– we Add the european definition of reason, then this is the number of children in the Uk who are growing up with poor parents, ” says Ivar Stokkereit in UNICEF Norway.
He has been on trend for a long time.
– What we in UNICEF Norway have called for a long time, is that you do something about the poverty in itself. We have pointed out a concrete possibility, and it is to increase in family benefits.
the Same child benefit in 20 years
these family allowances have been set at the same amount since 1996. This means that families where child benefit has been an important source of income, have reduced their disposable significantly over the last few years. SSB already did in 2014, on assignment from UNICEF Norway, a calculation of how high child poverty Uk would have had if you had increased the family benefits with income growth.
What we found was that we would have had 27 percent fewer poor children than in the day. This shows that it is possible to do something about the poverty about the show of political will. It requires that politicians have a completely different objective than today, believe Stokkereit.
Need more action
the Government launched a strategy against child poverty in 2015, but this does not take bull by the horns, believe Stokkereit.
the action plan contained many good measures, which are to provide activities to all, but not poverty as such.
the Strategy comes with important measures, and provides, for example, more grants to sports clubs that allow children to participate free of charge, and funds to barnehagesatsing for the children of poor parents, something that means a lot to children, but that doesn’t do anything with the actual poverty itself.
Now ask Stokkereit politicians who dare to come up with alternative measures against child poverty, rather than focus on the arbeidslinja, which has been the answer of the last decade.
– In this period, the number of children who grow up in poverty, increased significantly, adds he.
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Small long-term measures
Stokkereit receive support from the Speech Skybak in save the Children:
It is important with these “here and now”-the measures, for children living in the here and now, but in order to combat poverty, one must do long-term measures. We are concerned by the fact that the numbers of the poverty increases. This we must take seriously. It is good to take initiatives for the children as now in the christmas season, but it is also about structural measures in order to get away poverty, ” she says.
Increased interest in Red Cross
the Red Cross is one of the organizers, who offer a variety of measures during the christmas season. They have hosted both the holiday and more than 265 activities for children around the country, to create a good christmas. They have noted the increased poverty in the form of increased interest in their activities.
– We experience this as we see that the differences increase between those who get to be with, and those who don’t get it. Norway has had a velstandsvekst where more and more has been rich, and there are some that stand again. Especially in the christmas season, we are keen that those who fall outside to be with, ” says Kristina Rickfelt in the Red Cross.
Lled to capacity
Over 13.000 children have been involved in various activities under the auspices of the Red Cross in the course of høytida is behind us.
Now experiencing the Red Cross that the capacity is limited.
– We have had over 7,000 entries to our holiday in the course of the year. We have hosted 74 stay total, but have had to give discounts of almost half, ” says Rickfelt.
despite measures, we see that we need it to happen more. Volunteering provides can not combat the increase in poverty, but we have activities that attenuates the consequence of the experienced utenforskap.
is all about political will
Stokkereit in UNICEF Norway is concerned to ensure that children still have access to leisure activities, and sports teams take this seriously, and that it must not compromise with it to implement other long-term measures.
– You need to reduce the economic pressures that parents face in connection with school and leisure activities, and birthdays. One has to look at how you can include most possible. Public authorities must make the most here, ” he says.
” The fact that there have been large increases in child poverty, and we see that the 16 years ago is a significant difference from today, illustrates just that it is all about political will when it comes to dare to bet on the children.
UNICEF and the OECD use different measurements to define poverty, which makes it difficult to find precise figures. UNICEF uses an EU definition for the measurement of poverty, where poverty is defined as families who earn less than 60 per cent of median income over a longer period of time. At the same time using the OECD another measurement. Ivar Stokkereit in the UNICEF Uk believes that it is problematic. – Norwegian politicians have not taken any consideration on what definisjonstyper we are going to use. To find as precise figures as possible on poverty in Norway, one must be clear on which measurement we use, ” he says.
Arguing about child benefit
While the socialist left Karin Andersen agree that family benefits must be increased in order to prevent increased poverty, the Conservative Kristin Vinje remove the entire structure.
– It is not strange that there is increased child poverty when so systematically provides millions of dollars to the very richest, and takes from some of the families with children who are struggling the most – just those who are disabled and with very low social security, ” says Karin Andersen of the Socialist Left party (SV).
She is known for her efforts for reducing poverty, and believes that it is essential that family benefits must be increased to fight poverty.
– And it must be increased the most for those who are aleneforsørgere and incapacitated, for we know it hit them hardest, ” she says.
remove scheme
Kristin Vinje (H) in the church-, education – and research committee of the Norwegian Parliament have advocated for removing the entire health insurance plan and instead use the money on free kindergarten and skolefritidsordning (SFO) for all.
– We need to find out how it works to be able to help those who need it most. The government has appointed a public committee which will examine all schemes aimed at families with children to the spring.
Now, the UNICEF for the increased allowance just may be the solution to increased poverty?
I’m not sure if it is a correct assumption. There is little targeted measures to address poverty. Child benefit is expensive, because it is a universal scheme for all children. Therefore neither has the family benefits have been increased in the past 25 years. It is not certain that you hit those who need it most, at the same time as you pour out money to those who may not need it.
– Receive just as much
– does it Cost much to have children, whether you are poor or belong to the middle class?
– Yes, but they have free daycare and SFO-quote families overall, as much financial support as in the day, but one benefits the support so that the economy for families with small children are significantly better in the time the family is in the establishment phase. So we achieve to keep a universal scheme, at the same time that we can increase support to targeted interventions to those families who are struggling the most. And so one can ask why the SV that was in government for eight years did not do anything with family benefits, ” says Vinje.
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