What will happen if food poverty and homelessness keep growing in the UK?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I think it's generally accepted that food prices are rising, and will rise a fair bit more next year. I'm hoping that costs aren't completely insane, though. Does anyone know how much they are predicted to rise?

If they go up by much, surely food poverty and food bank usage is just going to keep going up?

What will happen to homeless people also? There is honestly a shocking amount of people on the street in central London. Many argue that a lot are beggars, and actually go home at night - but that's still not great? That people are cobbling together a living from begging on the streets?

I feel it's so easy to fall into horrific destitution these days - obviously, times over the course of human history were far more brutal and it's still vastly better for us living here in the UK today. I get that. Still, though, the world feels like a kind of scary place to be in many ways right now. As a chronically ill woman with no assets such as property, I feel an undercurrent of vulnerability all of the time. Maybe I need better anxiety medication

What do you think will happen to people in poverty in the UK over the next few years? Will things improve somehow?

The government don't care, they have no morals and if people die in poverty then it's most likely the loss of a voter who wouldn't be a Tory.

Tory doctrine. Such hatred in them.

JonSnowsWife I don't know. I'm referring to the cynical types who always rush to say it's a scam, that the people begging are part of organised begging gangs, etc.

If they are sitting on the streets in winter - they still need help. Nobody would live like that if they had genuine choices.

It'll be fine.

You've all a royal wedding to look forward to after all.

So, if 'we' can all see that our current system is dysfunctional, inhumane and morally corrupt - why is this country still heading in this terrible direction?

^

Because it's still basically Lord and serfdom in the UK.

I wish we were more like the French...bring on the revolution!

There is only so much inequality we can take before riots ensue .not great but if we can get rid of this goverment.

I don't have an answer, though I don't think things would be any better under Labour. But are there any countries that get it right and can we learn from them? Surely the rising population and the increase in what is considered to be basic rights is tricky for anyone to manage?

I would start planning for civil unrest. It’s going to happen, given the mood of the country. In the cities first (as that’s where the government has collected the poor together.

If this winter is bad and there are power cuts, that will be the start.

The question is weather it will erupt into a civil war/revolution.

I don’t think it will because the government has done a good job of dis-arming the population. Secondly too many people are too reliant on the government to fight against them.

If you are one of the rich I would suggest you prepare to get out the country at short notice.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/dec/02/theresa-may-crisis-mass-walkout-social-policy-alan-milburn

Things will never change in this country as long as we have royals and forelock tuggers. We saw that the other day. And money is desperately needed for repairs to Buck House and the Houses of Parliament. Not to mention pay rises for MP's and paying the EU's blood money. And that money will be found. It's all a question of priority.

I think nothing will happen beyond the obvious (homeless and poor people in semi-starvation and rising crime figures) because of the overwhelming attitude that any type of poverty is a personal and moral failing and complete and utter apathy towards any sort of change (excepting Brexit, but then, I wonder if those who voted to leave truly grasped the changes we might see).

I agree with you there, Vivienne.

While this thread is becoming very dramatic very quickly (do bare in mind that the vast majority of the population are not living in poverty) I would agree with PP that the underlying cause of the rising cost of living is unaffordable housing both for buyers and for renters. The population is growing to quickly, policies allowing those who would otherwise sell their homes ( e.g. To find carehomes or their retirement) to keep them by not including them in rationing tests for pensions, healthcare etc combined with a lack of policies that encourage downswing are partly to blame. Then there is a question of not enough housing/of not the right type being built coming into play as well. Unfortunately this won't resolve (until population shrinks in response to rising cost of living but that will take half a lifetime) itself unless planning rules and tax rules regarding things like capital gains tax and stamp duty are relaxed. Obviously people are already taking measures to adapt to the lack of housing supply by having fewer children, moving out of their parental home later in life, making compromises when buying first homes etc but for those at the bottom of our society (economically speaking) there isn't reallymich that can be done unless they abstain from having children altogether and never move out of the family home.

I think the tide is turning. BTL landlords are scum and people aren’t shy in telling them anymore. No just on MN but in real life. Hoarding housing to feather your own nest is disgusting. Tell yourself whatever you want but it’s disgusting. Our pub landlord has BANNED a couple from our pub. They bought 5 homes in the village one after the other and then rented them out. Whole village up in arms about it. They are literally banned from the village. Second home owners have started selling up here. They aren’t welcome and the locals let them know they aren’t. They don’t get served in the shops or pub.

This needs to be replectated country wide. BTLers need to be called out for their actions.

Do you think all the tv shows and newspaper articles demonising people on benefits are an accident

No they're propaganda for the hard of thinking

KetleyS

Interesting situation. Who will be able to afford the houses when the landlords sell?

Ketley S- really? People are unable to be served in the local shops and pubs because they own numerous properties that they rent out?

Wow, I'd be more concerned about investors who buy multiple properties in the same development with no intention of ever stepping in them until they will sell in 10 years time.
My husband worked on a particular development where they were building in a very good location for commuting, right by office space etc. £250k- there were oversees investors who hadn't even seen the properties In real life, one alone bought 10. I knew of others buying 3,4,5 all for the very same purpose. That's what I would worry about.
Especially as over the road there is a park with a wooded area, which is where much of the towns homeless have set up camp.

Not even 100 yards from privately owned homes that will not be lived in for many years.

