child poverty

looks like you are all frustrated social workers. I did say that some people are doing good while waiting for work but my main point is that if all parents put the kids first and did without luxuries and nights out etc the kids wouldn't be living in poverty. The kids in the third world would love to have even second hand clothes or shoes let alone electronic games.
my work gives me an insight into what goes on and ive had experience of living with little to spend. so its not an exchange of prejudices.

A European commissioner is warning us? Oh dear...

Sorry dj. Didn't mean to be rude. Just felt that there was no meeting of minds and nobody would convince anyone who held diametrically opposed opinions.

Believe it or not, Ana, Britain is a signatory to the Right to Food programme of the United Nations. Not that I expect you to look that up.

That's put me in my place, then! Not even capable of looking anything up...

I'll leave you all to it.

Thanks, Anno. Can't give up now, though, can I?

It was my middle granddaughter's 14th birthday today, so we went to have lunch with her and her dad. 6 of us spent £90 on one meal.
I am not a frustrated social worker. I hate injustice, and I find it very unfair of people to blame those who cannot afford to feed their children for the situation they are in.
There are more working families in poverty, Cactus, than workless families, so to say you know people who are "doing good while waiting for work" completely misses the point. There are foodbanks in the richest county towns in this area, because many people in the north east have been made redundant.
I have a nephew who was made redundant from a bank, and a niece whose husband was made redundant. Fortunately both their wives have jobs, and they are lucky enough to be helped by family. Not everyone is in that position.
At least when we were that age, there was work to be had.

durhamjen there has always been poverty, often abject poverty, but food banks are a recent phenomena I wonder why?
Could it be that nowadays some live beyond their means often on credit and no longer save for rainy days?
Could it be because food banks there, therefore they are used?
It would be interesting to understand the demographics of the users.

I feel so sorry for those who are struggling along working on minimal wages with little or no debt who do their very best with what they have.

This is the best link I can find for what you want, Joelsnan.
Opendemocracy gives lots of links to other sites.
https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/samir-jeraj/food-bank-nation-women-in-home-poor-on-streets&sa=U&ei=380HU96xLIzJsgb8-IDQCg&ved=0CAoQFjAC&client=internal-uds-cse&usg=AFQjCNHy0vDhI3wpenN3Jlgg5oFM9SX_zA

People cannot just go to foodbanks; they have to be referred by GPs, the church or social services. Quite often they go because they have had all their money stopped for a variety of reasons. You can find out lots about those reasons on the Falseeconomy website

Just in case you are still lurking, Ana, I did not say you were not capable, I said I did not expect you to look it up.
What did you expect me to say when you said ,"Oh dear..." because I mentioned a European commissioner?

Thanks Durhamjen
The paper below is interesting because it shows that the regions with the highest levels of unemployment (and one would imagine the highest levels of poverty)are actually the regions with the lowest numbers of food banks...

www.greenbenchesuk.com/2014/01/food-bank-britain-report-by-eoin-clarke.html

I have to agree with durhamjen's post of 21:10:28. I find the remark by cactus60 to be quite nasty and her (90 year old) auntie should hang her head in shame with her views straight from Charles Dickens ! My son and (common law) DiL are not married. They have been together a long time (through thick and thin) they have three children and both work bloody hard for small wages. They do not live in a council house (well technically it is an ex-council house they bought) and they do not get hand outs either (except from other members of the family who are happy to be able to help out). My grandma will be 98 this year and has (thankfully) the complete opposite opinion of catsus's (rather nasty in MHO) auntie. She has had a hard life believe you me but she would never want to bring back the times of workhouses .

And finally cactus60 I find your term "whining brats" horrible to say the least.

Lurking? No, just reading the threads, and actually contributing to some others, durhamjen.

And have you looked up about the right to food, Ana?

I used to read thegreenbenches quite a lot, Joelsnan, but for some reason it's difficult on my laptop. Been like that for months, I do not know why.
Yes, Gillybob, these days families tend to be spread out and it's not so easy to help out. It's also possible for two generations to be in the same position of not being able to help, unfortunately, because of unemployment, having been made redundant.
My grandmother helped my parents buy their house. My parents were not in a position to help their children, but we have helped both our sons at one time or another. Neither of them, fortunately has been in the position of not being able to afford food for their families. However, one of them works for a local authority and has to apply for his own job every year. I think that is appalling. It leads to insecurity. At least he is not on a zero hours contract, like many local authority workers, and others.

