Child food insecurity in the UK

[northernladuk]

I had no idea this even existed in the UK until my other half started working in a primary nuture unit in a really crap area. Her first job of the day is to feed them as some of them will be lucky to get one decent meal a day. She's been out every other day during lockdown to most of these families dropping food parcels for the kids and checking they are still alive let alone educating them. Liasing with social services is almost a full time job for her at the moment. It's incredible. Parents have the money for food (or could have) as most of them are sitting on the step smoking cannabis while the kids play, some even have jobs!! Proper eye opening...

But anyway, don't let my meanderings get in the way of a good political bashing.. back to it.

[xoggoth]

FTFY

Eh? The time off work quote just happens to be in an article about vegans.

[The Spartan]

I had no idea this even existed in the UK until my other half started working in a primary nuture unit in a really crap area. Her first job of the day is to feed them as some of them will be lucky to get one decent meal a day. She's been out every other day during lockdown to most of these families dropping food parcels for the kids and checking they are still alive let alone educating them. Liasing with social services is almost a full time job for her at the moment. It's incredible. Parents have the money for food (or could have) as most of them are sitting on the step smoking cannabis while the kids play, some even have jobs!! Proper eye opening...

But anyway, don't let my meanderings get in the way of a good political bashing.. back to it.

Spot on NLUK, the majority of them do have the money it's not like it's not being provided. My mother was the same she claimed benefits and worked cash in hand, however she found better use for the money than to spend it on me and my brothers in the form of gambling, smoking and drinking. Back then nothing like this existed I'm happy to here that at least now these children are being provided for in some way

[Zigenare]

No, but Bojo has exacerbated the situation. Scotland and Wales extending free schools meals for when schools are closed, BoJo continues to lie about the situation.



I was expecting such an angry juvenile response from you.

Angry? Nope. Juvenile? Almost certainly.

Glad you're not disappointed, unlike your parents must be.

[Paddy]

I had no idea this even existed in the UK until my other half started working in a primary nuture unit in a really crap area. Her first job of the day is to feed them as some of them will be lucky to get one decent meal a day. She's been out every other day during lockdown to most of these families dropping food parcels for the kids and checking they are still alive let alone educating them. Liasing with social services is almost a full time job for her at the moment. It's incredible. Parents have the money for food (or could have) as most of them are sitting on the step smoking cannabis while the kids play, some even have jobs!! Proper eye opening...

But anyway, don't let my meanderings get in the way of a good political bashing.. back to it.

Spot on NLUK, the majority of them do have the money it's not like it's not being provided. My mother was the same she claimed benefits and worked cash in hand, however she found better use for the money than to spend it on me and my brothers in the form of gambling, smoking and drinking. Back then nothing like this existed I'm happy to here that at least now these children are being provided for in some way

I agree with your comments up to a point, however, there is an increasing number of people who are in real poverty and fall through the so-called safety net. Poverty now extends to recently well off families who do not qualify for benefits but have to pay full council tax and have low incomes. I know one family and they have to reliy on friends (including myself) to chip in and see them through the bad times.

Similar happens with the homeless. The vast majority of so-called homeless in the local high street are under 25 years old, they beg during the day even though they are housed in a council hostel and paid benefits on top. They all smoke and all of them are on drugs to a varying degree. However, there are also genuine homeless normally in the age range of 40 to 60 years of age, people with failed businesses and ex-solders.

[northernladuk]

I agree with your comments up to a point, however, there is an increasing number of people who are in real poverty and fall through the so-called safety net. Poverty now extends to recently well off families who do not qualify for benefits but have to pay full council tax and have low incomes. I know one family and they have to reliy on friends (including myself) to chip in and see them through the bad times.

Similar happens with the homeless. The vast majority of so-called homeless in the local high street are under 25 years old, they beg during the day even though they are housed in a council hostel and paid benefits on top. They all smoke and all of them are on drugs to a varying degree. However, there are also genuine homeless normally in the age range of 40 to 60 years of age, people with failed businesses and ex-solders.

But how does that relate to your original post. The post is about Child Food Insecurity and the graphs are for children under 15.

[vetran]

I agree with your comments up to a point, however, there is an increasing number of people who are in real poverty and fall through the so-called safety net. Poverty now extends to recently well off families who do not qualify for benefits but have to pay full council tax and have low incomes. I know one family and they have to reliy on friends (including myself) to chip in and see them through the bad times.

Similar happens with the homeless. The vast majority of so-called homeless in the local high street are under 25 years old, they beg during the day even though they are housed in a council hostel and paid benefits on top. They all smoke and all of them are on drugs to a varying degree. However, there are also genuine homeless normally in the age range of 40 to 60 years of age, people with failed businesses and ex-solders.

Well if we had built enough homes and allowed wages to grow by not increasing supply of cheap labour these people wouldn't have been pulled into this in normal times.

We wouldn't have working families of four living in 1 bedroom flats, we know of two such families with young kids, both working hard and paying their way. Their kids aren't struggling yet but they aren't far from disaster, they won't go without a fight though. Cue parents not eating so the kids can etc.

The ones that are pissing their benefits etc. up the wall aren't poor they are just bad parents and that is what we pay the under performing social services to sort out.

[NotAllThere]

I had no idea this even existed in the UK until my other half started working in a primary nuture unit in a really crap area. Her first job of the day is to feed them as some of them will be lucky to get one decent meal a day. She's been out every other day during lockdown to most of these families dropping food parcels for the kids and checking they are still alive let alone educating them. Liasing with social services is almost a full time job for her at the moment. It's incredible. Parents have the money for food (or could have) as most of them are sitting on the step smoking cannabis while the kids play, some even have jobs!! Proper eye opening...

But anyway, don't let my meanderings get in the way of a good political bashing.. back to it.

In the early 90s, my wife did her teacher training at a primary school in Byker (Tyneside). The school was open 7am to 6pm. Many would turn up hungry and need feeding. And it wasn't unknown for a child to turn up in damp clothes, as they only had one set, and it hadn't dried overnight - the school had supplies of spare clothes for them.

30 years later...

[Old Greg]

In the early 90s, my wife did her teacher training at a primary school in Byker (Tyneside). The school was open 7am to 6pm. Many would turn up hungry and need feeding. And it wasn't unknown for a child to turn up in damp clothes, as they only had one set, and it hadn't dried overnight - the school had supplies of spare clothes for them.

30 years later...

Never say Thatcher didn't leave an enduring legacy.

[LondonManc]

The numbers are skewed. What should really be hit home is the amount of parents that have the money but don't give a toss about the sprogs now that they've managed to use them to get a free house. A very good friend of mine had two strikes, was in and out of care homes as a kid, etc. I met him at the local social club and we ended up proving how unfit we were by joining the club's five-a-side team, generally having fun. He's now got three kids and is working hard, mainly on becoming a qualified mechanic (he can do the job better than most that have a piece of paper to say they can). He lives on a council estate, not a great part of north Manchester, but he works hard. Last time we had a catch up, his grumble was almost verbatim what Mrs NLUK has witnessed. Girls on his street who think having a new tattoo, new iphone, dog, weed and booze are all higher priorities than feeding and clothing the kids they've got. More fathers need to take more responsibility. Kids need a role model and someone who will be their father bear and make sure they're fed and clothed properly. Unfortunately I think we're past our peak as a species.