The Isle of Wight Council is asking residents and interested organisations to give their feedback on a new strategy which seeks to support Islanders who may be living in poverty. There has been a significant rise in the cost of living, especially in respect of food and energy costs and the effects of these increases on some of the Island’s most vulnerable residents has been significant. The council and its community partners are now seeking to jointly approach the creation of a sustainable and effective anti-poverty strategy for the Island over the next 5 years. Ian Lloyd, the council’s strategic manager for partnerships and support services, says:
“We are living in challenging economic times, and no-one is immune from the current squeeze on finances particularly with the rising costs of food and energy bills. Poverty is a complex issue and is driven by many factors. “We are determined to do all that we can locally to support people through difficult times.”
The lack of an anti-poverty strategy has not stopped the Island from taking action during the cost of living crisis. The Island’s statutory services and communities have delivered support, advice and extra funding to residents who are in need. A local anti-poverty strategy would enable a focus on not only the here and now, but also the longer-term aspirations to bring about action on poverty for all Islanders. It could also:
- set clear goals about how poverty will be tackled and how Islanders will be supported;
- improve co-ordination and empower key local groups and organisations to do more to address poverty, focussing limited resources and capacity;
- increase accountability by providing measurable targets to understand if the actions are making a difference.
Ian adds:
“It is vital to work with local people through the organisations that are already supporting residents in the communities where they have chosen to live. “The coproduction of an Island strategy is essential for it to be effective and sustainable for our residents. “This survey is the first step of seeking targeted engagement to help shape and inform the themes for follow on workshops to devise and shape any Island strategy over the coming months. We would encourage both residents and local organisations to participate.”
Individual residents can complete the survey at https://forms.office.com/e/u40K7Ywhva. Organisations can take part by completing the survey at https://forms.office.com/e/iuzJJy9zUf.
Curiosity killed the cat, but luckily not this time….
Connect them up to the milking machine as punishment!
I think you might need to go a see someone.
Idiot comes to mind
These services given to casualty are second to none, alot of people would be in dire trouble if it wasn’t for this fantastic service by highly skilled people
Well said they done a amazing job the rescue wasn’t easy not all heroes wear capes
I think you mean superheroes. Mind you, plenty of those don’t wear capes either, such as Spiderman, Captain America, Human Torch, and Wolverine. In fact, most superheroes don’t wear capes and virtually all heroes don’t wear capes (were the Three Musketeers heroes?).
They are the best highly respected team
Food and energy bills, and don’t forget council tax rip offs.High and mighty words, but aren’t you shutting a contact centre at weekends. This council are the absolute pits, stop spending £2.2 million on taxis for kids to go to school. There is your money to help the poorer in society not the “I have the latest designer problem to grab more benefit” brigade.
Many kids here get free transport, I’ve told you that before. Taxis are for those with disabilities who cannot use communal transport safely. You can’t suggest that one group has no right to education over another because it costs more, that’s discrimination, and is already written in law. Disabilities coming under SEND provision are legally and professionally quantified, not an arbitrary whim of a parent or child. So…poverty. Do you have any suggestions which do not include attacks on a group of people you have no knowledge of?
You assume a lot and know nothing. If these kids needs taxis make the parents pay not all of the council tax payers. I am not denying anyone education, read the post fully. I am not attacking anyone except the council for funding it, with OUR money. You really don’t like proper facts do you.
I suggest all of us sick of funding ever more users in society fill in the questionnaire politely explaining why we feel aggrieved.
No good just moaning on here alone.
Why don’t the lazy shits get of there arsenal.And get a job like the rest of us.
Because they are getting more in free handouts, including free rent, and housing, than those with jobs. The poverty should be aimed at working famillies who get half of what they have earned deducted before they even get it, to finance the spungers taking the piss out of the system. All they need to do is plead some sort of made up smack related, self inflicted illness like having an overwhelming desire to go out at 3am in the morning barking at the moon, and they can claim benefits, no questions asked. Who would be mug enough to work, when it’s all handed free on a lifetime guaranteed plate? What other country actually PAYS people NOT to work?
You forgot to mention that all council staff and councillors
They get hand outs that we have to pay. Like free parking and no doubt a lot of other perks that they claim.
They are all feeding off the tax payer that’s costing us a fortune.
Your’re dead right pops, like I said, we are the ones in poverty. The cash cows for the spungers and the elite, the corrupt and the tax dodgers the upper classes and those hiding behind any power or authority
Here is an idea to reduce poverty.
Cut the council tax and stop wasting our money.
Start managing projects properly like the crap floating bridge
As EVERYONE, in the same situation, gets the same benefits from HMG, then their is no need for poverty.
Poverty in the ‘measured’ term, will always exist and grow in numbers, as how it is calculated is by taking the LOWEST certain percentage of income, compared to the rest, and ‘using’ that lowest figure as being classed as ‘poverty’.
