Child Poverty

Lesson Objectives I will be given the opportunity to learn about the current rate and trends of child poverty in the UK today. I will be given the opportunity to learn about UK and Scottish Government policies to reduce child poverty. I will be given the opportunity how successful these policies have been in reducing child poverty.

Child Poverty Today The Good News The Bad News All three main political parties in the UK are committed to ending child poverty by Between 1998 to 2011 child poverty was reduced by 1.1 million. Between 1996 to 2010 the number of children in workless households have fallen by 15%. However research by IFS shows that due to current government policies it is likely to increase by 1m. 2.3m children still live in poverty – one of the highest rates in Europe. On the other hand 66% of children living in poverty have at least one parent working full time.

What causes child poverty? According to the charity Barnardo’s there are four factors that influence child poverty; 1. Lone parents – more children in lone parent households are brought in poverty. This is because lone parents’ are less likely to work due to childcare commitments, cost of childcare and lack of confidence. 2. Large families – families with 3 or more children – around 1/3 live in poverty. This is because of they are more likely to be unemployed due to high childcare costs. Also more likely to go into debt to pay for items like school uniforms. 3. Disabilities in the households – over a million children living in poverty are affected by disability – having a parent or child in the house with a disability increases the chance of living in poverty. It is estimated that bringing up a disabled child costs an extra £100 per week.

What causes child poverty? 4. Working families – 66% of children living in poverty have at least one parent working – three quarters of the parents are working full time. The issue of in work poverty has just been confirmed as a key cause of child poverty by the UK Government’s Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission. The chair of the Commission said working parents “simply do not earn enough to escape poverty.” BBC Clip - What is the principle problem of child poverty today? How many people earn less than the living wage? How does Milburn describe the link between poverty and work?

The Impact of Child Poverty You have one minute to complete this task – working in pairs identify as many ways you think poverty could have a negative impact on children.

The Impact of Child Poverty Attainment – Scotland had the worst reading results in recent PISA tests – boys from deprived backgrounds are three years. Research by CPAG shows that the attainment gap widens through school. Health – research completed in 2008 described poverty as a “hidden killer.” Professor Spencer said “If poverty were an infection, we would be in the midst of a full- scale epidemic.” This is because of higher rates of chronic illnesses, obesity, mental distress etc. Child Development – research by the Institute of Education in 2012 showed that been born into poverty affected cognitive development. Life Expectancy – it shortens life expectancy – Calton 54; Lenzie a few minutes away is 82. The Biology of Poverty - Sir Harry Burns is the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland. His research argues that health problems start at the very beginning of life and that a "chaotic" upbringing results in health problems and, ultimately, premature death. Social Mobility – the UK Govt’s recent report into child poverty shows that children born into poverty are likely to continue to live in poverty for the rest of their lives.

Research Task Working in groups of three you are going to produce a presentation lasting 5 minutes for your class mates. Each presentation should have the following in it; A summary of the UK or Scottish Government policy The positive impact/justification of the policy The negative impact/criticisms of the policy. Remember to use websites like the BBC, the Guardian, the Child Poverty Action, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Centre for Social Justice etc. (and of course Modernity Scotland).

Research Task 1. Child Benefit (changes) 2. Child Tax Credit (who can claim it) 3. Childcare voucher scheme England (how it works, average cost of childcare) 4. Childcare voucher scheme Scotland (how it works, average cost of childcare) 5. Free school meals in Scotland and England (does it happen, how much will it cost, why are they doing it). THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AS YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO EVALUATE WHETHER OR NOT THESE POLICIES ARE WORKING IN YOUR ESSAYS.

Feedback Task Working in groups of three you are going to share what you learned about each government policy to help end child poverty. Person 1 – information about the policy stays at their seat. Person 2 – positive things about the policy will move round the groups clockwise. Person 3 – negative things about the policy will round the groups anti-clockwise. Five minutes to discuss the feedback in each group.

Class Discussion Good pointsBad points

Conclusion The main universal approach to child poverty across the UK appears to be the introduction of free school meals in England – a few years after Scotland introduced it. A key cause of child poverty is the lack of affordable childcare throughout the UK and both the Coalition Government and SNP Government are attempting to deal with thi barrier by expanding access to childcare. The Coalition Government have moved away from universalism by means-testing child benefit. The Coalition Government have reformed child tax credits and critics claim this will not help the most vulnerable as it will not keep up with the cost of living.