Dear Richi Sunak

This!!

Don't vote Tory (or Reform - they are not the answer to anything)There are so many more people in poverty than 14 years ago, of all stripes. OP does your employer offer any discounts?

I'm actually quite concerned that someone so hysterical and unable to spell basic words (fulfil) is teaching children.

@CarolineFields you teach in a prison, not a school, right?
I have a friend who does that, and she's paid hourly, and obviously there aren't that many hours of work available.
So maybe that's why you don't have as much money as you'd like, and why those of us who teach in schools are a little confused about your poverty.

@FarmGirl78 Thanks for the info! I'm always afraid to try new opticians without recommendations from people who are in the same boat. But I'll check them out as it sounds like it went well.

Its not convex is it? Its concave. 🤦🏻‍♀️ You know what I mean. They look like jamjar bottoms and they're so strong if anyone else tries them on they can see into the future.

It's always a race to the bottom on here!

I'm quoting "ish" prescription because I can't remember. Maybe -11 in one eye and -14 in the other? I have astigmatism and keratoconus. I need the thinnest lenses available and even then I can only get very small frames, because once they get so big the side of the lens convex's out so massively thick it add to the weight and just looks ridiculous. I'm sure if you're in the same shoes as me you know what I'm trying to explain! As the difference between my lenses is fairly big too they'll let me do the right lens as mega-mega-thin, and the left as just mega-thin, to balance out the weight on the bridge of my nose. I get one pair for £80 or two pairs for £120 (I think!). There are frames for £45 all in, but non were suitable for me and wonky ears 🤣

As far as i know it's for anyone who is required to use computers as part of their job, it's an employers responsibility

But what you describe isn’t normal. Walking five miles to work? One pair of shoes suitable for work? Solar chargers?

I was a lone parent to my son when he was born in 1998. I got a lot of help from the govt to support me to work in 1999. If your son is much older I can understand some of what you describe but it doesn’t resonate to modern life.

Sunak is trying to be a man of the people. I don’t think he believes or is trying to portray lack of sky tv as a huge sacrifice. It’s a well worn Tory trope - how can people be poor if they have massive tvs and sky and an iPhone etc. He’s preaching to the choir.

It isn’t Sunak’s fault that he was brought up without having to make genuine sacrifices but it is his fault that he hasn’t put enough effort into trying to understand the real difficult sacrifices that some in this country have made. If he really cared he would have made more of an effort to understand. He just hasn’t a clue.

Is there any format more annoying than the open letter?

Give over, as an experienced teacher I was on 42k a year two years ago (there's been a payrise since then) I lived on my own paying rent. I quit and took a job on 30k. I can still afford a bloody pair of shoes from Shoezone and a prescription. If OP has no money for those basics she needs some financial advice.

Is this specifically for teaching staff? (I'm in Scotland. We get free eye tests anyway, but I was unaware of the voucher scheme that you mention.)

@FarmGirl78 What's your prescription. I am very interested in that price! Was the thinning enough? I find I have to buy extra extra thin lenses or they don't fit on my face.

I'm curious as to why you consider yourself to be middle class. Your situation sounds distinctly working class. There's no shame in it.

Have you tried going to Asda for your glasses? I have complex lenses and get extra funding fron the NHS as need various special things adding to my lens prescription, and even WITHOUT my discounts they'd only be be £45-80 for a new pair of glasses. You don't need to spend £380, even for varifocial supersuper tinted mega thin lenses. If you're as poor as you say then you need to be more savy with your money. You could have bought another 300 inhalers with that money you spent last year.

I was sympathetic with you to "I can't take it in" never mind "I am reeling". Your very good point got overshadowed by the dramatics.

I believe you about the glasses. Say you have an astigmatism and a very high/low prescription (say -14), I would expect it to be very expensive. And lots of places won't sell you them online and the NHS voucher is £15.50. I would be happy to be proven wrong though!

This is straight from the Jack Monroe school of performative poverty. If your child is now through university why are you still struggling so much? You could probably benefit from some budgeting lessons if things remain so difficult.

Unless of course it’s all nonsense 🙄

If you don't want to play right into the hands of your opposition, you'd be better explaining why on your salary with only one child you can't afford £20 for shoes or a prescription charge more often than once a decade. Are you servicing a lot of debt? Are you living in a very high cost rental area or paying enormous mortgage repayments? Also how you manage the site fees for your camping holidays.
Because much as I agree with highlighting the plight of people living in poverty, and how out if touch RS is, I think all you've done here is confirm the prejudice of many that its exaggerated or due to poor choices, which is something of an own goal.

It is throughout the Midlands. Went up to Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago and the same there. Any journey, anywhere is capped at £2

Apparently Arriva were making more from the £2 cap, so the scheme was extended and has been in place a couple of years now

Doesn't Wales have a Labour government?

Blimey OP, the drama!