Tackling Child Poverty in the United Kingdom - Essay Example

Tackling child poverty in United Kingdom al Affiliation Tackling child poverty in United Kingdom Introduction In the contemporary United Kingdom, child poverty acts as the largest obstacle towards improvement of outcomes and living standards of children in the country. Within the recent years, government mitigation plans have resulted into decrease in child poverty rates .However, current statistics forecasts child poverty to increase due to reduction in welfare services and economic changes. Introduction of child poverty Act 2010 remained essential in overcoming poverty within the country. Child poverty Act 2010 replaced and strengthened the existing approaches used by the government in ensuring significant reduction of overcoming child poverty. It is indispensable to note that the strategies employed by the central government including enactment of Child government Act 2010 have remained essential in significant reduction of child poverty in United Kingdom. The paper explores the main methods used by the government in tackling child poverty and discusses some of the lessons learnt from the approaches. Main Methods used in tackling Child Poverty in UK Taxation Relief The central government of United Kingdom initiated several taxation policies that ensured tax relief for working parents with the main aim of improving their income. The tax reliefs include several programs including Child tax credit, working tax credit, and other Child benefits. The tax benefits aims at providing extra income for the poor families who cannot independently support their children. In ensuring taxation reliefs for families, the government has used the income tax system in such a way that it enables families to retain more of their earnings. The government ensures tax reliefs through income tax personal allowances with the aim of improving family earnings. The plans have been essential in improving income earnings in amongst families and consequently raising their standards of living and independence. Working tax credit The working tax credit relates to benefits from the state within United Kingdom that government advances to citizens who work but have low income. The taxation scheme that the government introduced in April 2003 exists as the contemporary system of refundable tax credit that aims at providing relief for poverty stricken families. The program also remains available to childless parents with adopted dependent children besides working families who need external support to manage their families. In addition, citizens may claim working tax credit mainly if they remain responsible for any child within United Kingdom. The central government of United Kingdom introduced the working tax credit with the main aim of reducing poverty amongst families. It is indispensable to comprehend that increasing income within poor families or low income individuals remains essential in establishing strategies for providing support to needy children. Child benefits The government of United Kingdom introduced a child benefit scheme that relates to social security payment advanced to guardians or parents of teenagers and children. The social security system aimed at providing children allowances that would support their daily requirements with the main focus of increasing independence. The government either submits the child benefits allowances monthly or weekly to needy children to help support their daily requirements. Universal Credit United Kingdom government adopted welfare system policies including universal credit that ensures payment of citizens are inherently in the process of seeking for employment or currently earning low incomes. The government initiated the policy with the main aim of assisting families in gaining stability and independence. The program that replaced child tax credits, working tax credits, housing benefits, and income support programs would remain collective in overcoming poverty amongst families by providing constant income. Besides, the universal credit program would be essential in providing extra support to citizens who aim at engaging in generative economic activities for instance full-time employment. The extra income support would help families to establish strategies of overcoming poverty by encouraging them to work. It is vital to note that the strategy of universal credit also encompasses single parents (United Kingdom Government, 2011, p. 74). Provision of employment The central government has initiated several employment strategic programs that aim at providing job opportunities to parents who have the ability to work. It is indispensable to understand that employment acts as the main source of income besides potentiality in improving individuals’ mental and physical health. A family that has working parents has ability to support their children and avoid problems associated with poverty. However, unemployment amongst families with needy children has negative and devastating effects o family confidence, health, well-being, and confidence. The government strategies of providing employment to parents with ability to work remained essential in reduction of intergenerational cycles of poverty mainly due to unemployment. In addition, employment stability of parents directly affects their children by encouraging them to remain independent and establish ways of generating income. Moreover, there exist self-esteem associated with parental employment to their children that directly helps them in fighting poverty and increasing their independency. Therefore, the strategy of providing employment opportunities to able parents in poor families has been imperative in improving income generation and consequent reduction of poverty. Housing The government of United Kingdom initiated several strategic plans within the public service that remains focused at improving family housing needs. Consequently, the government has managed to reduce significantly the number of children living in poor housing since 1997. It is imperative to understand that housing forms the most basic need for families and children and prompt provision remains significant in poverty reduction. Government strategies of improving the living conditions of poor families by renovating