The Save the Children charity has launched a petition urging Spain to assist the deprived children. Spain is currently filled with crises, but one in three minors lives are at risk of poverty and the people want Spain take action on this issue. The petition calls the government to extend the child benefit payments to all families that live below the poverty line. It also calls to increase the amount that is paid and switch to monthly payments rather then twice-yearly payments.

A family with one child and a maximum income of $1,318 receives a yearly child benefit. The number of children under the age of 18 and at risk of poverty has soared to more than 2.8 million children in 2012. This is equivalent to 33.8 percent of Spain’s children.

The charity is using examples of children who only eat bread, cheap meat, eggs, and potatoes and go to school without books because their parents can not afford, as a way to demonstrate the major issues and gather support from the government to change the child benefit payments. Spain is suffering from high unemployment, with more than 26 percent, or nearly six million Spaniards unemployed.

– Shannon Duggan

Source: http://www.thelocal.es/20140415/one-in-three-spanish-kids-at-risk-of-poverty