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Original poster

To be worried that this news will be buried?

300 replies

WhoWants2Know · 16/11/2018 17:51

What with it being CIN and May having to replace cabinet ministers again, I'm worried that this isn't being more widely reported.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/16/uk-austerity-has-inflicted-great-misery-on-citizens-un-says

For all the government say that Universal Credit is working to get people back into work, the UN reporter on extreme poverty and human rights finds that a fifth of the UK population is living in poverty now.

OP posts:
Becca19962014 · 18/11/2018 22:01

It's also down to what is available.

I was high priority until they discovered they don't have an appropriate property then I was offered delibrately inappropriate places and removed from the list for refusing. Inappropriate as in up stairs which I cannot climb and expected to pay for someone to carry me in and out inappropriate. The place with a lift they decided not to put a lift in teig offered me a flat on the top floor, again someone could carry me.

dontalltalkatonce · 18/11/2018 23:22

I'll tell my DH when he finishes his 50 hour week - i'm sure he'll be full of sympathy

The problem is that they are classifying people as jobseekers who are so disabled they cannot work! It happens all the time. And subjecting people like Devilish's son to pointless 'reviews' of his unchangeable condition and stopping his benefits whilst they review. They've also changed the parameters under which such a person can appeal their decisions. It's not saving money! It's costing more and more! Because it's ideological and punitive. They've just shifted the cost burden onto councils and the NHS, whilst simultaneously cutting their funding, too.

I have a mate who was moved from ESA onto JSA for 8 weeks until she was able to claim state pension. The woman was nearly 63, has COPD and two knee replacements. It costs the government far more to do that move, which was pointless and stupid but hey, fuck her for having lost her only child and then getting sick.

I work 50 hours a week. I have every sympathy for jobseekers and people on UC. It's a pittance and places are closing down left and right and making people redundant. I have no sympathy for this shit storm of a government and those who continually vote for them when all their policies are about rewarding wealth hoarders and carpetbaggers and robber barons.

Uniquack · 18/11/2018 23:33

@Devilishpyjamas - The LA have assessed him as being in the lowest category for housing need and there info they sent suggested he sleep on a friend’s sofa.

That is just awful Sad. Sometimes I think the councils/government has have absolutely no idea what goes on in the 'real world'.

Devilishpyjamas · 19/11/2018 05:47

I think housing is such an issue that there just isn’t really a system anymore. So few can access it.

In my son’s case tbh it has ended up in his favour. Housing is such a common reason why people with learning disabilities end up spending years/decades in ATUs (lots in the news about them now & what goes on in them and the profit these largely private hospitals make from NHS money) that NHS England has started a system whereby they buy houses for specific people - it then gets transferred to a housing association and rented to the person. It’s probably about the most secure tenancy my son could have. So he will be coming home and has been one of the ‘lucky’ ones - only locked up and separated for his family for a year & a half (by the time he gets out). It also means the NHS stops having to fork out 12k a week as his care in the community is less than half that. They keep some sort of charge over the property so I guess get the profit if it’s sold in the future.

Incidentally there currently exists a scheme called the HOLD scheme whereby disabled people who will never be able to work can buy their own shared ownership properties with HA’s. We looked into it (were going to pool family money for the deposit). But UC has actually made it unaffordable - especially for under 25’s like my son so it doesn’t get through the (specialist) mortgage lenders. So I think that scheme will slowly die out.

HelenaDove · 19/11/2018 16:15

HelenaDove Mon 19-Nov-18 16:13:32

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-46235842

The Universal Credit benefits system is forcing some women to turn to sex work, charities say.

The BBC has spoken to five charities and organisations in England who say there are increasing numbers of women on the credit (UC) in this position.

Frank Field, MP for Birkenhead, also told MPs in October "some women have taken to the red-light district for the first time" as a result of UC.

The government said: "No-one has to face hardship on Universal Credit."

"Julie", from Merseyside, never thought she would have to turn to sex work.

But an eight-week wait for the single mum's first payment after transferring from her previous benefits left her "desperate", so when she was offered £30 for sex she took it.