and establishing new housing projects have been authoritative in poverty reduction within the country. Tackling deprivation in communities Children poverty largely results from their development and growth that depends on the inherent environment where they live. Children that live within deprived communities normally lack safe environment to play and socialize. Such inadequacy has consequent problems in the cognitive development, health, and communication abilities of the child. Consequently, the government designed systems including housing projects that ensured families live within prosperous, cohesive and safe communities with favorable environment that would support child cognitive development. Overcoming deprivation amongst communities by the government have been vital in provision of a supportive environment that directly influences educational capacity of children. Strengthening and stabilizing families The central government of United Kingdom has introduced several programs and commitment towards improving family stability throughout the country. In stabilizing the families, the government aims at helping them in providing stable, safe and favorable environment that would socially support children development. Most importantly, stability would be imperative in preventing family divorce cases that have largely contributed to poverty issues. Family divorce cases have contributed to decreased independency of single parents in supporting their children with relation to educational and other social amenities requirements. Strengthening families would help promote coordinated parenting and consequently provision of adequate support to children needs (United Kingdom government, 2014). In stabilizing families, the government of United Kingdom has used several strategies including troubled families programs. The troubled families programs are imperative in providing parenting information to families and couples who have or expecting children. The program addresses domestic violence through educational and counseling sessions with the aim of having stable supportive families that would help in alleviating poverty causes. In addition, the programs remain helpful in identification and provision of support to vulnerable younger children. Commitment to economic growth Economic growth remains imperative in providing a significant framework of establishing employment opportunities and improving living standards of the society. The government has initiated fundamental economic policies aimed at developing a sustainable and long-term development within the United Kingdom economy. For instance, the plan for growth introduced in 2011 budget explored government’ commitment to rebalancing the economy and establishing strategies that would provide constant employment opportunities to families. Moreover, the government recognized the relevance and significance of business within the economy. Consequently, it has established several business strategies that assist interested citizens in investing and creating successful enterprises that consequently support their families or providing employment opportunities. Educational and counseling campaigns for reduction of drugs and alcohol abuse The government realized that most of the children suffering from poverty in United Kingdom have their parents addicted to drug and alcohol abuse. Consequently, the government initiated several educational and counseling programs through United Kingdom with the aim of helping parents with drug abuse addiction. Moreover, the government has initiated several social support policies that encourage addicted parents to gain financial independence. The most efficient strategy used by the government in overcoming poverty that results from abuse of drugs involves provision of employment. Such strategy has helped in eliminating the correlation between joblessness and drug dependence. Supporting Money management Ineffective financial management amongst families directly contributes to unrealistic personal debts. Unimaginable personal debts within families directly results into cycles of distress and poverty. The social pressures that result from unimaginable debts affects quality of children life besides contributing to poverty. Consequently, the government has established and encouraged credit unions that are vital in helping families to save, understand financial management, and overcome indebtedness. Lessons Learnt Tackling child poverty in United Kingdom requires significant association amongst all the stakeholders involved. The government cannot eliminate child poverty without fundamental contribution from parents and other economical stakeholders including private organizations. Participation of parents is indispensable in establishing permanent strategies that would significantly reduce child poverty through employment and encouragement of education. Besides effective participation of economy stakeholders and parents, tackling poverty requires initiation of health programs aimed at encouraging controlled births. Controlling births remains important in reduction of population of needy children. In addition, mental health programs are authoritative in instilling confidence amongst families and helping the overcome poverty. Moreover, tackling poverty requires establishment of stringent education rules that would ensure that all children achieve education and relevant knowledge. Good education would help in overcoming poverty through employment and improvement of financial management skills. Furthermore, the government must help parents in establishing favorable environment conditions for growth and development of children. Establishment of favorable environment would be domineering in eliminating poverty associated minds within communities. Bibliography United Kingdom Government. A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and Transforming Families’ Lives. April 2011. Web. December 9, 2014. Accessed from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/177031/CM-8061.pdf United Kingdom Government. Policies: Helping to reduce poverty and improve social justice. 2014. Web. December 9, 2014. Accessed from https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/helping-to-reduce-poverty-and-improve-social-justice Read More