Child poverty facts and figures

Started by snokitty, April 09, 2015, 03:56:24 PM

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snokitty

Republic ‏@RepublicStaff

QuoteWhile the media go mad about one child perhaps it's time to do something about every child. Child poverty facts and figures | Child Poverty Action Group ... #bornEqual
The monarchy costs the taxpayer estimated £300m a year. Imagine if that were invested in ensuring every child was #bornEqual

Child poverty facts and figures | Child Poverty Action Group

QuoteThere are 3.5 million children living in poverty in the UK today. That's 27 per cent of children, or more than one in four.1

There are even more serious concentrations of child poverty at a local level: in 100 local wards, for example, between 50 and 70 per cent of children are growing up in poverty.2

Work does not provide a guaranteed route out of poverty in the UK. Two-thirds (66 per cent) of children growing up in poverty live in a family where at least one member works.3

People are poor for many reasons. But explanations which put poverty down to drug and alcohol dependency, family breakdown, poor parenting, or a culture of worklessness are not supported by the facts.4

Child poverty blights childhoods. Growing up in poverty means being cold, going hungry, not being able to join in activities with friends. For example, 61 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.6 Leaving school with fewer qualifications translates into lower earnings over the course of a working life.

Poverty is also related to more complicated health histories over the course of a lifetime, again influencing earnings as well as the overall quality – and indeed length - of life. Professionals live, on average, eight years longer than unskilled workers.7

Child poverty imposes costs on broader society – estimated to be at least £29 billion a year.8 Governments forgo prospective revenues as well as commit themselves to providing services in the future if they fail to address child poverty in the here and now.

Child poverty reduced dramatically between 1998/9-2011/12 when 1.1 million children were lifted out of poverty (BHC).9 This reduction is credited in large part to measures that increased the levels of lone parents working, as well as real and often significant increases in the level of benefits paid to families with children.

Under current government policies, child poverty is projected to rise from 2012/13 with an expected 600,000 more children living in poverty by 2015/16.10 This upward trend is expected to continue with 4.7 million children projected to be living in poverty by 2020.
"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too"      Voltaire

I can see humor in most things & I would rather laugh than cry.    Snokitty


HistoryGirl

Quote
The monarchy costs the taxpayer estimated £300m a year. Imagine if that were invested in ensuring every child was #bornEqual

This would be magnificent...if I really believed that's where the money would go.

cate1949

I absolutely understand the republican position and am half and half on the whole issue.  But....  I think the Republicans do no good for their campaign by making it seem as if the elimination of the monarchy will result in all these problems going away.  If the British people were truly appalled by child poverty or homelessness - Britain is a wealthy enough country to resolve those problems now.  Yet they do not.  If the will is not there now it is unlikely the savings from the end of monarchy will be applied to these problems then. 

Attack the real causes of poverty - the austerity policies of the government and issues around inequitable distribution of wealth.  No need to wait for the monarchy to go away.

SophieChloe

I understand @cate1949.  However, when then is little money to go round - I find it appalling that it is wasted on securing these numpties for just existing.  Shameful. 
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me

snokitty

^   :thumbsup:

The problems will not be solved as long as the political system is filled with people who uphold the rights of the wealthy (royalty & nobility). The problem with replacing them is the parties will never allow someone who cares about the problems of the poor to be put on the ballot.
"Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too"      Voltaire

I can see humor in most things & I would rather laugh than cry.    Snokitty


SophieChloe

^ Yep.  Cameron and his cabinet "banging" on the table says it all.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me

TLLK

#6
Quote from: cate1949 on April 09, 2015, 06:01:45 PM
I absolutely understand the republican position and am half and half on the whole issue.  But....  I think the Republicans do no good for their campaign by making it seem as if the elimination of the monarchy will result in all these problems going away.  If the British people were truly appalled by child poverty or homelessness - Britain is a wealthy enough country to resolve those problems now.  Yet they do not.  If the will is not there now it is unlikely the savings from the end of monarchy will be applied to these problems then. 

Attack the real causes of poverty - the austerity policies of the government and issues around inequitable distribution of wealth.  No need to wait for the monarchy to go away.
:goodpost: An excellent point @cate1949  Glad to see that the group's website is offering facts about the number of children affected by poverty and opportunities for the public to become involved in finding ways to reduce the number of children living in these conditions.

Double post auto-merged: April 15, 2015, 10:27:58 PM


IMO it is interesting to note what the group defines as poverty in the UK as it does not consider family income to be the only defining component. Family education level, neighborhood resources, and environment are taken into consideration as well. Those who have lived in more dire conditions such as a large urban slum in a  third world nation might be surprised to know that they're considered to be impoverished after moving to the UK.

cate1949

I feel rather discouraged and outraged about these issues - our Republican controlled House just passed an appalling budget - they have given the  insanely wealthy -the top  .02% of the richest people on the planet - a huge tax break while cutting virtually every program for the middle/working/poor classes.  The only part of the budget they have increased is our military- whose budget is already 9 times greater than any other country.

This insensitivity to the health of the whole society sets us on a terrible course for the future and the UK is not far behind the US in this regard.  So it does seem to me that within the context of the whole horrible picture - the monarchy is a minor issue.  It is like a distraction to keep us from looking at what is really happening - in the US it is SSM instead of monarchy.  Bread and circuses while they make us all serfs.

Curryong

Quote from: cate1949 on April 17, 2015, 02:39:21 AM
I feel rather discouraged and outraged about these issues - our Republican controlled House just passed an appalling budget - they have given the  insanely wealthy -the top  .02% of the richest people on the planet - a huge tax break while cutting virtually every program for the middle/working/poor classes.  The only part of the budget they have increased is our military- whose budget is already 9 times greater than any other country.

This insensitivity to the health of the whole society sets us on a terrible course for the future and the UK is not far behind the US in this regard.  So it does seem to me that within the context of the whole horrible picture - the monarchy is a minor issue.  It is like a distraction to keep us from looking at what is really happening - in the US it is SSM instead of monarchy.  Bread and circuses while they make us all serfs.

In Australia too, the Coalition government has behaved in exactly the same fashion. The last Budget introduced a lot of welfare/ education/ age care/ health cuts which affected most sectors of the population. They've been back-pedalling madly ever since, mostly because the Senate (full of reps from minor parties) wouldn't pass many of these measures.

However, our big mining magnates haven't exactly been suffering. In fact they've been enjoying huge tax breaks, something our Government seems willing to excuse.

I think the question of equable taxation isn't likely to be tackled by politicians anywhere, given the vast power of international conglomerates and their allies. I agree, Cate, it's a huge problem. The monarchy is a side issue, IMO.