Joelsnan, another link for you. I find this absolutely appalling.
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2014/02/21/charging-for-benefit-appeals-is-no-accident-it-is-the-neoliberal-way/
It makes me really despair.

Anyone who wants to know why there are so many people needing to go to foodbanks, read this
stupidsanctions.tumblr.com/

Joelsnan, do you think the reason that the Northeast has the lowest number of foodbanks is because the cost of living is lower, therefore they can afford more food on poverty wages?
I live halfway between Consett and Durham, and I see the extremes.
We also have fewer centres of population. You just have to look at a map to see how few towns there are in Northumberland and Durham.

There are some scary views on here, plus a lot of common sense. This quote from Cactus: '^After all you shouldn't have kids if you cant pay for them. Why should people have kids for the taxpayer to keep^.' really upset me. What should we do - issue licences to breed? Oh and Cactus's Aunt has views that are truly evil and not worth repeating.

More and more people with children are going to find themselves in financial difficulties as they lose well-paid jobs and have to manage on a lot less, especially here in Australia where manufacturing industries are vanishing daily with nothing to replace them. They may well have all the luxuries, for now, but as time goes on they will have less and less.

I had the luxury of a clever, hardworking Mum, who taught me how to shop, clean, sew, knit, budget and cook. Although she and Dad were very intelligent, they only had ordinary jobs, as was the case for working class people born over 100 years ago. Mum cleaned and cooked for people, Dad was a foreman spinner.

So after I was long married and we hit the hard times ourselves, we coped. How can I compare myself to people who had no such training, no such example? .

Yes, people who rant and swear at their kids, buy junk food, cigs and booze, and then cry poor, annoy us all. But that is no reason to deny that poverty exists, or to put all struggling families in the same category.

agirlcalledjack.com/2014/02/04/dear-edwina-thankyou-for-last-night-i-hope-it-was-as-good-for-you-as-it-was-for-me-bigbenefitsrow/
In case you missed this, when I posted it on another thread...
Jack Monroe eloquently describes what it is like to be poor in the Uk today. How ever clever, determines and resourceful you are (and she appears to be all three), your benefits don't always get paid and if you have not got family to bale you out...

JessM that is so relevant.
It is so difficult to know how these sorts of situations can be resolved.
Maybe we really ought to shut the doors to the UK for a while to put our house in order with regard to job placements and demand a living wage and free child care.
I can't understand how the UK can be the 7th richest and still the 16th most indebted in the world at the same time something doesn't ring true to me.

Conversely, we all know those who use and abuse the system and (I wish they had the morals not to) really spoil it for those who are actually in desperate need. I am not sure that a referral by a GP or SW can be an accurate measure of actual need, but how do you means test apparent hunger?

Joan I do so agree with what you say.

Thanks Petallus. I've given these issues a lot of thought over the years.

Oh dear, it is saddening to see some contributors making personal jibes.
Within a reasoned debate no matter how much you disagree with one persons point of view, it is inappropriate to make it a personal issue. Please, beg to differ and back up with counter claims, but don't spoil the debate by getting personal ��

JessM, I followed the link you posted, and I was angrier than I have ever been in my life. I have never been a fan of Edwina Currie, but boy has she shown her true colours, vile, ignorant woman. And as for cactus60, I am saddened that a hard working person such as you obviously are, should be spewing out such vile statements based on ignorance and prejudice. Do you truly believe that people who lose their job should be in The Workhouse? Maybe they should hand their children over to 'more deserving' families? after they have sold all their possessions of course. Shame on you for being so judgemental. I know this is not a forum for arguments and attack, but having read this entire posting, I am horrified at your lack of basic humanity.

Wow, JessM. I have read a lot about Jack Monroe, but haven't come across that before, although I saw the programme.
That letter made me go all cold, and like GillT says, so angry.
The problem is that the people who need to read it will not. And if they do, they will just put it down to one person, whereas the www.stupidsanctions.tumblr.com website shows it is not so.

What a distressing letter! She's an inspirational young woman. I would like to see Edwina Currie's reply - can't stand the woman and her politics.