But that doesn’t mean those people are living worse and worse, just means that as more arrive into our country, then MORE of the lowest pay ‘adds’ to the numbers thus said to be living in poverty.
Min wage means anyone working will get over £400 and free rent and c.tax, so should buy food, if not blown on beer and drugs.
We give too much now, so those with kids don’t need to work full time now
Additionally, those on the so called poverty line,are ones that have handfulls of children only for the aditional beneifts, are first in the queue at the take aways and the off licences when they are not sitting outside smoking at 15 pounds a pack and using their latest i phone. They are not on the overty line they are bone idle.
No-one earning £400 gets housing or Council tax paid. Benefits cap is less than minimum wage. Poverty is defined as below 60% of median standards after housing costs. As housing costs are so very high, and £400 pw is definitely below median standards…that’s where poverty lies for 25% of the current UK population. And as most of the immigrants arriving here do so on working visas, you’d have thought the median would go down not up?Here’s a thought though, a universal, one-off payment for all graduating school leavers equivalent to one year’s benefit cap (roughly 23k I think) to be spent either on further education, a deposit for a house, a business or blow it up the wall, whatever, but remove the entitlement to further JSA etc?
Over £400 a week and get free rent and Council tax, I wish
£400 a week is ONLY ONE person working full time, OR two people working for 20 hours a week in minimum wage. Hardly too taxing for them to do.
And they get universal credit, child allowance on top adding hundreds extra, so sick of hearing about such being in poverty, greedy people using their kids as a way to avoid full time work, but still gain more than most working people do.
Fix the ferry companies, strangling all life out of the island.
A government who will fix the housing crisis. Bring back council housing. If you don’t like the tax burden of benefits then know this, most of the money is going into the pockets of private landlords. If the Tories had not sold all the council houses off to the boomers cheap then we would not be paying out billions in benefits just to keep a roof over peoples heads.
You are foolish. The council housing stock was sold to existing tenants, who would almost all have lived in them for their life, and as most held old rental agreements, would have been able to passed on that right to any children living with them.
So as NONE of this ‘ex-council stock’ is left empty, then people are still living in them, be it original tenants or poorer folk which bought such stock at low costs due to them being ex council.
The MONEY raised from the sell was used to pay for even more homes, like flats whereby the sell money could buy TWO homes, thus doubling the housing stock for the paupers to outbreed and then, as now, demand even more. Tough, USE the free contraception available to you
The problem was that money raised by the sell off of council housing could not be used to buy replacement housing. This is why the housing stock dwindled to the point it’s at now
What with rising food costs ….
Rising utility bills…..
Not to mention the Rise in Council Tax now adding to the pressure!!!!!!!
For those that are working and dare to earn a few pounds above the threshold for what is deemed poverty,,,,,,what help do they get ?????????
And you say you are looking at alleviating and helping the problem but you are just making it worse by raising our council tax, and wasting our money on floating bridge electric car’s etc etc….
Now trying to curry favour ,,,, well sorry but we the voter’s can see right through you ……
110% correct
I now realise what a losd of useless B’stards are running the show, hence my
voting days are over.
They only line their own pockets, they don’t care about people.
Perhaps it might be wiser to give a choice of getting benefits, free council tax, free rent, as they do now OR having such end unless these women have an implant to prevent them inflicting their ‘oh so awful poverty struck life’ onto their own children, IF it is really so bad.
Yet, perhaps that IS the issue, that they know they are milking the system, using recent inflation, to for ever more pled poverty to get ever more given to them by the hard pressed working public.
So, imo, either they are horridly selfish by having more children to inflict their pain upon, OR, as I suspect, they are lying that their life is so awful, as with free c.tax, rent, benefits, extra help with heating and food, free health care, it seems.
Eugenics and enforced sterilisation now is it? And a wholly female issue? My my, your misogyny is strong today. Ever thought of a job with the SS?
William is correct, but then Lefty’s only find fault, never answers to problems, unless it is taking from those who have put themselves out, (after of course salting their wealth well out of reach).
Anyone truly suffering would NOT have a child to inflict their ‘oh so vile’ life upon, unless thick, or selfish, OR, more likely they ‘aren’t as bad off’ as they love to pretend and the dim like you fall for it, as it is a chance for you to ‘get back’ at those who have done well in life.
You are a very unpleasant person yet pretending to be ‘oh so caring’. Sussed.
Majority of people are struggling and get no help.
It appears that the persons who do get many benefits get even more
benefits and the others get nothing.
That is why I won’t be voting for useless B’stards when the election comes along
Your strategy is Shite!
I think all those ‘declaring’ that they are in poverty ought to have their total income and outgoings which they “have” to pay, not what they “ought” to pay declared to us all, as it is OUR money funding these people.
