil , and other places.

When i lived in wakefield we had children in poverty but by and large it was how the parents spent the money,

My mum was a widow, we were classed as less well off but there was always food , I always had clothes, I had free dinners , uniform grant and was always warm at home , my mum spent what little she had keeping me and providing for me, we didn't have expensive holidays but i never though we were poor because in many ways coming from a loving home is better than a rich one where parents were out at work all day.

Your definition of poverty is accurate in describing world poverty due to those causes,the poverty on a grand scale that is affecting billions and has no comparison,but though we may not have the same level of poverty in the UK we are still one of the richest nations in the world,yet we appear to have growing income inequality.

 

Any degree of poverty is a scandal,such as the kind of social poverty that deprives some children of the basic needs most of us take for granted.Those bad parenting skills passed down from their own dysfunctional families in many cases,failings that are not always their own fault.

[Mister M]

I agree that having good and loving parents are riches indeed, and can make a wealth of difference in people's lives. I also grew up in similar circumstances and never considered myself poor, but then everyone around me lived similar lives and I wasn't aware of any other lifestyle.

 

Today however, that is very different to the point of people having their noses rubbed in it. People are judged these days by what they have rather than who they are. Indeed it could be argued these days that people who are poor because they are honest and decent are seen as mugs.

 

I also think children today suffer from having two parents who have to work constantly to make ends meet.

 

Times have changed, and definitions of poverty have changed. I think there is also spiritual poverty in a great many families which has nothing to do with religion.

 

You've made some good points Anna.

I think it is preferable to grow up in an environment where you have enough to have your basic needs met, be loved, and be in a society where people aren't judged by how much they have and your peers have pretty much the same as you.

[Ms Macbeth]

child poverty to me is , starving child , malnutricain , rickets , no shoes , only owns what they stand up in , living in a shed on a slum in africa, Brazil , and other places.

When i lived in wakefield we had children in poverty but by and large it was how the parents spent the money,

My mum was a widow, we were classed as less well off but there was always food , I always had clothes, I had free dinners , uniform grant and was always warm at home , my mum spent what little she had keeping me and providing for me, we didn't have expensive holidays but i never thought we were poor because in many ways coming from a loving home is better than a rich one where parents were out at work all day.

 

There is some truth in this. Anyone on a low income has to prioritise their spending. And if their children's needs don't come at the top, the children will be the ones to suffer. No amount of money given to some families will improve the lives of their children.

 

I'd argue that parents who work don't make bad parents. There has been a huge increase in single parents since my young days and most of the ones I know go to work. The quality of parenting is what counts. Some stay at home parents don't have any idea of how to encourage aspirations or a work ethic into their children. Mainly because they've been brought up in homes where no-one goes to work.

 

There is no simple answer to what constitutes child poverty. Obviously a family needs to have enough money for essentials and a little bit extra. That's why I'd like to see a breakdown as to what is actually paid out to different sized families. If figures were available, it would be much simpler to see their spending choices, how they could budget, and why there is such a growing need for foodbanks.

[Mecky]

I see millions of children are to be lifted out of poverty by the desperate government by simply redefining what poverty is http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26362035

[chem1st]

That doesn't take into account that some families will have different priorities and different abilities to manage on a limited income. Children in some 'poor' families will be well fed and looked after, others with the same, or even more, disposable income won't necessarily be as well cared for.

 

I've tried to work out what the lowest income on unemployment benefits would be for a family with children, but the DWP make it very complex. It would be easier to understand if examples of income and outgoings were shown.

 

First adult = +53 , +71 for 25 year olds and above

First child + 80

 

- Ctax in highest charging authority - Bedroom tax in London borough.

 

123 - £10 - £100.

 

£13 for a women and child in a 3bed in London.

 

Normally would be Some £123 - 5 - 18.

 

A single parent under 25 in an ex pit town could easily find themselves with £100 a week to run a 3bed house and feed and clothe a child.

No one bed flats for her to move into (2 bedroom houses for when the child turns 4?), and she will most likely need a 3 bed at some point anyhow.

 

Families can be put in the 3 bed housing or it can be knocked down. Some areas are of relatively low demand. We shouldn't make the mistakes we have so often made in the past, by demolishing property due to artificial demand restraints.

Homes that people would be glad to live in, are denied to people and end up derelict.

[Cyclone]

Broadly described as a child living in a household whose income is 60% or less than the average wage .....

 

Well in that case , most people of my age group were brought up in child poverty ! Second-hand clothes , second-hand Christmas presents ( yes we knew they were , but would never have kicked off about it for fear of hurting our parents ).

 

We were brought up properly . Showing love and providing childhood boundaries and freedoms were the greatest gifts my parents knew how to give , and material goods were an irrelevance . So how on earth can the new Archbishop dare speak about child poverty in purely material terms ? I'm not particularly religious , but I think us "plebs" could teach these arrogant religious figures a lesson in humility and basic humanity ??

 

Poverty is primarily about material things though.

 

That said, I think relative poverty is a pointless measure (although the gap between the rich and poor in a country is important to minimise for the general happiness of a country).

 

Real poverty includes not having decent shelter, going hungry, etc... Not being unable to afford a foreign holiday as the Nuffield foundation would tell you.

[chem1st]

Broadly described as a child living in a household whose income is 60% or less than the average wage .....

 

Well in that case , most people of my age group were brought up in child poverty ! Second-hand clothes , second-hand Christmas presents ( yes we knew they were , but would never have kicked off about it for fear of hurting our parents ).

 

We were brought up properly . Showing love and providing childhood boundaries and freedoms were the greatest gifts my parents knew how to give , and material goods were an irrelevance . So how on earth can the new Archbishop dare speak about child poverty in purely material terms ? I'm not particularly religious , but I think us "plebs" could teach these arrogant religious figures a lesson in humility and basic humanity ??

 

There is relative poverty and absolute poverty. There is also humiliating poverty.

 

Shame on our society type of thing. People going to foodbanks, homelessness. Our society is a f****** joke. Collectively we ought to be ashamed of ourselves.

[ivanava]

Broadly described as a child living in a household whose income is 60% or less than the average wage .....

 

 

UK average salary £26,500

 

60% £15,900

 

 

 

A single unemployed parent with one child living in private rental in Rotherham will receive £13,588.64 in benefits.

 

The same person working 16 hours a week with a total annual income of £5000 will receive £15,938.52 in benefits, total income £20,938.52

 

So it is hard to see how anyone in work has a child living in poverty, when all they need is a total income of £15,900.

[janie48]

This thread was started approximately a year ago. I think we are becoming even more conscious of child poverty in our society on hearing more about malnutrition and the increasing need for food banks. Yet the government refuse to accept its related to their welfare reforms. Well what else is creating it then?

 

Malnutrition a public health emergency, experts warn.http://www.channel4.com/news/malnutrition-health-emergency-dwp-british-medical-journal