I live in an awful area, there was a shooting today and can't get out!

It's hard to save on benefits anyway. I had 17k in savings so over the threshold for UC, then my son went to nursery. 1.1K a month for 4 years. I have very little of that 17k left. Thankfully I can save a bit now as I have a better paid job.

Yes, you're right. So much intense rage since the lockdowns.

How old are your kids?

I would try and focus on getting a decent paying job and then you can save up to be able to afford to move somewhere better.

I’m sorry you’re in this position but having free rent does mean you’re in a more privileged position than most people in the same area, as they won’t all be getting their rent paid for them.

If you can get a decent job now then you can hopefully move before the kids get too old and become involved in these crimes.

Its so scary 💐

@LakieLady Three murders in 30 years seems very low. I love Sussex, top of my list.

I don't know how I'd find crime stats for 30 years.

@NoCoco I have only just left London and am not far away at all. Tbh the whole of it seems like that now, and of course many other parts of the country. The gangs are driving everyone up the wall and no one will do anything.

On a sidenote, so many unacknowledged parallel lives going under the radar in this election.

I am just sad the OP is so unhappy in what I think of as a lovely place to live, that is all

@aerkfjherf ·. You are the head of th Plumstead Marketing Board and I claim my UK5pounds

Get a live-in job as domestic staff.

I really feel for you OP my partners grandparents sadly passed away a few years ago and at the time we were renting a beautiful 1930's house with stained glass windows and a huge garden and I loved it, it wasn't ours but I felt so at home there.

Then I unexpectedly fell pregnant and around the same time his grandparents died in close succession, the opportunity came for us to buy their house rather than it leaving the family, it was going to be a lot cheaper and we'd own it so it was a no brainer really, although it needed a lot of work (which we've now done)

it's in the same town in the midlands but not as nice of a street, the first house of the street is like Beirut, and coming home now feels a bit bleh, not long after we moved in a group of young lads with balaclavas hit my husbands parked car on a stolen motorbike and I had a full hyperventilating panic attack/ mental breakdown, I felt like I'd made pa massive mistake and ruined everything by moving here. But to be honest we've been here over 2 years now and it's quiet. Those boys have found somewhere else to cause havoc.

it's not the same and in your position I know I'd be really down. I don't know what to suggest lovely, I was a single mum for 4 years before I met my husband and I know the financial struggles 🩷

I’d honestly consider moving out of London OP. I used to live in London years ago, and it’s changed so much. After I’ve visited (still have friends who live there), I feel so sad about how bad it’s become. Crime is rampant. Not saying there’s no crime outside London, but there’s certainly not the same kind of crime, such as shootings and stabbings, which now seem common place in large parts of the city. It’s like a ghetto in a third world country there atm.

I have felt pretty unsafe since the pandemic. There just seems to be a lot of tension in the air. Every single one of us will have witnessed shoplifting raids in supermarkets. Something has broken. It’s like the Wild West.

i don’t go out after a certain time these days. Especially in the Winter. Things just feel different and it isn’t discussed enough.

I live in a small rural-ish town on the outskirts of a city in Yorkshire and over the past few years we’ve had a shooting which resulted in death, in broad daylight. A drive by shooting into a pub doorway, luckily no one injured. A family had their bedroom windows shot at. Again, luckily no one injured.

From the local grapevine most likely all to do with drugs. And people owing others for drug money.

It’s scary. And if it can happen in our little town it sometimes feels like it can happen anywhere in the country. Sorry OP, no advice. Just solidarity.

I was asking for details as my family lives in SE London and I was very concerned. But no one was hurt, I understand, so am less concerned now. What is goady about asking for details, and saying how much I like this place?

Because OP is most certainly not happy there! Do you think your ninja mental magic is going to change her mind?

Right! The very same weird bot who was asking for details about the incident only two posts above. Goady bot!

There is crime everywhere. Plumstead is no worse than many places, and has a lot going for it as well. I am sorry @NoCoco is unhappy there, and just think maybe she could be happier, and enjoy what it has to offer, rather than feeling like she is living in a horrible place, which many people see as lovely, not horrible

This is exactly how it is in the deprived area I live in in NE England and in several other small towns and villages.

You are in an enviable position to save money.

I think you could be happy there, if you get to know it, how long have you lived there? It is a very desirable place in many ways.

why is it a strange post? I have a lot of family in Plumstead, a sister and 2 cousins, and their families. I have lived there myself, I know it well. I was very happy there for many years, and all of my family still are

Tell the coucil you feel vulnerable and trapped and find it dangerous to go out even to your work[lace - they may move you up the waiting list or say you are orared to be rehoused up north and they may just do that - but avoid places like machester/liverpool/bradford/preston/newcastle and quite a few more as people in those areas often bang on about their areas being awful

I live in Cumbria as well and a few years ago there was an appeal in the local paper saying “plant pots have been smashed on “silver street” police are appealing for witnesses to catch the vandals”

My partner lived in Salford at the time. A few days later we were at his house and heard on the radio “and in other news a man has been stabbed”

It was amusing about the plant pot appeal but it also made me appreciate how safe the area I live in is. If there had been a stabbing the whole town would be badly shaken.
It’s an expensive desirable place to live but like a lot of small towns with not much to do there is a big drug problem that a lot of people are completely unaware of.

I feel lucky to live in such a beautiful safe place but it is also boring with not much to do. A lot of shops have closed and there is no night life like there used to be. It’s a shame younger people are moving away but I don’t blame them, I’d have done the same if it was like this when I was growing up.

I have absolute sympathy for OP, it must be awful being trapped in an unsafe area, I hope her situation improves, I imagine it’s a huge strain on your mental health to be unhappy where you live and a lot of areas are becoming less safe. There needs to be restrictions about what teens can put online about posing with knives and swords, it’s becoming a worrying trend that escalates and doesn’t just stay online.

Ask wealthy relative to sell the house and buy one in a better area before this house loses value. Then you move in as caretaker in new house & better location.