£3 busfares will ruin me

Why don't the labour MPs recently elected do what they are meant to do and represent.the public who voted for them That's what's happened in Liverpool and Manchester they are keeping the two pound fare

That's £393.45 a month. The government has decided that is enough to live on. They used to top up a self employed person's earnings, particularly taxi drivers, but now don't. Which is why we are short of taxi drivers.

Why don't labour give young people a weekly pass to travel to work and others on low inçomes it might keep more in work Also I thought that was the kind of thing labour stood for

Can't you get a bus pass/weekly/monthly ticket to make it cheaper?

@AstonUniversityPotholeDepartment was just trying to help by offering a suggestion that you may not have thought of @Deportationsensation . Unfortunately not everyone fully understands the costs and thus chooses the cheaper option. Lots of people have given you suggestions on here now as to how you can make changes to improve your circumstances. There have also been some unnecessary unkind comments which hopefully you have just ignored. It is up to you now to either choose a solution eg increase work hours or ask a family member for help, or to continue budgeting as you are. Hopefully things will become a little easier for you in time.

I am sorry if I was judgmental in my initial comments re, your hair extensions.

I have a friend who is on a fixed income (can't work), and sometimes she uses foodbanks because she has overspent and treated herself to some nice things... is mainly craft supplies as they keep her sane and busy.
Yes, she could never get anything nice and just pay for bills and food. No money to have a life outside her home, or for hobbies.
When you are stuck on a fixed income that basically dictates the very basics.... is is fucking miserable!

I can understand you wanting your mum to treat you to hair extensions or whatever brings you joy, instead of a buss pass.

This is really positive! Wish the energy companies weren't privatised 😭

Hes done a good job on this. I know a lot of Mancs through DP who weren't happy getting a Scouser as mayor, but have changed their tune over the years.

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/andy-burnham-can-keep-bus-30264972?utm_source=mynewsassistant.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=embedded_search_item_desktop

Here is Andy Burnham’s announcement in full: "Greater Manchester is on course to complete the re-regulation of buses on time and on budget early in the New Year, becoming the first city-region outside London to put them fully back under public control after four decades of deregulation.

"Our policy aim throughout has been to create a low-fare, high-patronage system similar to the one that has brought higher growth and productivity to London. This will remain the mission of the Bee Network.

"On 5/1/25, we will proceed with our plan to introduce a new simpler, flatter fare structure based around a £2 single fare and, on 23/3/25, a contactless London-style payment system with a daily and weekly cap setting a maximum for what people pay when travelling on our buses and trams.

"Because of the decisions we have taken, and the progress we have made, GM is in a different position to other areas across England when it comes to bus funding and bus fares. We are beginning to benefit from similar financial advantages as those long enjoyed by London.

"Firstly, the per-kilometre cost of our new contracts are on average one third cheaper than tenders in the old deregulated system.
“Secondly, by taking control of the farebox, any profits from rising patronage can be kept and recycled for the benefit of GM residents rather than retained by private operators.

"Thirdly, control of the system allows us to take further steps to help our residents. For instance, by making annual Bee Bus Passes available through our 14 credit unions via weekly payments, residents can cut the cost of weekly bus travel by around £5.”

"We hope that the measures we are taking will continue the increase in patronage we have seen since the introduction of the original £2 cap in September 2022 and the launch of the Bee Network in September 2023. The more that people use the system, the easier it will be for us to sustain the low-fare structure.

"This said, it is only by the middle of 2025 when we have completed Phase 1 of the Bee Network, and we know the level of government funding we have, that we will be in a position to judge the financial outlook for the new system.

So nationalised buses in Manchester cutting out profit making companies is a lot of the reason why Manchester is able to keep fares lower for at least another year.

You can't get angry with people. If they're the type to try and con a charity, you aren't dealing with someone with good ethics and morals... basically you'll get foul language and aggression at best, spat at or assaulted at worst. So you see them, assess, and just keep politely offering food. It's a bit of a winner you see, because it's a huge amount of food we can provide, and really lovely stuff...and they have to literally stand there and admit they don't want what they are claiming to be desperate for, so they generally give you a look of disgust for not letting them essentially steal a monetary voucher from someone who actually needs it, and strop out at the audacity of us.

Does it make you mad? Yes. Incredibly so. It's the shamelessness, the frequency, the indignant aggression that they are being prevented from playing the system and disadvantage the genuinely vulnerable. But you release by sharing tales of utter disbelief at the cheeky fuckery you've encountered amongst your colleagues.

