Me Sooz 

Pretty pointless this QT.

 

 

Not a common man in sight... fed up of seeing the same faces on TV over and over again. It seems to be an audience of students.

I agree, QT was just a watered down version of more of the same. This Week might be a bit better.

Saint - http://www.cpag.org.uk/child-p...ty-facts-and-figures

Lal got the top 5, but omitted Germany in place number 6.

Well done!

We enjoyed QT btw.

This Week was good I thought. 

it kinda was in a way. . 

 

I am really proud to be first generation British with it's lovely spread of nationalities that make the Union and find it really upsetting that people are trying to tear it apart  but,  while waiting to do so they still participate in making decisions for the areas they want to leave behind.  *stamps foot*

Townsend said poverty restricts us from,

" participate in the activities and have the living conditions and amenities which are customary"

 

So that means not having a plasma TV so you can watch Harry Potter in 3D.

And the latest X-box game so you can challenge your friends, on-line.

 

So did you read the link Saint? Or do yo think only the  studies  you choose to cite (or the interpretation) are the only relvant ones? Ever thought of being a politician?

 

 

 

• Child poverty blights childhoods. Growing up in poverty means being cold, going hungry, not being able to join in activities with friends. For example, 62 per cent of families in the bottom income quintile would like, but cannot afford, to take their children on holiday for one week a year.5
• Child poverty has long-lasting effects. By 16, children receiving free school meals achieve 1.7 grades lower at GCSE than their wealthier peers.6Leaving school with fewer qualifications translates into lower earnings over the course of a working life.

 

 

Do you not think that's quite damning?

Not being able to 'go on holiday' is not poverty in my book.

And poor school perfomance is much more complex than if you do, or do not have, cash.

I think you're thinking of a different type of holiday though Saint, most people having to bring up kids on very little dont think of holidays to Spain etc for 2 weeks.... They wish they could afford to take the kids on a long weekend at the seaside... Also i notice you chose to ignore the first part of that bullet point there

 

  Child poverty blights childhoods. Growing up in poverty means being cold,   going hungry, not being able to join in activities with friends.

Oh i don't doubt poverty means cold and hungry

I question how common it is. So much is eggagerated to gain extra funding and to make a sound bite. Goal posts are constantly changing to incorporate more and more people.

On the whole the UK is doing well for children compared to most other places in the world.

 

The UK is doing crap compared to it's peers.

(See what I did there?)

i expect Unicef will be headhunting Rents any day now.... 

Ha ha ha

I'm not uncaring or insensitive at all.

I'm lovely really

Saint - I think you must live in a very nice place in the country and 'in your head'.

 

I do think though that you're somewhat blinkered - either that or you're being deliberately obtuse.

I never mean to be obtuse.

I would say i'm very positive that we can make things better and that things are never (on the whole) as bad as people like to make out.

Maybe it's a bit like your thread on 'Why do we never hear things like this?' There is plenty of poverty not too far away from where I live - most of them I'm sure try like you to be 'positive' but sometimes it's exactly as bad as people like to make out - sometimes it's even worse. 

 

i'm really not being difficult but I do think you must have led a very cossetted life.

I've never doubted nor denied that some are in real need.

Just not as bad nor as widespread as its made out to be.

 

I'll be honest ............it makes little difference how many/how widespread - it's pretty shocking in this day and age that any kids have to live that way IMO.

 

And ............I do think there are large pockets of poverty in the UK - just because you don't see it or choose  to believe it's only a very small minority really doesn't alter the facts. The studies carried out are 'independent' there's no hidden agenda for gaining extra funding - it is as it is.

If research can take us to war - then anything can be proved

I can't help but be sceptical that things are sexed up to gain funding

 I think I see!

 

Unless it's the apostrophe, to annoy all the teachers? 

To gain what funding though? Benefits are being cut!

 

I agree with Suzy's last post, kids shouldn't be living below the poverty line in 21st Century Britain. They shouldn't be living in poverty anywhere, but that's another thread probably!

Like i've said several times i have no doubt some are in real need

But i also think research is exaggerated (sp?) to secure and increase funding and stop it being cut.

Whether it works or not is something else

The poor kids living today under this mob in govt will be worse off than under thatcher's time.

Yep ...............some people and kids are destined for a pretty grim time ahead. And what's ironic is - we'll all end up 'poorer' for it - when society goes 'rotten' people ask why - the reason is - there are people not prepared to help those at the very bottom of the pile - when the dog bites why are people confused?

 

Sorry ...................i'm ranting - I'm becoming nonsensical so I'm stepping away.

 

I know what i mean - I just can't find the right words at the moment

And the disabled 

And my last comment (cos we could go on forever)

I work with disabled people - 3 of them have thousands in the bank - and i mean thousands - they get huge benefits and we're wondering how they get sooo much. All the guys i work with live comfortable lives.

Some have laptops - one has an iPhone

 

 

 

I'm never sure whether possession of material goods is an absolute definition of poverty mind. I can think of a particular local to my son, competitive " family" that have a better tellybox than us. (Can see it through the window oil) they all have phones, statuettes and shite all over the place. However, poor diet, behavioural issues, and the kids all smoke. As UNICEF might point out, there is also poverty of taste, poverty of ignorance, and poverty of envy.

I've just started watching that ^^^^ but I've gotta dash. I saw it when it was on TV - it broke my heart TBH. So sad  Will watch the rest later - cheers 

Yes it's not black and white - it's complex - some of the 'poorer' families at the school I was involved with had fantastic 'material' goods - the kids (sometimes) got great Christmas presents but it was all bought on tick at high interest or with money from loan sharks thus ensuring that things were incredibly 'tight' for the following year or until the next Christmas when the loan sharks were only too happy to' top up'. A lot of it is indeed down to ignorance and lack of education ..............it's still bloody sad though 

If the government have their way with the biased WCA and new PIP biased assessment enough of us sick and disabled adults and children will die and this government will succeeded, in what I believe to be, an autogenicide policy. I fully expect work houses to be reopend to facilitate this   At least building them will get some off the dole  

 

Better to let sick and disabled children die rather than pay them anything and god forbid they might have bank accounts that accrue money.  

 

It may sound like I'm being sensationalist but this is what this country is sleep walking into.

 

I agree with Soozy and Katty and Saz, we live in a developed country, there is no excuse for children to be living in poverty, and if we can't share a little of the wealth around, we're damned as a nation 

Pengy, the families I know that are awaiting the outcome of the PIP assessment are terrified of the results

We were having a QT post mortem whilst out on the bikes. Thought her biographer was OK until he seemed to lose it, frothing at the mouth and talking rubbish about the wicked witch of the East, and attacking our BBC. Haven't seen Blunket for a while, but time hasn't been kind to him-he's still a total cock. If that 's the best we can do then I despair. Polly Toynbee is quite serious, love her articles, but useless on the tellybox. He may be a yellow Tory but Ming the Merciless was entertaining, as was Ken Clarke.

I'm being moved from ICB to ESA and am currently filling in my WCA form with caution as I know what I put on that will affect what I put on my new PIP form when I'm moved off DLA.

 

The whole system stinks but we're all being beaten with the Mick Philpott stick and it doesn't matter that thousands have died already due to this unfair test. 

 

I'll take as many medicals as necessary but those medicals should be fair not biased and loaded so you can't access the help you need 

It's just too bloody awful pengy,there are people with terminal cancer being signed fit for work...This mob are a shower of bastards.  They keep stating we are getting people back into work etc,no they're not, they just want folk off incapacity which is paid at a higher rate than job seekers allowance.That's it, plain and simple,they don't give a fook if folk die etc.