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Original poster

I'm so confused about wealth and poverty... and how we are in relation to other people in the world.

21 replies

confusedwithacat · 12/04/2022 01:44

I understand that living in the uk we are extremely privileged, compared to extreme suffering in our world.

However, when the shit hit the fan for me, I had nothing. I had previously had a middle income 30k job. I wasn't able to save money because my rent and council tax was around £800 a month...and then the other bills on top of that. I know people will say I should have stayed in a shared house (but I have asd and bpd) and I had to run a car, because my job involved driving, and they payed me mileage.

Also I admit, when I was younger the banks were literally throwing credit cards at me.

I became really unwell and I lost my job and had to claim universal credit. People talk about the'5 week wait'..... I put my claim in on the wrong day so I had a 9 week wait!!! I literally had no money to pay my rent or buy food. I was given a voucher to go to the food bank, and I'm so glad that they helped me. I had nothing. I phoned universal credit and explained my situation....they were very sorry but there was nothing that could be done.

Also I put in an application to the local authority to ask if they would give me the money to pay my rent for one month. I was so happy when they agreed to pay my rent for one month. Amazing!!! The normal benefits that people can claim would not have covered my rent. The 5 week wait is if you are lucky! I was in a horrible situation with no money, a food bank pass....also my local authority gave me a Tesco gift card for £100 so I would be okay for a month.

In the end I was extremely grateful for everything I received when I was in need.

My critique of the situation is:

I'm educated and also my previous employment means I know how to approach this. Most people don't know. So people suffering.

From that experience, I do think it is extremely important, if the government are going to distribute money, to help, they should give it to local authorities.

-universal credit is the most inhumane benefit ever. Believe me when I was trying to sort out my claim, I had to walk 3 miles into town (no money for the bus), only to be told by some snotty cow....uhhhh sorry you don't have an appointment go away! Thank god the evil universal credit people shared an entrance with the local council. I don't think I ever cried so much in my life.

I'm unemployed now. I have a degree and lots of skills and experience....but to be honest I'm so dismayed by life and society. People can call me a benefit scrounged etc! I don't care! Our society is really messed up. The distribution of wealth is messed up. I know I have so much to give, but I've given up giving it

OP posts:

TwerkingJerk · 12/04/2022 01:53

Totally empathize with you

Have to say most of the folks I've dealt with the UC are lovely but the system is totally fucked

Original poster

confusedwithacat · 12/04/2022 02:31

@TwerkingJerk thank you. It's such a terrible system. But I also think that the problems in our society are so much bigger...

.... I have had my health assessment and thank god they decided I was unfit for work or work related activity.

OP posts:

Featuredcreature · 12/04/2022 02:47

Sadly I think we are better off than quite a lot of world. The universal credit and benefits system still leaves a lot to be desired, a lot of people fall through the cracks. I myself need to apply for pip and stuff but I can't quite get the motivation yet, it's a humiliating process. So I remain on esa, some people are better at navigating the whole thing. My sister for one, despite being better functioning than me, she knows how to work the system.

Although surely you could have gotten an advance from universal credit?

rolllan · 12/04/2022 03:14

We are a lot better of than so many places. But this took years of progression and struggle to get any better so educated people failing and struggling with no help is not on. As a country we need to improve to then help other countries in need. If our best people start struggling how fast will the county suffer and we can't help others. It's a tough system

rolllan · 12/04/2022 03:17

@Featuredcreature you need to ask your sister for advice/ don't wait for anything to be offered you claim what you deserve and have to fight for the rest. She the one doing it right !

rolllan · 12/04/2022 03:23

@confusedwithacat

Separate question from previous comments. I have a friend who has depression tries to volunteer for a bit which is great but potentially too much. How can she improve and get a job to start improving her life without losing all benefits so then can't cope and isn't worth the chance of hurting her health?
Can you suggest the best next step for my friend or point me to a group or people who can help ? ☺️

Featuredcreature · 12/04/2022 03:32

No thanks she's a thick racist muppet.

Featuredcreature · 12/04/2022 03:33

Sorry that was to @rolllan

rolllan · 12/04/2022 03:43

@Featuredcreature not ever going to defend a racist I'm reLly really sorry!

Billandben444 · 12/04/2022 08:10

OP, I was totally with you and sympathetic until
I know I have so much to give, but I've given up giving it
Hopefully, for you and those who don't have so much to give, this is only a temporary feeling.

mathanxiety · 12/04/2022 15:37

I don't think the UK has moved forward much from the days of the workhouse, in terms of attitude toward the poor and the chronically ill.

BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation · 12/04/2022 16:00

I think organised work, in its current form, is brutal. It only really suits certain people and takes no consideration of health, caring responsibilities, parenthood, disabilities, fluctuating conditions etc. So many people struggling to meet their employment responsibilities and developing ill health as a result. Society needs to be more inclusive. Ds was telling me that, in Denmark, a disabled person can work whatever hours they can manage then they receive an income top up so they're not living in poverty. Work is making people ill and how are people expected to work until they're nearly 70? Most illness begin when people are middle aged, not to mention menopause and generally increased tiredness, depression etc. It's bloody grim.

mathanxiety · 13/04/2022 16:36

Let's not dance around the problem - work is organised with men in mind.

Not just any men though. It is organised with reference to men who have a wife at home to organise their lives for them and bring up their children.

Men of the 1950s in other words.

Babyroobs · 13/04/2022 16:51

Most people do not wait 9 weeks for UC. It is 5 weeks but I agree they do need to make sure people understand about not making the claim until their last earnings have been paid as I suspect this is what happened to you. When first making a Uc claim you can also take an advance payment to tide you over.
I have been claiming new style JSA for a couple of months whilst between jobs as my new job has taken longer to start than anticipated. I really hate how my work coach states I need to look for work for 35 hours a week even though I have a job lined up. She constantly asks the same stupid questions over and over which i can't answer. I was meant to have a call from her yesterday but rang the JSA line and cancelled the claim ( a paltry £74 a week ) instead as I couldn't face another call from her. The adviser I spoke to was absolutely lovely. I told her I have worked for 35 years, never claimed before, only took 4 and 5 months off for maternity leave etc.
Compared to other places in the world, well yes there are a lot worse than us. Some places have no safety net or disability benefits. Others of course have much better systems, good state subsidised childcare etc.

Babyroobs · 13/04/2022 16:55

[quote confusedwithacat]@TwerkingJerk thank you. It's such a terrible system. But I also think that the problems in our society are so much bigger...

.... I have had my health assessment and thank god they decided I was unfit for work or work related activity.

I know I'm due a reassessment soon. I'm visiting my mental health team 2-3 times a week every week l. I'm actually in a very structured form of therapy now. It would be great if I could take on a few hours of volunteer work each week....would really help me to apply what I'm learning in my therapy to real life. But the second I do that I'm sure I will be declared fit for work !terrifying[/quote]
Assuming you have been awarded Limited capability for work and work related activity, you are able to start doing some work if you wish without it affecting you receiving that element.

Skiptheheartsandflowers · 13/04/2022 16:58

We're a lot better off here still than in many countries but there's still much room for improvement! Look at all the 'people can just eat pasta' stuff of recent days as if that was fine. We should be aspiring to do better, not having to say 'at least I'm not in Mariupol being starved and shot at' every time some problem with society is pointed out.

No one should be waiting 9 weeks or anything like it for universal credit. In a world where we have so much sophisticated technology it's ridiculous. It's just not a priority to the government to stop it happening.

lightand · 13/04/2022 17:02

I feel for you and others like you.

Someone told me about 4 years ago, that 10% of the people owned 90% of the wealth. Something like that. It has got even worse since.

We are supposed to be about the 7th wealthiest nation on the planet. Doesnt say much for the other 197 countries.

Mumoblue · 13/04/2022 17:02

It is pretty shitty, OP. I’m on UC for the moment, and not only is it terrifying to not be in control of earning your own money, it’s almost like you’ve signed up for our society to treat you like scum.

People always say they don’t think poorly of those “who really need it”, but I’m in that spot and we get judged just like everyone else. Plus the world and his mother assumes they’re entitled to a run-down of your situation and a look at your outgoings to see if you’re “worthy”.

It’s demoralising.

Comedycook · 13/04/2022 17:03

I see it like this. You could be hungry and without food in the UK in certain situations but it's not such abject poverty that you would die of starvation on the street and no one would do anything.

It can be really grim but probably better than a lot of other places.

. Hope things improve for you

DressingPafe · 13/04/2022 17:18

There are other countries that have much better systems and welfare than ours, for sure. Yes they might pay extra for it (usually through higher taxes) but then things like wages are higher, housing is cheaper etc. So they’re not worse off.

Equally of course there are people living in slums, dying of starvation etc.

I do think we are “behind” on where we should be though. We shouldn’t have people sleeping on the streets or having to use food banks. I watched the panorama documentary on living costs and two of the families were bringing in 2k per month. But after housing and bills they had very little left for food. 2k is a decent amount of money, or it should be. I don’t think people should be struggling on that. If they are, where does that leave people with even less?

I work, but I was reading that UC for a single person is going up by £10 p/m. My energy is going up by £20 a week. So how would I manage that if I wasn’t working? I do feel we’re going backwards in this country (at an alarming rate) when we should be going forwards.

Babyroobs · 13/04/2022 17:29

@DressingPafe

Equally of course there are people living in slums, dying of starvation etc.

Uc for single people is abysmal. I have no idea how anyone can survive on it. It is better once you have children on the claim and pretty decent for people with kids who work. Obviously it's not keeping up with the cost of living currently though.

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