Displaying items by tag: poverty

Thursday, 29 June 2023 21:47

Loan sharks profit from soaring prices

Loan sharks say business has never been so good, but there are huge risks attached to this type of borrowing. One loan shark calls himself an ‘enforcer’- referring to what happens if payments are missed. ‘The car is damaged, house windows and doors are pulled out, and even people get badly beaten.’ He says beatings are rare but admits to breaking legs, smashing teeth or eye sockets, leaving people hospitalised. Nearly all his customers are regulars, paying off debts within two or three months - then they are back a few weeks later. With high inflation demand has soared. He now hears from single mums and families needing smaller amounts of £500 to £1,000 to pay for gas or electricity or for groceries. Interest rates up to 50%, or ‘double bubble’ terms, where the original loan is doubled each month, are often applied. Most clients would accept any terms, out of desperation. Borrowers are usually lower-waged, full-time workers.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 30 March 2023 22:24

Buy now, pay later

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) supports people in debt and poverty. In recent years Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) has emerged and become a popular way of making payments online. Consequently CAP welcomes the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) latest consultation to bring BNPL into its regulatory oversight,and is broadly in agreement with all the FCA’s suggestions for exemption areas Including invoicing, trade credit, employer loans and social housing landlord loans. CAP also wants the FCA to ensure that people are fully informed of the risks of using these products, such as late fees. It welcomes pre-contractual agreements for consumers to sign so that they have more time to think about their decisions. Whilst BNPL products are interest-free, CAP wants the FCA to monitor market changes. If consumers are dependent on BNPL to smooth cash flow when fees or charges are applied it could be harmful.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 23 February 2023 22:18

London’s free school meals

London's mayor Sadiq Khan is launching a £130m scheme in September to give every primary school pupil free school meals during the 2023-24 academic year. That’s 270,000 children, saving families £440 per child. Mr Khan, who received free school meals himself, said, ‘The cost of living crisis means families are in desperate need of additional support. I have repeatedly urged the government to provide free school meals to help already stretched families, but they have simply failed to act.’ Newham, Islington, Southwark and Tower Hamlets councils will also offer free school meals; last month Westminster City Council also began providing free school meals for primary pupils. Charities and teaching unions have welcomed the plans, but some have urged the Government to step up wider support. The Children's Food Campaign said healthy school food for all must not just be an emergency measure. It should be part of a fully inclusive education system for the long term.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 16 February 2023 22:39

Namibia: baby abandonment

In 2019, Namibia passed legislation saying that women who, out of desperation, took the drastic step of abandoning their child, would no longer be prosecuted. Abandoned babies were dying. Safe places where an infant could be left were established, but there is still not enough awareness of the legal changes. Linda left her baby in a baby-saver box - a drawer built into a wall of a compound in Swakopmund that has a mattress and a blanket inside. There is also a letter. ‘Dearest mommy, please know that we do not judge you,’ reads the reassuring note. ‘We cannot begin to understand the circumstances that have brought you here.’ Linda knows her baby is safe. But despite the change in the law, babies continue to be abandoned in unsafe places. Between 2018 and 2022, 140 babies were abandoned - far more than those left in safe places.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 16 February 2023 22:10

Call for investment in world’s poorest people

The president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development has called for global leaders to invest more in rural communities and small-scale farmers, who produce one-third of the world’s food. The representatives of 177 states were asked, ‘Think how much more rural people could contribute to global food security, peace and stability if they had the resources to improve their farms and prosper, not just survive.’ Barbados’s prime minister said, ‘It is time for the world to recognise that we need to invest right now in securing food and nutrition for citizens across the planet, especially poor people, and invest in smallholder agriculture and diversified local production. Investing in food systems transformation will end the world’s hunger and nutrition crisis.’ Climate change, conflict and global inflation are creating a food crisis of epic proportions, as progress in achieving Zero Hunger moves backwards. Over one in ten people are hungry, and over 3 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 09 February 2023 23:33

Malawi: cholera outbreak

A cholera outbreak in Malawi began in March 2022, but fatalities doubled last month: 1,093 deaths have been registered. Malawi is one of the poorest nations in the world. In impoverished communities with little access to clean water, a deadly disease like cholera spreads quickly. The high fatality rate could be due to long distances between health facilities and affected communities, resulting in delayed access to rehydration treatment. Currently there are 600 new cases per day. Malawi usually counts a few hundred cholera patients per year. Pray for the Malawi Red Cross Society providing lifesaving treatment at the community level with oral rehydration therapy. Volunteers ensure that water supplies are safe and that sanitation facilities are working. They also go door-to-door, raising awareness on preventing the disease from spreading. Pray for more agencies and volunteers, to deliver all that is needed to halt the spread.

Published in Worldwide
Friday, 27 January 2023 08:34

Benefits worth millions unclaimed

Three months ago, Christians Against Poverty (CAP), the debt relief charity, launched an online calculator service that over 21,000 have used to check if they are entitled to extra benefits. Over £6m in potential extra annual income has been found that was previously left unclaimed - meaning an extra 2,000 people are likely to see a boost to their household budgets. CAP’s Director of External Affairs said, ‘£15bn every year goes unclaimed in social security and benefits. That's money that you and I pay in our taxes to be there for us when life happens. But that’s currently sat on a desk in Whitehall when it should be in people's pockets.’

Published in British Isles
Friday, 27 January 2023 08:28

People avoiding NHS due to costs

Healthwatch gathers and champions the views of users of health and social care services, in order to identify improvements and influence providers’ plans. New data shows an increase in the number of people who avoid getting prescription medicines, booking NHS appointments and vital dental treatment for financial reasons. A tracker poll conducted with 2,000 adults found people who avoided an NHS appointment due to the cost of travel doubled to almost one in 10. Over one in 10 avoided booking an NHS appointment because of associated costs, - accessing the Internet and expensive phone calls. 39% said changes made to keep up with rising cost of living included avoiding dentists, NHS prescriptions, or even buying medicines over the counter. They are not turning on the heating and are cutting back on food. Consequently, 35% said their physical and mental health had gotten worse in the past two months.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 12 January 2023 21:06

Cost of living

The cost-of-living crisis triggered by the Ukraine war, the energy crunch, surging inflation and the coronavirus pandemic has become the greatest worry for EU citizens, according to a new Eurobarometer showing 45% of respondents are currently having some or a lot of difficulties with their personal income. The poll speaks of a ‘polycrisis mood’ across the continent. Additionally, 46% of Europeans admit their standards of living have already decreased as a result of the mounting crises, while 39% expect to see a decline sometime this year. More worryingly, 30% of respondents struggle to pay their monthly bills ‘from time to time’ and 9% say this is the case ‘most of the time.’

Published in Europe
Thursday, 08 December 2022 21:28

Pray for the UK

Immigration is a reality of national life. London has 10,000+ people of over fifty various nationalities. Many Brits struggle to welcome immigrants, who often struggle to adjust to life in the UK. Pray for society to face the challenges of many cultures living together in peace. Immigrants from Christian nations like Nigeria and Brazil bring new church life and church growth. Pray for local congregations to plant new churches, reach new peoples, and glorify Jesus as they partner with believers from many lands. Sadly, England's inner cities are becoming physical and spiritual wastelands of drugs and crime. Dying churches and empty churches have been converted to mosques, temples, or gurdwaras as white evangelicals move to the suburbs. Inner-city whites in poverty and joblessness have few prospects. Pray for God to raise an army of workers to meet the many needs of impoverished and often troubled areas.

Published in British Isles
Page 1 of 10