Kids without shoes.

[Plain Talker 11]

What happened to "hand me downs"?

 

Shoes were far more expensive 20 years ago yet I can't remember any kids walking about barefoot then.

 

The problem is feckless parents would would rather spend money on themselves then on their children. It's amazing how many single mums I see blowing money on lottery scratchcards, fags and booze at the local shop. Then there's the ones that are on drugs.

 

I actually remember a kiddie back in the mid 1980s who was in my stepson's class at nursery/ infant school who was so disadvantaged that she used to have to wear boys' PE shorts as knickers, and her shoes were a pair of Wellingtons, cut down to a shoe.

 

When my stepsons were small, I also remember going without, myself, when I needed a new pair of shoes, because laddo needed a pair of trousers and a pair of shoes for school. I also remember "manning up" to my responsibilities, by ensuring that there was enough grub in the freezer for the lads, so they never went hungry. Just as my own parents taught me by their example)

[Mister M 1,608]

What happened to "hand me downs"?

 

Shoes were far more expensive 20 years ago yet I can't remember any kids walking about barefoot then.

 

The problem is feckless parents would would rather spend money on themselves then on their children. It's amazing how many single mums I see blowing money on lottery scratchcards, fags and booze at the local shop. Then there's the ones that are on drugs.

 

Lol. And no doubt when governments say that we should honour our committment to the world's poor, you'd be the first one to complain charity should begin at home

[Mister M 1,608]

Maybe some lessons in budgeting would be in order, not sure why anyone on that income would need to go without food.

 

I quite agree with you on the point about someone earning £30,000. But it is impossible to ignore the plight of the lowest paid workers in our country (of whom there millions) not being able to afford the very basics.

I watched a Newsnight report the other evening including a little lad, no more than 8 years old, visibly upset that he doesn't see enough of his Dad as he has to work 2 jobs.

[Lexikia 10]

What Regatta said about the parents is true, at least for one example that I know of.

 

One "mother" not far from me was heard complaining that she'd not got enough to feed her kids and that they were living on beans on toast. In the same conversation she was heard asking her eldest to 'fetch her another can (of beer) and her cigs"

 

An adult's got so have some enjoyment.

[MrSmith 10]

I quite agree with you on the point about someone earning £30,000. But it is impossible to ignore the plight of the lowest paid workers in our country (of whom there millions) not being able to afford the very basics.

I watched a Newsnight report the other evening including a little lad, no more than 8 years old, visibly upset that he doesn't see enough of his Dad as he has to work 2 jobs.

 

The lowest paid workers get housing benefits, family tax credits, child tax credits, ECT. They are not poor, I know plenty of poor people and most can afford everything they need, the ones that spend money on stuff they don't need can't afford the stuff they do need.

[regatta 10]

An adult's got so have some enjoyment.

 

Agreed! but not at their childrens expense, childrens welfare comes first, end of.

[poppins 10]

Strange some posters are broke, but have computers and must be paying for Internet service.

[regatta 10]

Strange some posters are broke, but have computers and must be paying for Internet service.

 

Probably comes out of their family allowance.

[Bypassblade 10]

Reported on the news, some kids don't have shoes and a hot meal at least once a day, they would if their parents would stay out of the boozers.

 

Now did it say they'd have shoes if parents didn't p*** it up against the wall, or is that your pre-emptive judgemental attitude.

 

Some people on this site are judge, jury & executioner, its a true fact you know, some people don't have a pot to pee in no matter how well they budget. Plus have you got/ever had kids, trust me, shoes don't wear out to set times, and some people can't keep up with how fast kids ruin/grow out of them.

[Mister M 1,608]

The lowest paid workers get housing benefits, family tax credits, child tax credits, ECT. They are not poor, I know plenty of poor people and most can afford everything they need, the ones that spend money on stuff they don't need can't afford the stuff they do need.

 

Some lowest paid workers get those benefits you've mentioned, lots do not. I think it was the CPAG that was quoted saying that £16 billion a year of entitled benefits goes unclaimed by people (compared to 1.5 billion of defrauded benefits claimed per year). And yes, blame the poverty stricken person for nor claiming whath they're entitled to. But some are proud; some have this quaint old fashioned idea of 'a fair day's pay for a fair day's work'; and I guess some would hate to give their critics the pleasure of calling them 'scroungers' or 'welfare junkies'.

Also even if a person claims all the benefits you say they're entitled to, they can still be poor (if you accept the official definition of poverty).

One of the respondent's to the above Guardian article about Save The Children made the salient point that a lot of people's thoughts about poverty are stuck in the 1970s, where technology was expensive and the basics are relatively cheap (food and housing). Britain 40 years on isn't like that anymore.

And the little lad who wanted his dad wasn't talking about money - but about his Dad not being there as he was having to work all the hours god sends to make ends meet.

Edited September 7, 2012 by Mister M

[Mister M 1,608]

Strange some posters are broke, but have computers and must be paying for Internet service.

 

Yes some will have been entitled to a government scheme to get disadvantaged people online. Or perhaps some people are living with others that do have internet access....

[MrSmith 10]

Some lowest paid workers get those benefits you've mentioned, lots do not. I think it was the CPAG that was quoted saying that £16 billion a year of entitled benefits goes unclaimed by people (compared to 1.5 billion of defrauded benefits claimed per year). And yes, blame the poverty stricken person for nor claiming whath they're entitled to. But some are proud; some have this quaint old fashioned idea of 'a fair day's pay for a fair day's work'; and I guess some would hate to give their critics the pleasure of calling them 'scroungers' or 'welfare junkies'.

Also even if a person claims all the benefits you say they're entitled to, they can still be poor (if you accept the official definition of poverty).

One of the respondent's to the above Guardian article about Save The Children made the salient point that a lot of people's thoughts about poverty are stuck in the 1970s, where technology was expensive and the basics are relatively cheap (food and housing). Britain 40 years on isn't like that anymore.

 

I agree and poor people in this country can afford a hot meal and shoes for their children, if they say they can’t then they are spending their money on something that they feel is more important than their child. It’s usually fags, booze, or a scratch card.