"I'm ashamed to admit, I have slept with a guy for money", said Julie, who asked for her real name not to be used.

"It's something I never ever thought I would be ever capable of doing. I just didn't think it was in me as a person.

"So I'm, like, very disappointed in myself and ashamed of myself.

"I had to use food banks. I've never been in that situation in my life. I've really struggled."

When Mr Field made his comments in the Commons, then Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey said work needed to be done to help them.

"Perhaps [Mr Field] could tell these ladies and the work coaches that now we have got record job vacancies - 830,000 job vacancies - and perhaps there are other jobs on offer," she said.

But Mr Field told the BBC he had received no contact from the government since raising the issue in parliament, following UC's introduction in his constituency in November 2017.

"[Women turning to sex work is] an absolute indictment of welfare reform… it seems that you couldn't get a worse result," he said. "

HelenaDove · 19/11/2018 16:22

twitter.com/BoardDylan/status/1064541062260248577

CondomsLubricantAndFlapjack · 19/11/2018 16:51

Helena I think you have already posted this on another thread!

HelenaDove · 19/11/2018 17:06

So? its not irrelevant to this thread so whats the problem.

ReanimatedSGB · 20/11/2018 23:10

Oh hey, let's not worry about poverty forcing people into sex work. Because the government's also very keen on stamping out sex work, so the comfortably-off won't need to be horrified at the idea of anyone doing sex acts for money... despite it being an option that some people find preferable to a zero-hours contract doing intermittent shitwork...

alreadytaken · 21/11/2018 11:09

well obviously the message is lets not worry about poverty at all until the government screw up the economy to such an extent that everyone is affected.

Austerity took money from the poor to give to those who had enough and more than enough already. In doing so it took money out of the economy instead of keeping it in the economy. As a result the country gets poorer and it becomes even harder to keep giving money to the rich Tory backers without hitting the average voter.

Eventually maybe enough people will realise the Tories are a disaster for the economy and vote them out.

Clavinova · 21/11/2018 12:52

a fifth of the UK population is living in poverty now

Sadly - perhaps the reason that this news isn't being more widely discussed is because it is 'old news' - a fifth of the UK population have been living in poverty for the last 20 years;

fullfact.org/economy/poverty-uk-guide-facts-and-figures/

The number (rather than the percentage) of people living in poverty has risen because the population has risen; children most at risk of living in poverty are children living in larger families with low employment income and the percentage of children living in poverty with foreign-born parents is as high as 45%.

Of course, it is up to the government of the day to take steps to reduce poverty and poverty rates are (slowly) starting to rise.

The JRF state that the number of people using food banks should not be an indication of success or failure - the root causes of poverty need to addressed.The rise in the number of food banks indicates the rise in other peoples' generosity - most people are still living in poverty without access to food banks - they have to cut back on essentials or find other means of obtaining money to buy food.

dontalltalkatonce · 21/11/2018 13:14

And apparently, you count as 'employed' if you work just a couple of hours over a fortnight because hey, it makes employment stats look good.

Graphista · 25/11/2018 22:33

Don't all talk at once - actually working ONE hour per fortnight = working as far as ONS concerned Hmm

Graphista · 25/11/2018 22:34

Helena that's heartbreaking. On my FB newsfeed another suicide as a result of UC desperation.

I'm becoming more convinced daily it's a stealth cull!

HelenaDove · 25/11/2018 22:59
Sad
Graphista · 05/12/2018 22:29

Ugh!

Yes there was a recent publicity stunt (not admitted) with Tory MPs attending food banks & making donations via Tesco (shame on Tesco for agreeing to this!) around the country last week.

Much vilified on social media.

While of course such behaviour as described is not condoned (banging on car etc) I can well understand people's frustrations.

They've a bloody nerve banging on how wonderful food banks are and how kind that people donate when THEY and THEIR policies are the sodding cause for their necessity!

On sm one poster was saying they'd be keeping a close eye on expenses claims to make sure they didn't claim for the donations!

Dominic raab was one of them doing this stunt.

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