to ask all the skint and struggling people: what would help you the most?

[dreamingbohemian]

I think it's clear that a lot of people are struggling right now. I'm on the thread about parents going without food and it's terrible what some people are going through.

It's also clear that there are a lot of judgmental attitudes, and that the government is not all that interested in tackling the problem.

But you can also see a lot of people are sympathetic and want to help, and are horrified that we are returning to a situation where people have to go without food.

There have been a number of good ideas on that thread, but I thought it might be good to start a new thread to not just talk about the problem, but about how we can all try to do something about it -- whether it's signing petitions, putting pressure on the government, or volunteering or donating in our local communities.

So AIBU to start by asking people who are struggling right now to talk about the top one or two things that would help them out the most? So that we are not focusing our attention on things that might not be the most helpful?

Or, on the flip side, is anyone engaged in anything right now that seems to be helping a lot of people?

I don't want to just be horrified, I want to do something...

carer When I was young we were really totally skint, and there were so many times my uniform was too small but my mum wouldn't buy a new one.... and I used to get in huge trouble at school all the time because my skirt was too short or my cuffs were too high. And I was too embarrassed to explain so I just got yelled at all the time. It was so humiliating, especially as there was an implication that I wanted to wear short skirts because I was 'forward' or something...

I don't understand why it would never occur to teachers that there's a reason for uniform issues sometimes!

I went to another school where the uniform was any black sweater, any white shirt, any gray skirt. Why can't they just do something like that? Then people can really get the cheapest thing but there's still a sense of uniform-ness going on...

we have a load of xbox games, pre Xbox360. Happy to send them postage in the UK, if you have an xbox that is not a 360, Mostly Football, golf, racing and war games. All good condition. Would be ok for birthday gifts.

The school I used to attend had black blazers, black skirts or trousers, white shirt. The badge was about £2 I think. The tie a few quid.

Ds's school blazer isn't an unusual colour but it has fooking two colour piping around the edge and you can't buy the badge seperately. Don't get me wrong, it's very smart... but badly thought out!

My daughter's school has just voted to introduce a uniform. I am really pissed off about it. It just seems like a whole extra unnecessary layer of complication, expense and extra washing. And it's white polo shirts. Nobody else in the family owns a white item of clothing so that'll be an extra wash every week for no reason. I genuinely don't get why uniforms are such a big deal, esp at primary level.

Creepy and Dreaming i think our examples do show that some teachers (obv not you creepy) have brains but no common sense.
Many of these posts here about schools also demonstrate how brains and common sense are two different things.

I'm already planning the school uniform budget for next school year now as DD will be starting in reception and I'll need to buy six school jumpers (three each) at a cost of £9.50 per jumper. So on top of that, it'll be a pack of three polo shirts for a couple of quid, and some value trousers for each of them. I get three uniforms so that it's wearing, washing, waiting. Mum just bought my DS new shoes for school with plenty of room, I am hoping they might last him a while. Otherwise it's like seventy pounds for shoes. Then it's two bookbags, two PE bags, two pairs of plimsolls, two lots of PE kits and two jackets.

Thank goodness for Asda and the like, or I'd be stuck. Probably going to end up getting help from my mum anyway.

I'm not so sure a no uniform policy is a good thing. At my primary school the poorer children in hand me downs were picked on and by the time I got to 9/10 I would get stressed and say I didn't want to go to school because I had nothing to wear. Angst over your wardrobe should come much later.

A big frustration for me is lost uniform. Ds loses items on a weekly basis and despite being clearly named the items never turn up.

I have to agree, I prefer uniform. You can buy it a lot cheaper than most clothes and it's quite hardy.

All I want is a decent job. I went back to university as a mature student and have spent years since graduating looking for a permanent job that is somewhat relevant to my field. I've moved time and time again for temporary contracts and further study to gain experience and so as not to have gaps in my cv. Now I'm unemployed and seem to have fewer prospects than I did ten years ago.

sorry - a question relating to something someone said way down thread....

So there is a gap in between losing your job and getting benefits sorted....when you get your benefits through, are they back dated? Or do you just have 8 weeks totally unfunded?

The nectar points idea is fabulous!

As well as transferring all the unused nectar points...maybe S'burys say could have one day a week when all of the uncollected nectar points...the ones from people who do not have a nectar card/have forgotten it could be saved up and donated...

entropy - JSA at least is backdated to the date you claim from.

So does that mean that it would make a difference if you could get a no questions asked loan of £200 quid (interest free) to be paid back within 3 months?

Loans don't affect JSA.

Way6 way up the thread someone mentioned the blazer with the embroidered logo???

A way around this is to remove the pocket from the genuine blazer when its outgrown and sewing it on a new (cheaper) larger blazer.

It was me nickschick . I can't do that because although ds blazer is a normal-ish colour, it has piping around the edge...and you can't get blazers with that piping.

Thats a shame !!bastards .