Even before the Christmas holidays, families with a low income will receive a one-off corona premium of 33.67 euros per child. According to Flemish Minister of Welfare Wouter Beke (CD&V), more than 356,000 children will receive a financial boost. The amount will be paid automatically. Tessa is a single mom with two young children. She is financially limited and is following the training by experience expert in poverty and social exclusion. “With the 66 euros that I receive, I get one week of breathing space,” she said on Radio 1.
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“A week that I don’t have to scratch my hair to see if I can get by and serve my children healthy food. The end of the year is coming and now I might be able to provide something for my children. ”
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1 in 5 children
Tessa has to get by monthly with 1,250 euros, a large part of which goes to rent, electricity and water. “Together with me, poverty affects one in five children in our country,” she emphasizes.
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Due to the imposed closure, catering expenses have not been spent in recent months. Many people were therefore able to put aside some extra money. This is not the case with Tessa. “I didn’t have the budget for Corona to go out for a drink, go out for dinner or go shopping. So I was not able to make any savings, while hidden costs may or may not have been added. We are more at home, so I have more heating costs. The lights are on and the TV is on. My daughter (7) had to take classes online and likes to watch YouTube videos. My ‘basic’ internet was used up, so I had to buy extra volume. It may seem small and banal, but it is a big chunk of my budget. ”
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Vicious circle
“Look, I am of course happy with the premium, even if it is a one-off. But after this there are eleven months that I have to get through. Something structural would better change. ” “Life is not nice and easy for a single mom. I also come from generational poverty. Breaking through that vicious circle seems easy, but it is not. Once I have completed the training and have my diploma, I have the prospect of a job and a decent income. Because of that income I can finally break the vicious circle towards my children. They have the opportunity to go to school and get a diploma. They see that their mom is worth something. Creating opportunities creates opportunities. ”
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Quote To me that feels like failure. Every time I have to say ‘look, I can’t make ends meet, help me’
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Tessa is happy that the premium is paid automatically. “If you are entitled to something, you can submit extracts for three months at the OCMW. That is basically exposing your private life. Put your dignity aside. To me that feels like failure. Every time I have to say ‘look, I can’t make ends meet, help me’. Be careful, we want to do something for it, of course, but not give up your humanity. ”
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“My parents did not have the financial means to allow me to continue studying. A lot of jobs were lost anyway as a result. This also made me tired of school faster. I had to do something I didn’t like to do. So many things are related to poverty. I lived socially isolated. ”
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The bill at the supermarket checkout has been higher in recent months, something Tessa can talk about. “My son (2) is still drinking growth milk. The cheapest is 1.9 euros. It was often sold out. I then had to buy a more expensive one that cost one euro more. One euro times six is immediately six euros. For that amount I have food for a day. And now I am only talking about growth milk. This was also the case with so many other products. Fruit and vegetables are still expensive. ”
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“Poverty was already there before corona, but apparently corona had to come first before anything was done about it.”
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Quote A trip to McDonald’s is not possible, so we play McDonald’s at home
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Tessa’s daughter realizes that the family is not financially well off, the single mom was asked as a final question. “I try to limit that for her, but of course she sees and feels that. I have to say ‘no’ more often. A trip to McDonald’s is not possible, so we play McDonald’s at home. We are resourceful. But the mobile phone she wants for Christmas doesn’t look like it. ”
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