The government’s free childcare scheme should be opened up to poor, unemployed parents so that their children could be exposed to a different environment and be weaned off the benefits trap, the head of Caritas has proposed.
The suggestion follows recently published figures showing that, in 2013, nearly a quarter of the Maltese population was classified as being “at risk of poverty or social exclusion”.
And according to the EU’s Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, nearly a fifth of people are materially deprived and one in 10 classified as severely deprived.
Times of Malta spoke to NGOs who try to help the people behind these statistics statistics, among them Caritas, the Church organisation whose main mission is to alleviate poverty.
Its director Leonid McKay confirmed that, over the past few years, the organisation has seen a gradual but consistent rise in the number of people suffering from severe material deprivation or at risk of poverty and social exclusion.
“It is interesting to note that we’ve had relative success in terms of the increase of people who are in employment which, strangely enough, does not reflect on the number of people at risk of poverty,” he said.
Opening up free childcare to unemployed poor parents would help break the cycle of welfare dependency
“The concept of the working poor therefore comes into play. The government should intervene to ensure that families have the necessary income.
“We must also rethink the adequacy of social benefits. While it is crucial for those in need, such as those with dependent children or stricken by illness or high rents, there are a number of people caught in the benefits trap.
“Opening up free childcare to unemployed poor parents would help give children exposure to a different environment and help break the cycle of welfare dependency,” said Mr McKay.
The chairman of the Anti-Poverty Forum, Saviour Grima, has observed the gradual emergence of two phenomena: homeless people who sleep in car parks and apartment rent being divided by three people.
“In Qawra, for instance, there are a number of apartments which host three unrelated people who live together in order to be able to split up the rent.
“The phenomenon of homeless people sleeping in car parks and begging in Sliema and Buġibba is also an emerging one.” The key, Mr Grima believes, is outreach programmes to guide and provide such people with opportunities.
Children in particular need to be helped and not labelled as poor, he added. School dropouts need to be identified and given the opportunity to acquire trade skills.
“Parental skills, life skills, budget skills and emotional skills are often problematic for people battling poverty. We need to help them learn these skills and give them back their dignity.”
Another NGO tackles poverty every day. The Millennium Chapel spends some €2,000 a month in food for poor families, according to its director Fr Hilary Tagliaferro.
“Nothing elaborate – it consists of foodstuffs like pasta, cans of tuna and sugar. Every day, a new family turns up asking for help. The situation is not improving at all.”
The solution partially lies in the government providing more social workers, he suggested. “Rather than being given money, people need guidance.”