Comments on: End Child Poverty Campaign Rally: Gordon Brown urged to increase DLA, CLA http://www.bloggernews.net/117967 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:16:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: David http://www.bloggernews.net/117967#comment-661416 David Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:48:29 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/117967#comment-661416 I think it is right for the UK Autism Foundation to look at the issue of poverty and autism. There are many families, due to personal circumstances who are faced with a drop in family income. It is laudable that the Foundation is speaking up for the poor. You can't really live on what £45 a week that is what the allowances give out for families with disability. What people see is the Government so quick to help out bankers at the Bradford & Bingley, Northern Rock and others - these peole through sheer greed and irresponsibility made bad decisions by getting involved in the sub prime mortage market of the US and yet they are supported by billions of taxpayers money when they crash and yet the politicians hesitate to help the most vulnerable. Who will help the vulnerable when they crash? I think it is right for the UK Autism Foundation to look at the issue of poverty and autism. There are many families, due to personal circumstances who are faced with a drop in family income. It is laudable that the Foundation is speaking up for the poor.

You can’t really live on what £45 a week that is what the allowances give out for families with disability.

What people see is the Government so quick to help out bankers at the Bradford & Bingley, Northern Rock and others - these peole through sheer greed and irresponsibility made bad decisions by getting involved in the sub prime mortage market of the US and yet they are supported by billions of taxpayers money when they crash and yet the politicians hesitate to help the most vulnerable. Who will help the vulnerable when they crash?

]]> By: Callum http://www.bloggernews.net/117967#comment-661183 Callum Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:52:38 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/117967#comment-661183 I whole heartedly support people contributing to charities like the UK Autism Foundation or any other charity that helps the less fortunate. I do however have a few problems with how these poverty figures are computed. They by definition compare families that have children with the average level of income. They define poverty as having below average income. I live in a country where poverty is defined as the inability to provide enough food or not having enough money for even the simplest surgical procedures. No one in the UK is that poor. Various social welfare programs insure that everyone has enough to eat and if your children needs medical treatment then it is free. These poverty groups define poverty as being too poor to buy the latest computer game or not being able to afford top of the line trainers or family holidays in an exotic locale. This is hardly considered poor in most of the world. Given that immigrants to the UK have a higher birth rate compared to the UK average this also raises the number of children in supposed poverty. I am sure if you asked them, they would say they are far richer as a poor person in the UK than they would be had they remained in their home country. This misguided belief that real poverty actually exists in the UK has prompted Gordon Brown to propose giving every poor kid a Laptop computer. I guess the next thing will be Free Adidas and Villas in Spain. I whole heartedly support people contributing to charities like the UK Autism Foundation or any other charity that helps the less fortunate.

I do however have a few problems with how these poverty figures are computed. They by definition compare families that have children with the average level of income. They define poverty as having below average income.

I live in a country where poverty is defined as the inability to provide enough food or not having enough money for even the simplest surgical procedures.

No one in the UK is that poor. Various social welfare programs insure that everyone has enough to eat and if your children needs medical treatment then it is free.

These poverty groups define poverty as being too poor to buy the latest computer game or not being able to afford top of the line trainers or family holidays in an exotic locale.

This is hardly considered poor in most of the world.

Given that immigrants to the UK have a higher birth rate compared to the UK average this also raises the number of children in supposed poverty. I am sure if you asked them, they would say they are far richer as a poor person in the UK than they would be had they remained in their home country.

This misguided belief that real poverty actually exists in the UK has prompted Gordon Brown to propose giving every poor kid a Laptop computer. I guess the next thing will be Free Adidas and Villas in Spain.

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