Fight against poverty (From York Press)

Fight against poverty

12:07pm Friday 8th March 2013 in Letters By Reader's letter

 I VERY much appreciated The Press campaign to Stamp Out Poverty.

I am grateful that you are helping to show how tough life is on benefits, and encouraging solidarity with disadvantaged people in York.

As the stagnating economy and government spending cuts take their toll on ordinary people, we have seen a worrying trend in the media to stigmatise the most vulnerable in society.

Unemployed people, homeless people, single mothers and immigrants are all seemingly blamed for their situation.

Newspaper stories too often focus on isolated, extreme cases written in such a way as to imply that that everyone on benefits is a dishonest fraudster, or that every unemployed person is a skiver and drunkard.

It is difficult to find a story that is a true reflection of the real face of poverty in the UK. Through the actions of the government, many people now face a situation where their child’s next meal is not guaranteed, or where they face the possibility of losing their home.

For those living in poverty in the UK, getting by each day requires resilience, intelligence, and strength of character.

Uplifting stories about how real people manage to live their lives on tiny budgets are much more likely to resonate with readers, many of whom know first-hand how poverty creates challenges.

Ceri Owen, Frances Street, York.