But, when you reach someone who genuinely needs help, it's suddenly all worth it. The 4 chancers are worth the 5th person, who's life you can make just that bit better. We don't just do food, we do fuel and energy payments, white goods, house repairs, grants, school uniform, bedding and furnishings....so actually we can be life changing in a lot of instances, we can issue thousands to one household who are in genuine need, and love being able to do so. Even more reason to not let people abuse the charity, when you see the tangible difference we can make when the funds are used correctly.

Being realistic and trying to find a solution you have the following options, OP:

• increase your work hours as others have suggested
• ask a relative to help pay for the first bus pass and then try to continue buying it yourself
• move in with a relative eg mum or a house share to reduce costs
• speak to someone to see if you are entitled to any more benefits
• change your job so that it is higher paid

Someone else might be able to think of something additional. I think it’s important to be realistic so that you can move forward.

@ketchuptom probably one of the currently controversial ones like occult tethered cord or something. (Obviously just guessing.)

@LePetitMaman I wish people would stop shouting you down. I'm curious about what it's like working for a charity like that when a high percentage of people seem inauthentic - do you get angry with them? Do you think they have some real need even if not as much as the 20%?

As I said earlier on the thread, an hour in my charity and you would see the sad truth.

And yes I could give you a hundred cases of people who were anxious, felt humiliated walking into our centre, and I can spot that a mile off as well. I don't even ask them about their circumstances. I'm not sorry that I've seen tens of thousands of people and can spot the sad patterns of speech and behaviour that exists amongst the "80% crowd." It's something we teach all our employees to look for. It's a necessity in order that the funding reaches the right people.

I can see it grates on you that we are able to spot the consistent patterns amongst people who abuse the charity. Equally we can spot the genuine people a mile off too. I'm not listing the little things that alert us to genuine need for obvious reasons. You don't have to like that we can. We have too.

Yes, we are fallible. But confidently, we can call it 99% of the time. I think if you saw the brazenness of literally 80% of people and their repulsed faces and refusal when we try to give them actual food and not vouchers, you'd be quite astonished.

Well we agree on that at least!

Perhaps the answer lies somewhere around how people instantly judge "beauty treatments" before they learn they could be "replacement hair products". Anyway I will step away, I really never manage to do that when I say I will!

Oh thank you, I know I am not gorgeous, it's objectively obvious I look ill. But I feel a bit happier when I have long lashes so at least I smile. Ironically I spent years trying to teach my DDs about feminism/judging on appearances/patriarchy etc and didn't even wear make up until I became ill! God knows what happened there none of my DCs wear lashes or even make up themselves, but of course they are stunningly naturally beautiful with natural long lashed Bambi eyes. I'll take the credit, fuck it

I don't report posts. I'm capable of speaking freely and think others should be able too.

Lol.

Not allowing people openly abuse a charity so the people who genuinely need it, isn't judgemental. It's essential.

But if that's all you can understand, despite what's written down, then it's not much anyone can do about that. Are you truly incapable seeing the difference between replacement hair products for a sufferer of alopecia, who then cuts their cloth accordingly if they've spent quite a bit on that, Vs claiming you only have £10 a week to spend on food and an extra £1 on the bus is the problem...whilst you spend on multiple beauty treatments, nails, lashes, "the works, I'm sooo high maintenance"

Just to be really clear, you can't comprehend the difference in those very disparate scenarios.

Feel free to report my post, but it's really not meant as a personal attack, I'm just trying to explain how you come across, particularly in some of your comments.

@BattingMyLashes I bet you look gorgeous. You sound a bit like my mum. And your children are going to remember with pleasure how much pride you took in your appearance.

@LePetitMaman I'm not quite sure how to say this in a way that won't be deleted, but you really are coming across as quite stupid in the way you miss the points people are trying to make. You come across as though you have no compassion at all. I'm not sure whether you're being deliberately obtuse, or judgemental in a goady way, or if you really genuinely don't get it. Perhaps if you re-read and try and understand a bit better, it might help. It's really depressing that you work with a charity as your posts are so judgemental and close minded.I just feel for the people you come into contact with via the charity. I wonder if you tell anyone there you judge them "the minute they open their mouth".

I have reached the limit of my willingness to engage with you.

Keep reading, you'll soon see why....

This. The whole thing doesn’t make sense. 🤷‍♀️

I didn't realise quoting someone's post would make it so hard for people to follow.

It is this question. By this poster. Which I echoed.