Children Go Hungry Over The Summer Holidays

[fiction-factory]

Did anyone see Matt Alwright, matt Baker and Alex Jones- and inarticular Emma Thompson who had areal go at the government- looking at this issue yesterday.
Ther ahve also been newspaper articles eg https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/food-bank-donations-uk-children-hunger-summer-holidays-trussel-trust-a8475516.html

Can it be true? 4 million children go hungry? Children are noticealy losing weight? parents chhosing bewteen food for them and food for their children. They acknowledged the problem ha sexisted for hundreds of years but the 'expert' seemed sure it had got a lot worse in the last 5-6 years and austerity. was mentioned . The case stud was anurse who had to take her children atoa food club.

I can see there is a point here that if we provide free school meals to millions of children in the term time we are accepting there is a problem in term time, so perhaps help should be extended to the holidays. But I find it hard to imagine that simple meals can't be provided at an affordable cost by parents (using child benefit)- jacket potatoes, carrot and lentil soup. bananas, blackberry crumble.

When I see these case studies I often want to ask questions no-one seems to ask - like how much do you spend on tattoes or on that piece of jewellery round your neck, do your dogs not eat either or if you are a single mum does the father contribute.

Is there a real problem here or is it something we should leave parents and charities to sort out. I'd like to see a TV documentary on some cases with perhaps someone like Ann Widecomb or Edwina Currie asking questions to balance the horrified/sympathetic BBC /Emma Thompson type views..

i'm also wondering how this loss of weight that's referred to fits in with the supposed obesity issues for children- maybe it's different children.

Sorry, not really a question, jsut a collection of ramblings and observations. I wondered what others think.

[jackthehat]

The increase wasn't the surprise......the figures were the surprise.

[nailit]

Thanks jack. But an extra £20 per week between 2 kids equates to about £1.42 per child per day. Surprised it wasn't more.

[jackthehat]

ummmm - Even allowing for inflation, there is no way my family of 3 could have munched our way through £70 of groceries per week.

[naomi24]

I have my doubts about this and the agenda behind the report. All I seem to read about is a childhood obesity epidemic.

[fiction-factory]

>Thanks jack. But an extra £20 per week between 2 kids equates to about £1.42 per child per day. Surprised it wasn't more.

Really it should be calculated over the 5 days they'd otherwise be at school. so £2 a day extra per child for lunch. Could probably do for under a £1 witha bit of thought.

But I remember that food costs was a minor issue. The main cost was paying for activities (tennis/football coaching, zoos)- but we knew all that when we chose to have children

[sunny-dave]

I'm irritated by the routine "you don't have kids" snipe - I do have friends, neighbours and relatives with kids and see the costs/struggles that they have.

But it's actually irrelevant what the total cost of parenthood is - if you fix benefits to the specific expense that they are designed to cover (by ensuring that they can only used for that purpose), then you can at least be sure that (for instance) enough food is coming in and the rent and heating are paid.

The "juggling and managing" still goes on, but can't draw upon money that should be sacrosanct.

[nailit]

Yes fair point ff, wasn't taking the weekend into consideration.

//there is no way my family of 3 could have munched our way through £70 of groceries per week//
Groceries are so much more than food though. Toiletries, cleaning products, personal hygiene products etc.

[ummmm]

It's not just groceries. It's when you add in the toiletries, washing powder etc.

FF - Some parents didn't know that. I was 18 when I had my first. I didn't have a clue.

If I was on my own I would have seriously struggled having not much living experience.

[jackthehat]

nailit - Her definition of 'groceries' was food.....

[nailit]

Then I agree with you jack, that is a stupid amount. Some people don't know how to budget or shop around.

[ummmm]

But Dave....not all people living in food poverty are on benefits.

CB replaced a change to how we are taxed taking it off the main bread winner and giving it to the main carer. It's not a free benefit, it's always been there.

[anneasquith]

I fail to see why we can't accept some families suffer hardship during The long summer holidays. Contrary to what the media would have us believe , not all people who claim benefits are drinking/ smoking layabouts. All parents wish to give their children to at least one treat during the holidays. When discussing this topic, having had children is an advantage .

[naomi24]

//When discussing this topic, having had children is an advantage . //

I agree with that.

[anneasquith]

Oh !!!!!! ( didn't see that coming ) :-)

[ummmm]

I absolutely agree with that, Anne. Childless people do make valid points but can't know what it's like when you're given the school uniform list, or when your child has a growing spurt and needs new shoes.

I have a massive family but I knew nothing of their finances.

When I had financial woes the only person I spoke to was my dad who would always make sure we were fed. No outside of our house would have any idea we were struggling.

[naomi24]

anneasquith, I'm not prejudiced. ;o)

[youngmafbog]

Ann, I agree with you. the problem is there are a significant number of people claiming benefits are drinking/ smoking layabouts and of course they will be the ones focused on thus masking the underlying problem of the real strugglers.

I dont know if they do but if not I would like this to be part of the curriculum, budgeting with real figures and costs of children etc. You can never mirror the real thing but it might help some.

I would have thought the biggest cost and therefore issue for the majority was childcare (if they can get it).

[gness]

What a lot to discuss! But I'm going to irritate Dave further.....seeing others with children struggling financially is nothing like having to do it yourself.
As Ummmm says, childless people have valid points to make, but believe me when you suddenly become a hard up single parent it's very different to looking in from your position.....

I had no CB...but if it had been available then I wouldn't have wanted tokens or credits as you suggested earlier, I was feeling low and useless enough as it was....x

[anneasquith]

I wonder if the " food tokens" will only be given to families on receipt of other benefits, or every family with children ?

[rowanwitch]

I do think many young people start independent lives with poor survival skills. As soon as they are placed under pressure they have no effective plan b to fall back on. That pressure could easily be the additional cost of a few meals a week if the only way you know how to feed your family is ready meals and takeaways. Add to that their children will then be resistant to trying cheaper options that aspect becomes even harder.

Treats and outings, what children will remember in later life is the time they spent together, a picnic in the park with friends families and a game of rounders might seem a bit twee but at least one of the dad's might have a baseball bat somewhere hidden away. If not a plastic tennis racquet from the pound shop . If girls have hula hoops put them on the floor and try getting a Frisbee to land in them. Using imagination goes a long way.
And I know I haven't had kids, but I have been there for friends who do including some with learning difficulties or behaviour problems. You help where you can, sometimes without them knowing, or realising. Oh poo, I made some stuff for a friend's party and I hate waste sort of thing....