I have to say, I've not seen this kind of poverty in my lifetime. In my circle there are people who's benefits have been cut because they aren't disabled enough, they have been told they can appeal, but in the meantime what are they to do? They've been told to claim jobseekers will take 8 weeks. They aren't well enough to work, not on mental or physical grounds- think both legs removed plus one arm that doesn't work at all and severe anxiety at the thought of being stuck in people's way because he can't move easily In his wheelchair.

I know a single mum who cannot afford to feed herself. I know someone who hasn't had a washing machine for 5 years.

The amount of homeless in our town centre has gone from about 3 to 30 odd in the past 10 years.

It's so very shit the kind of situations people are in and it won't get better. Not at all.

Is there any record of what percentage of homes are owned by private individuals for actually living in and what % by BTLers?

I think things would have to get an awful lot worse for everybody for
a revolution. For one thing, it takes money and the poor couldn't afford it. We are pretty much sheeple as a nation, we accept sitting in traffic with empty bus lanes next to us which no one uses (outside of London) because they can't afford the bus and even schools dictating what colour coats and bags our kids take for school fgs!

There will be more homeless, children will be put in care as their parents will classed as intentionally homeless because they can't afford the difference between their housing benefit top up and the actual cost of their rent, more people will die because they can't heat their homes, families will get ill because they can't afford decent food and shelter, crime will increase, aspirations will get lower as the exhaustion of just staying afloat day to day sets in.

On course for a society resembling the Hunger Games.

Can't see much changing as long as the demand for housing keeps increasing year on year and no government has the will to slow it down.

We are even importing big issue sellers which used to be an avenue for helping the homeless.

Yes. The village is sick of second home owners. They aren’t welcome here, they can pay more than local people can and have frequently outbid them in the past. They bring nothing to the village community and we simply do not want them. They may eventually get served in the shop and pub. But they’ll be ignored for 30 odd mins beforehand.

Local BLT couple is loathed here. As I said, they own 5 properties which they rent out. I know they outbid two families for two of them. Feeling was very strong against them and LL of the pub advised them to stay away.

I think 10 years ago people tolerated BTL. All those TV programmes about flipping houses etc made it socially acceptable. There are now so many people living in shit housing, paying extortionate rent to landlords that people are pissed off and angry. Lots of LL now preface their admittance to owning more than one home but saying they are “accidental” LLs or helping people find a home....like they just disappear if the LL sells them.

It isn’t socially acceptable to own multiple properties anymore.

Majority are career beggers. When the cold weather sheltes are open you will see the true numbers of homeless in them as soon as the doors open.

There's some on our highstreets here that earn more in a week than I do in a month at the moment. Except they blow it on crack or smack .

One guy was counting his out on the bloody bus the other week! £140 effing quid!

Trinity....total shit and you know it

Our shelters only take them if they’re sober (on a breathalyser) and clean.

Most of them live in a tent city that the council pulls down every few months or in two abandoned buildings which everyone knows is occupied by homeless people.

The numbers at the shelter are not reflective of how many people are homeless on any given night.

None of those figures count the sofa surfers either.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poverty-Safari-Understanding-Britains-Underclass-ebook/dp/B0752T63KX/ref=sr11_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1512264571&sr=1-5

This book is well worth reading, it's not a pleasant read but it's thought provoking.

I was in our town centre yesterday. I was asked twice if I had any change. The first time I genuinely didn't. The second time I did and stopped and spoke to the lad. He had a beautiful black lab with him. I asked if they had anywhere to go at night.

He was sane, sober and better spoken than me. He had fallen out with his mum and dad in the summer and been sleeping rough ever since. He has a couple of nights when he can kip on his friends floor and have a shower when his friends kids are at their dads.

He might have been a conman and do a few hours begging then go home for a bath. But I gave him a couple of quid anyway because I can.

The housing crisis could be partially solved by laws being passed about empty homes. Either live in it or rent it out.

There are empty homes everywhere. Street I used to live on had 2.

And in the north there are entire estates left empty. I lookec at something the other day, The Welsh Streets in Liverpool. There will be others like it.

The problem is amplified in the South and other big cities while in the north the problem isn't big enough to do something about it.

Wow, I'd be more concerned about investors who buy multiple properties in the same development with no intention of ever stepping in them until they will sell in 10 years time.

Did you read the post in question? 5 properties in a small village IS multiple properties. Whilst I have every sympathy for accidental landlords. The ones who just keep on buying, usually on a mortgage, to let out to others at an extortionate rate need capping. The way to do that is to introduce regulations where unless they are accidental LLs, if they are letting the house out which is still mortgaged it should not be permissible.

I don't have a mortgage as I don't have sufficient funds to prove I can reliably pay. The same should apply to BTL LLs with mortgages.

many are career beggars

Yes. I'm sure the one who sits by the Tescos express every year just sought out a career in getting a carrier bag of sandwiches each Christmas and a couple of quid to scrape together to add to his hidden wealth if he's really lucky

On the issue of properties also, dojt let developers/owners hold on to ones they clearly have no intention or using, ever. There was an article about lottery winners who did this recently and it's only now, years later, the council are putting pressure on them. A charity could have easily turned that into another much needed hostel or something if given the chance but money talks.

There was a homeless person who I used to pass on the way home, (on the bus), he sat in the same spot every day for a year, a doorway of a closed down pub.

That pub had been empty for ten years.

Homeless man just froze to death in the city I live in.

I work with the homeless, they are often very vulnerable with mental health issues and sad histories. The people I work with want a Home but either aren’t capable of navigating the system or have tried and are turned away at every turn. It is devastating.