The British child-poverty scandal.....

[Papaumau]

Nearly 100,000 children in Scotland alone live in households that earn less than £33.00 a day.

One in ten of the nation's under-16s are raised in "the most severe poverty" according to Save The Children.

They said that progress in improving poor kids living standards has "completely frozen"

And they claimed that government promises to end child poverty by 2020 sounded "increasingly hollow".


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Well, if it is like this in Scotland I see no reason why it should be any different in the rest of Britain.

It looks as if the "end child poverty" slogan by the government is not worth the paper it was printed on.

HERE is a news item from the Save The Children website.

WELL...what do you think ?

( And PLEASE John don't just use this as another reason for stabbing Brown in the back as he is only one person in our government and parliament ).

[John]

We are moving backwards with this present Government (all of them).

Worst equality between rich and poor for 40 years.

Its a non listening Government to boot...

[Hells Granny]

I brought up my two children on Widowed Mother's Benefit. It was a struggle, but we all survived then, but I doubt we would today.

Cheers, HG

[Papaumau]

Yes HG...but we should not have to scrimp and save and just do enough to get by in this rich country !

It was released yesterday that the inequality gap is getting wider and wider as each day goes by in Britain and NOBODY seems willing to do anything about this.

The old maxim that "the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer" now stands more strongly in Britain than it ever did before.

See THIS

[Hells Granny]

I agree with you Papa,

I was making the point that money went further 20 years ago, I didn't have to wonder if I had enough to pay my Council Tax or utilities, but since New Labour have got in all has changed.

In my area at least, Council tax has more than doubled, as have Gas and Electricity, Fuel for vehicles, etc. while my income has shrunk, as the kids left school and college.

As a person with no mortgage, I have not benefited from low interest rates, rather the opposite!

Food and travel costs have escalated with the recession, and, due to me not being able to sell the house and move, I  pay Council Tax and other things on the pair of them (the inherited one), and that is unsustainable on a State Pension.

Add to this the fact that my health has collapsed in the last year, and I am up the proverbial creek without a paddle, and my boat has a leak!


Cheers, HG
 

[Papaumau]

That's a BAD situation to be in HG !

There are now more and more of what is called "property-rich but cash-poor" people in Britain and it is ridiculous that people who have scrimped and saved for their whole lifetime to buy the house that they live in should be eventually left destitute simply because they do not therefore qualify for any help.

Maybe in your case a visit to an independent financial consultant might be in order.

It is also sad that it is hard to release the equity in any property that one owns without the "equity" company ripping off the person that is looking for equity release.

I have already studied this possible solution but I have found that both an equity loan and a home reversion scheme are both VERY expensive and would risk most of the value of your home over any lengthy period.

HERE is one good advice site concerning this.

[John]

Yes HG

Even the CT discount that was available on second properties has all but gone.

Take, Take and Tax, Tax  - Nu Labour policy.

Is there any chance of renting the other property out? It really does
not matter the condition. But it may depend where you live to
have a healthy supply of those who would bring in £120 per mattress
per week thrown on the floor.

[Papaumau]

I have actually done that even if it was not just a "mattress thrown on the floor". To be a good landlord one needs to be willing to do what is right for your tenants including keeping the property fully wind and water tight and doing whatever repairs need to be done.

It is never a good idea to enter into being a landlord lightly as the Security of Tenure Act makes the life of the landlord very difficult in some circumstances.

Google for it HERE

[John]

There are plenty of bad Landlords as well.

They may see themselves as fulfilling a social need.

The 'No SS' is there for a reason...

[Papaumau]

Let's not kid ourselves here John, the landlords are in the business to make money out of their tenants and while there are a few up-market rented properties most of them are very downmarket indeed.

The average landlord rubs his  - or her - hands in glee when they are put on the local authority social services list as they know then that even if they are  - as they see it - "housing the dregs of society" they get paid directly for fulfilling this "social need".

All this encourages is ghettoism and the growth of RACHMANISM too and keeps these poor folks held down in the poorest of living conditions in this VERY rich country.

It's a scandal and the worst-possible kind of lifestyle in the underbelly of British society !

[Hells Granny]

Odeally I would sell it to my daughter and son in law, they have a young son, but he is on minimum income and cannot get a mortgage. (even a heavily discounted one).

I couldn't rent it out anyway, there is no heating or hot water, nor can I afford to get it done, (as I own two places, it neatly puts me beyond any Govermental help) Too many assets.

Also it is difficult to sell right now in my town, our biggest employer is Twinings!

Cheers, HG

[John]

You don't need too many assets to be beyond government help.

I can see where you are coming from with Twinings. Another
of this governments success stories (not of course).

Have you tried to get an investment partner for the property?

What they put into the property to bring it up to a rental position,
against the value. The percentage of the rental split can be worked out
or interest on their investment paid from future rent.

[Hells Granny]

Really not into any of that, been ripped off in the past, don't trust folk enough nowadays to join in that sort of thing. Just want rid of it so I have the wherewithal to do up the inherited house to live in.

I like to keep things as simple as possible.

Cheers, HG

[John]

OK - Next

Is there a small builder or local developer that could take it off your hands?

They may want to do it up to rent/sell.

I presume it is not on the market. If you can sell it privately you can save a lot on fees etc.

Obviously they won't know about it without ringing round. From what I can gather
there are many people looking for properties as investment via rent, as the return
(yield) is normally far higher than saving interest.

[Hugh]

I have seen with my own eyes this child in poverty, but in many cases the parents still manage to have a packet of fags a day and a pint down the pub. and moan about lack of funds.