child poverty
Child poverty in the U.K
Introduction
Child poverty is becoming more of a big issue now more than ever in the U.K, with so many people unemployed and living on benefits. Children across the country are being deprived of basic living standards. The price of living is going up and it’s no wonder people are struggling to make ends meet. In my essay, I will talk about all aspects of how child poverty impacts greatly on children’s lives. I will talk about the effects poverty has on a child’s health, housing, education and social exclusion. I will also talk about how child poverty can be tackled, and the causes of child poverty with in the United Kingdom.
Firstly, I would like to talk about what causes child poverty. An important factor that I came across while researching, was the unemployment/low paid jobs could be a cause for concern. This may contribute to why children are being affected by poverty. According to CPAG, “42 per cent of all families below the UK poverty line contained no working members”. Some people have a negative perception of families relying on benefits instead of getting a job. There are numerous reasons for why parents cannot work and provide for their children. Some of these reasons are; health problems, carer’s responsibilities, disabilities, while some encounter discrimination that acts as a barrier to work (CPAG, 2012). Other factors that cause child poverty could be parents who are alcohol or drug dependent. An article printed by the daily mail stated that, parental addiction, not income, is main reason for child poverty. According to Iain Duncan Smith “Giving more benefits to poor families will not address child poverty because too many irresponsible parents will spend it on alcohol or drugs”, (chapman, J., daily mail, 2013). Although in the same article, chief executive, Alison Garnham, of child poverty action group said “the fact that Children are much more likely to be in poverty today because they have a parent who is a
Introduction
Child poverty is becoming more of a big issue now more than ever in the U.K, with so many people unemployed and living on benefits. Children across the country are being deprived of basic living standards. The price of living is going up and it’s no wonder people are struggling to make ends meet. In my essay, I will talk about all aspects of how child poverty impacts greatly on children’s lives. I will talk about the effects poverty has on a child’s health, housing, education and social exclusion. I will also talk about how child poverty can be tackled, and the causes of child poverty with in the United Kingdom.
Firstly, I would like to talk about what causes child poverty. An important factor that I came across while researching, was the unemployment/low paid jobs could be a cause for concern. This may contribute to why children are being affected by poverty. According to CPAG, “42 per cent of all families below the UK poverty line contained no working members”. Some people have a negative perception of families relying on benefits instead of getting a job. There are numerous reasons for why parents cannot work and provide for their children. Some of these reasons are; health problems, carer’s responsibilities, disabilities, while some encounter discrimination that acts as a barrier to work (CPAG, 2012). Other factors that cause child poverty could be parents who are alcohol or drug dependent. An article printed by the daily mail stated that, parental addiction, not income, is main reason for child poverty. According to Iain Duncan Smith “Giving more benefits to poor families will not address child poverty because too many irresponsible parents will spend it on alcohol or drugs”, (chapman, J., daily mail, 2013). Although in the same article, chief executive, Alison Garnham, of child poverty action group said “the fact that Children are much more likely to be in poverty today because they have a parent who is a