The Income Measure of Poverty - Case Study Example

PLATT (2005, P.115) S THAT CHILD POVERTY AND ITS ALLEVIATION - OR EVEN ELIMINATION - HAS NOW REACHED AN UNCONTENTIOUS POSITION AS A PRIORITY FORGOVERNMENT. DISCUSS THIS STATEMENT IN RELATION TO POLICY TO ADDRESS CHILD POVERTY SINCE 1997 By Author’s Name Name of the Class Name of the Professor Name of the School City, State 15 February 2014 Introduction The UK government cannot afford to ignore the existing and persistent problem that has proved to affect the lives of young people in the country. Towards the end of the 20th century, established data showed a rising trend in child poverty despite the existing policies used by the conservative government. The new government regime that took over since 1997 brought numerous improvements, which must be appreciated, but there still remains an estimated figure of 3.5 million children in the UK still living in poverty (Whitham, 2012).Platt claims that child poverty and its alleviation has reached a point where it deserves adamant and un-objected government attention to reduce its impacts and trends. The UK uses relative poverty to define child poverty, which Waldfogel says “measures the share of children whose family income is below a certain percentage of the national mean or median family income” (2010, p. 22). It is commonly used in Europe and implies to “less than 60 per cent of the national median income as stated by UNICEF Child poverty Report of 2005” (Fiegler and Frank, 2008). Created Images of Children in Policy Documents Using the income measure of poverty, the poverty line is easily drawn in the UK and gives a clear distinction of households below and above the set average income threshold. Regardless of whether children come from single parent families or not, as long as the income household is below the poverty line, children from these households are described to live in poverty. In the past, children have been perceived as a helpless group, who are easily subjected to painful experiences and without the ability to express themselves fully. Hendrick states that images projected “portray them as vulnerable victims, reservoirs of sensitivity and physically weak”, but also as investments especially in the process of policy making (2005, p.32). Children have needs and have rights to express themselves as much as they are represented by parents. Some children have not received the opportunity to attend schools and access their basic needs like others. They are perceived as socially excluded children, deprived of opportunities, and also limited in participating on initiatives that collect information on experiences of poverty for social policies formulation (Davies, 2013).The media has been very critical in sharing information with the society and projecting images of how children are perceived in the community. Social Policies on Child Poverty since 1997 Several policies were formulated and implemented since 1997 in the UK. It relation to the topic, Titmuss describes social policies as those “of governments with regard to actions having a direct impact on the welfare of the citizens by providing them with services or income” (1974, p. 145). They focus on social welfare provisions in the UK to respond effectively to people’s needs. Social policies have been available for a longer period in the UK. After 1997, the New Labour government came up with new and reformed social policies against child poverty, which marked the beginning of reforms. Tony Blair (the prime minister) pledged that his government would eradicate child poverty within 20 years to secure the children and Britain’s future (Lister, 2006). Child poverty became the top priority for the government, especially with support of MPs like Gordon Brown. 1. ECM agenda It was a UK government policy formed to address the care of minors during the term of Labour government until 2010 (Williams, 2004). Children are recognized as people with rights and needs, which they need for their overall wellbeing as they grow up. Every child is covered by the policy, clearly specifying that all minors from infancy to the age of 19 be supported to enjoy and achieve, stay healthy and safe, be able to make positive contributions to the society and achieve economic wellbeing in their fullness (Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 2003). Hence, equal quality care and attention should be given to all children. The policy was developed following an investigation into the death of 8 year old Victoria Climbie in 2000; she was malnourished, severely bruised, had very low body temperature and was physically deformed before she succumbed to death (Corby, Shemmings and Wilkins, 2012). The case well concurred with causes of increased morbidity and mortality among children neglected, physically, sexually and emotionally abused (Fang et al, 2012). The policy requires integrated efforts from different parties (e.g. schools, parents, social workers, local authority and hospitals) to ensure children’s wellbeing, regardless of their backgrounds and past experiences. Impacts and challenges: The policy makes it everyone’s business to ensure the safety and wellbeing of each child. The disadvantaged and vulnerable group of children, abused, with special needs, and those with disabilities have access to their rights (education, medical assistance, shelters and protection amongst) and are looking forward to achieve their potential. It has however been challenging for implementing policy actions with the minimal funding available from the government. The policy also challenges the schools to cooperate with other professionals and victims, and demonstrate how they would implement the ECM outcomes (Lewis et al, 2007). In the same line, schools were required to have a teacher in charge of child protection services. Though ECM policy has been a proactive initiative, recent cases of 7 year old Khyra Ishaq and Daniel Pelka aged 4, who starved to death in 2008 and 2012 respectively, show that more efforts in prevention of child abuse are required (Jones, 2013). 