All too often some alleged ‘single muver’ is seen on the TV saying how much their rent is and how much their council tax is, but failing to add that they don’t pay any of it or only a tiny fraction, as on Universal credits.
They also fail to state that they don’t pay for prescriptions, dental costs, school meals and transport, nor do they state how much they get if working 16 hours on top of their wage by these benefits which is hundreds a week, yet still get extra in food and energy help.
Our money, our right
Universal credits is a monthly reviewed system and if someone on that works 16 hours the benefit is reduced pound for pound. Every parent with a child over the age of 2 is required to work for more than 16 hours a week. As for the other ‘perks’ as you’d call them, if the cost of those were factored in as a necessity in order to achieve non-poverty, what do you think the total might be? Far, far higher than a family having to rely on one full time but zero-hours wage…hence where most poverty actually lies. And you wonder why people are on benefits? Do you have any bright suggestions at to how we change that once we’ve stopped all benefits or are just happy to step over the dead single mothers and all their offspring?
Totally understand your point, we definitely need a system to protect the vulnerable but – there are so many that are abusing the system. One of the biggest problems is ‘single’ mothers who are claiming single occupancy benefit when in fact they are not single and have someone living with them (even if that is part time). Gets worse when you consider the person living with them is probably also on benefit and has a social house of their own. I don’t have the answers but we need a more robust system which cannot be so easily abused.
What’s with the hate for ‘single mother’s’?!!! Women attacking their own!! What about the tax dodgers? The corrupt councillor’s and politicians?!! Put the blame where it really belongs
Very true – just remember the MP expenses scandal (one example of so so many)!!
I’m sure in these cost cutting times, it’ll cost too much money, so will soon fall by the wayside. Still at least a very well paid consultant strategist will probably make a tidy packet coming up with it.
A reduction in Coumcil Tax for everyone was needed
The persons who don’t work and get
FREE RENT
FREE COUNCIL TAX
CHILD ALLOWANCE
FREE TV LICENCE
SOME EVEN GET FREE VEHICLES
Yet they get even more benefits
While the persons working are worse off than those who do Fcuk All!.
Council create poverty and problems then try and come along and look like helping and saving us. Simple reduce Council Tax and cut staff at County hall sitting around sending emails and writing new even more complicated policies and processes,stop council tax benefits to those not working and claiming numerous benefits eg Universal Credit,£250 a week PIP, housing benefit etc!. More need to work for money if can’t get job they are capable of street cleaning, weeding, community service etc. Maybe some drive and have flash car from Mobility – they could transport SEN children to school and save Taxi costs. Funny though Council raise taxi fares to public and then have to pay more themselves!.
The term ‘poverty’ is relative, isn’t it, and very subjective?
Some of us probably had grandparents or great-grandparents who did truly endure poverty. On a personal level, my grandmother was born in a tenement room, with a WC that was shared by all of those on that landing, and dressed in what we would deem these days as rags. But they worked hard and bettered themselves.
With today’s benefits system, there’s actually very little true poverty in this country. Yes, a few fall through the net these days and need help, and help is there for them. No-one can say that our benefits system isn’t generous to those in need.
The problem is distinguishing between those really in need and those who are looking to live a life on handouts.
It’s working famillies who live in poverty, not free loading sponging snort/smack/piss heads with £100 trainers, £900 phones, new cars and continental holidays twice a year. The DWP need to be investigating these piss taking spongers.
Billions and billions spent on warfare
Living in poverty or just the fact that they spend their benefits on drink, cigarettes, drugs and expensive cars thus causing poverty.
This is what happens during the last throws of conservative rule. At least this time they will be voted out so heavily that they’ll never rule again in the UK. We will witness the demise of a political force this coming election. Not a moment too soon.
Never say never, sadly.
You must be young! They always get back in. Memories are short & Labour don’t have much going for them. After every change of government the victors are expected to work miracles. They are often too timid to rock the boat & effect real change. The other lot say they have changed & they are given another chance
Everyone venting their envy at those on benefits but the money all goes to help those with the most collateral get more.
Council tax being everyone’s biggest expense after housing and car bills!! Honestly, you couldn’t make it up!!!
There are so many top tier citizens and non citizens of the UK milking the system to a greater degree than the combined ‘efforts’ of those at the poorer end of the scale. Big business and wealthy individuals using legitimate tax avoidance schemes and loopholes to ensure paying very little or at times no tax at all into the system. Our newest MP and his predecessor had personal expenses claims in the region of £200,000 per year which could quite easily have offset some of the strain on the system. Multiply that by 600+ MPs ( not all with expenses as extravagant as our Island leeches admittedly) but I’ll bet the sum total is a whacking great useful lump of cash that would better serve the ordinary people.