2. Child benefit policy This social security payment had existed with the conservative government, but parents and interested organizations had previously proposed for a change in the existing policy. Labour government moved forth to raise the benefits, but abolished the lone parent benefit so that they could enhance child benefit rates. The policy intended to provide parents or guardians of young children, teenagers to age of 16 and even selective young adults up to the age of 20, who earlier on had enrolled in various recognized training and required assistance to cater for their education. Such adults required to have taken the course before they were 19 years old. Impacts and challenges: The policy seemed to ease the difficulties in raising children for poor families. Low income and unemployed families could afford to raise fair income to give their children a decent life, even in times of family disruptions (Bradshaw, n.d.). Teenagers and young adults could be able to complete their courses and positively contribute to the economy by their productivity in workplaces. Between 1997 and 2001, the first child benefit was raised by £ 2.95 by 1999 and further to £15 in 2000, which was approximately 37 per cent increment since 1997, while for subsequent children, it was increased to £ 10 per week (Piachaud and Sutherland, 2000). This led to an increase in spending income of eligible families on their children. The implementation of the policy with the change of government after 2010 was not without challenges. For example, since 2011 to 2013 the child benefits had been frozen, which left the UK without a universal child benefit (Morrison, 2012). The effect was families losing a lot of child benefits and with newly introduced fixed rates, families with more children on the child benefit program will have much reduced benefits. 3. WFTC The policy aimed at improving the work incentives for families with low incomes. WFTC ensured that the credit was taxed based on income (Henricson, 2012). All working families with children under sixteen years were entitled to tax credit, but also placed specific conditions for a person’s eligibility. Qualified persons to receive the tax credit were required to work 16 hours or more in a week, be people with at least one dependent child, and earning eight thousand British pounds at most (Piachaud and Sutherland, 2001). This program acted as one of the in-work support and redistributive instrument that integrated and brought families efforts close to labour market supply preferences. Impacts: WFTC policy worked effectively to pull people back into the labour market, and save UK’s children from poverty by providing credit increments to a maximum of almost double the previous credit earning under family credit. It reduced joblessness among the poor families in the UK and brought more generous packages by lowering the taper rate and increasing the threshold of receivable amount of cash per week. It led to increased labour supply of lone mothers by five per cent, and encouraged employment for low skilled workers; both the single and coupled household earnings increased from 59 to approximately £ 92 and £81 per week respectively from 1998 to 2002 (Azmat, 2009). However, its effectiveness was quite a challenge considering that the reduced workless households later flattened, even after doubling the number of tax credit beneficiaries. 4. NMW NMW introduced in UK was one of the greatest labour market interventions that had previously been objected in fear of causing high unemployment. Through the National Minimum Wage Act of 1998, low wage workers received relative higher basic pay while the Act gave the definition of an eligible worker, removed regional variation in the rate, gave workers rights to recover their payments and set penalties for employers who failed to comply (instituteforgovernment.org.uk, n,d.). The policy is part of the broad social welfare to work, aiming to raise the pay for majority low income earners with respect to the changing global economy. Impacts and challenges: The policy has managed to raise the relative and real wages of millions of low paid workers over the last decade. The minimum wage increased from £3.60 to £5.73 between 1999 and 2010, which is a 30 per cent increase in nominal terms compared to the average earnings (instituteforgovernment.org.uk, n,d.). It has been essential in reduction of poverty for teenagers and young adults’, who enter labour market at a tender age. It protects poor families and young adults’ earnings against violation by employers, and has been active in reducing the wage inequality among workers in the labour force. Women have benefited the most as the NMW narrowed the gender pay gap. The policy experienced some setbacks in its implementation, specifically in enforcing the policy and ensuring the employers comply. Though families raised better income to support their children, employers suffered low profitability. 5. National childcare strategy The policy was part of the government’s aim towards enabling more parents to take up employment, while expanding child care to address child poverty issues. It sought to provide affordable and quality childcare for pre-school children or from infancy to the age of 14 years; the policy’s expansion is tied to eradication of poverty, parents’ welfare contribution through paid employments, ECM outcome framework, and promoting early investment for children development (Sandra, 2010). Childcare was no longer a private family matter, but a part of the national social family policy. Impacts and challenges: It freed up many parents’ time to engage in active and paid employments, so that they could raise more income to better cater and provide for the needs of their children. With childcare expansion, many children aged 3-4 years were enrolled in free early childhood part time education in maintained nursery and primary schools among other alternative cares for longer hours, while the parents were at work (Sandra, 2010).The effect of the policy has brought a small change so far. Despite more parents participating in employments, the childcare subsidy offered by the government was very low leaving the bulk of the cost to be paid by parents. Though childcare centres increased, the funding is criticized to be unevenly distributed in the communities, which lead to some care centres failing to sustain. 6. Sure Start and New deal Policies SSLP are government initiatives that have been effective for almost two decades since they began in the 90s. It is part of investment into childhood to achieve long term benefits in the UK for children growing up in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The evolved policy based on joined up ideology to pull together and coordinate welfare, health and education services to prevent social exclusion for pre-schooled children and families in disadvantaged areas (Henricson, 2012). All subsequent governments have strived to protect and fund this initiative though the local authorities. The New Deal was another initiated labour market policy that focused on employment and training schemes for young people (aged 18-25), lone parents and long term unemployed (above 25 years). It aimed at removing people from the welfare benefits into paid employments, by addressing the inefficiencies in the labour market and assisting them to access employment. Impacts: Since SSLP’s establishment programs were rolled out in phases, more than 500 SSLP had been founded before 2004 and childcare centres had reached about 3000 by 2010, which all served the deprived communities (National Literacy Trust, 2014). It has brought improvements in general child care, as well as their health and developments. It continues to support those with special needs and poor or young teenage parents in personal and skills developments. A substantial number of youths, lone parents and seniors voluntarily joined the new deal program to help access paid and voluntary jobs. With the right support, there has been a reduced number of unemployment in UK’s population, especially for the youths and lone parents. 7. Child Poverty Act 2010 and its implications Though passed in parliament during the labour regime, it is been practiced in the current coalition government. The legislation clearly stipulates definition and measurements of child poverty in the UK, through absolute, relative and persistent poverty and combined low income and material deprivation, but also imposes the legal duties on local authorities and subsequent governments to achieve 2020 target to eradicate poverty (CPAG, 2013). So far, the local authorities have been central in assessing the needs of children living in poverty and developing appropriate anti-poverty strategies with the support of other partners. Such strategies are valuable in bringing on board different participants from government, local authorities, social groups, families, voluntary sector and interested groups, beside the legislation and other supportive initiatives, which makes poverty alleviation a public concern (HM treasury, 2008). Other earlier policies include child tax credit, children’s fund and bedroom tax cuts that the labour government introduced. 8. Positive for youth policy and its implications The policy set by the new government in 2011 occurred during a time which the UK was under financial pressure, and called for young people to be more creative and express their concern and receive adequate support to realize their potential. The policy entails government’s vision for youths (aged 13 to 19), communicating how they should be supported by the families, schools, local communities, businesses, charities and councils among others to realize their potential. Its effectiveness cannot be fully expressed within the short term, but more youths have been active participants in the local Youths councils, where they can discuss issues, influence locals policies and services that affect them. 9. Education Act 2011 and its implications The legislation sought to reform the existing government education and facilitate a system that could deliver higher education standards for the children. It brings a stream of changes through education reform to ensure every child has full citizenship, can control their destiny and actions into moral performances. The Act abolished some former initiatives to pave way for the new system. Teachers can enforce good morals and discipline to children through the powers to search for impermissible drugs and other intoxicants, bureaucratic burdens in learning institutions are reduced, while parents of disadvantaged pre-school kids will receive early year provisions per week (The National Archives, 2012). It continues to be part of raising a moral generation and ensure fair distribution of resources. However, it is criticized for cutting back EMA financial support for 16 to 19 year old teenagers and raising higher education fees, making it difficult for teenagers and youths from disadvantaged families to afford. Conclusion The coalition government has altered and developed a few policies, but continues to support most of the Labour government initiatives. Platt’s statement that child poverty has reached a point where it should be every government’s priority is legitimate. Precisely because continued ignorance to initiate and enforce effective policies undermines the existing problem, for this is what led to a rise in child poverty in post WWII and can be traced to the present situation in the UK. Since 1997, the UK has formulated and implemented several policies geared towards eliminating child poverty in the nation. It is appreciated that in general, the policies have managed to reduce child poverty, but due to lack of effectiveness and enforcement in some policies, certain problems of child poverty still remain. Appendix OECD countries – Member countries that joined together to form the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. ECM – Every Child Matters. SSLP - Sure Start Local Program NMW - National Minimum Wage WFTC - Working Families’ Tax Credits EMA – Education Maintenance Allowance Right of Children –Human rights that ought to be accorded to children; they include care, special protection and provision of basic needs among other rights. Reference List Azmat, G., 2009. The Impact of Tax Credits on Labour Supply [online] Available at: [Accessed 15 February 2014]. Bradshaw, J., n.d. Child Benefits in the European Union [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 14 February 2014]. Chief Secretary to the Treasury, 2003. Every Child Matters [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 15 February 2014]. Corby, B., Shemmings, D. and Wilkins, D., 2012. Child Abuse: An Evidence Base For Confident Practice: An Evidence Base for Confident Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Education. CPAG, 2013. Child Poverty Promise and Child Poverty Act [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 February 2014]. Davies, R., 2013. Child Poverty and Social Exclusion: A Framework of European Action [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 14 February 2014]. Fang, X., Brown, D.S., Florence, C.S. and Mercy, J.A., 2012. The Economic Burden of Child Maltreatment in the United States and Implications for Prevention. Child Abuse and Neglect, 36: pp. 156-165. [online] Available at: [Accessed 24 February 2014]. Fiegler, T and Frank, M., 2008. Forgotten, Neglected, Stigmatized: Child Poverty in Germany Symptoms, background and community based intervention strategies. IUC Journal of Social Work: Theory and Practice, 16. [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 February 2014]. Hendrick, H. Ed., 2005. Child welfare and social policy: An Essential Reader. Bristol: Policy Press. Henricson, C., 2012. A Revolution in Family Policy: Where We Should Go from Here? Bristol: The Policy Press. HM Treasury, 2008. Ending Child Poverty, Every Body’s Business [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 February 2014]. instituteforgovernment.org.uk, n.d. The Introduction of the National Minimum Wage Act (1998) [online] Available at:[Accessed 28 February 2014]. Jones, T., 2013. Daniel Pelka: Do Serious Case Reviews Work? [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 February 2014]. Lewis, K., Chamberlain, T., Riggall, A., Gagg, K. and Rudd, P., 2007. How is the Every Child Matters Agenda Affecting Schools? Annual Survey of Trends in Education 2007: Schools’ Concerns and their Implications for Local Authorities: LGA Research Report 4/07) Slough: NFE [online] Available at: [Accessed 17 February 2014]. Lister, R., 2006. Children (but not women) First: New Labour, child welfare and gender. Critical Social Policy, 26 (2): pp.315-335. [online] Available at: [Accessed 24 February 2014]. Morrison, S., 2012. IoS Special Report: Families Hit by Freeze in Child Benefit [online] Available at: [Accessed 16 February 2014]. National Literacy Trust, 2014. Policy: Sure Start [online] Available at:[Accessed 28 February 2014]. Piachaud, D. and Sutherland, H., 2000. How effective is the British Government’s Attempt to Reduce Child Poverty? [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 16 February 2014]. Piachaud, D. and Sutherland, H., 2001. Child Poverty in Britain and New Labour Government. Journal of Social Policy, 30 (1): 95–118. [online] Available at: [Accessed 14 February 2014]. Sandra, S., 2010. Parents, Children, Young People and the State. Berkshire: Open University Press. The National Archive, 2012. The Education Act 2011 [online] Available at: [Accessed 28 February 2014]. Titmuss, R. M., 1974. What is Social Policy? Welfare State Construction Deconstruction Reconstruction, 1.pp.138-147. [pdf] Available at: [Accessed 16 February 2014]. Waldfogel, J., 2010. Britain’s War on Poverty. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Whitham, G., 2012. Child Poverty in 2012: It Shouldn’t Happen Here [online] Available at: [Accessed 16 February 2014]. Williams, F., 2004. What matters is who works: why every child matters to New Labour. Commentary on the DfES Green Paper Every Child Matters, Critical Social Policy, 24(3), pp.406-427. Read More