To hope that some people now understand that it's not somebody's fault they're poor?

[Moomin8]

All of a sudden loads of people have had to claim UC

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/24/britain-benefits-rishi-sunak-claimants-austerity?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

Torsten Bell, head of the Resolution Foundation, says people on £50,000 salaries have been anxiously asking him about benefits rates. They’re in for a shock, he says.” Funny, that: before this crisis, those doing alright were adamant that benefit rates were too high. Now, they’re worried it’s the opposite.

Fair question.

I don't think they will understand. We are in unprecedented times and that's all they'll think about.

All this just goes to show that truly, anything can happen so it's never wise to smugly look down on others. Especially if fuelled by those silly C4 benefits programmes made by middle class interns financially supported by mummy and daddy, with no concept or care of the many circumstances in life that can force a person to turn to benefits.

Anyone living from paycheque to paycheque or 3 pay cheques away from bankruptcy is fucked, really

All this just goes to show that truly, anything can happen so it's never wise to smugly look down on others.

Yes, quite. I work in an industry that is fucked due to Covid 19. I have decided to retrain as I don't think I will get any work there for a long long time.

Yes. I was talking to a friend about this just today.

People are going to be in for a real shock.

The higher up the income chain, the harder you fall. It will be very tough for a lot of people.

It is not a fun situation to see people who have had to close their businesses doing Facebook videos assuring people that they will be open again soon with panic stricken faces. It's awfully sad

This whole thing came out of nowhere.

The justifications have latest started.

Heard earlier: ‘if it wasn’t for the scrounges they’d be more money in the pot for us now’.

Yes it's obvious that many posters have no idea how much benefits have been cut and how cumbersome it is to get them. It's terrible that so many people have to claim but perhaps the silver lining is that people will see the reality of it.

But sometimes, it is somebody's fault they're poor.

Oh really @Pentium85?

Do you want to shed some light on that?

Well quite simply, if someone chooses not to work, or chooses a lower paid job, then that is entirely their choice and therefore their lower income is a result of that choice they have made

The £2.5k figure is more than either I or DH earn. So people used to say £4K a month will struggle I think.
They will get this for doing no work too which is a bit galling for shop workers, care workers who will get half that £2.5k for a full week at work.
Those in well paid consultancy or project management type jobs where they get £450 a day will have a shock & might develop more empathy towards those stuck in the system sometimes due to things out of their control.
A lot of people will have to have a big rethink. Hopefully people may be less selfish 🤷‍♀️

Uhhh, I'm pretty sure people don't think to themselves 'oh great, I'll do that job because it's so badly paid'

I do hope you are joking instead of ignorant.

pentium surely you understand that some people get a crap deal in life?! Poor health, deprived childhood etc. Some kids go to school hungry having witnessed violence in the home. They're unlikely to be thinking about medical school as a future career unless they have the most ridiculous resilience ever.

I don't think people think that specific way, but I do think some people go into a career/job knowing it is very poor pay.

@converseandjeans well I suppose they are going to have to use that money to keep their businesses afloat as many of these people have rent to pay still on their premises?

@converseandjeans

Absolutely! Hence why I have said it is 'some' people and 'sometimes'

Not 100% all the time every single person

Well @Pentium85 that's just nonsense. Utterly ridiculous view of the world. Some people don't have the opportunities in life or the skills to afford them a shot at a job which pays a lot.

And where would you be if nobody worked in shops? I think we're seeing that right now. Supermarkets are the only businesses taking people on instead of laying them off.

OP, I said some. Not everyone.
Please learn that someone can have a differing view to yours.

Completely not understanding this.

As someone who has always paid my way, my business and therefore income has been shut down. I am entitled to nothing as an employer of all but myself. Am I now expected to be humbled by how little I "deserve"?

I would always rather work to feed myself but if I suddenly cannot work, by official order, but do not qualify for any benefit, should I not be shocked by that?

Should i not feel discombobulated by the fact that those that have contributed less than I have over 6 months/2 years/10 years(!) are entitled to help to feed their children. And I am not?

Whose fault is this? Mine? What should I have done different?

Pentinium you go for the highest paid job you can, but it’s still classed as low pay, it’s not a choice to go for low pay, people are often desperate already, it’s not a question of coasting.

No, not always true.
My DM chose a low paid job to make sure she was at home more for my brother. That was her choice.

@SinisterBumFacedCat

Some people are at fault though, and it's making it harder for the ones that really do not have a choice. For example, people who are on benefits or out of a job and decide to have a child, then another and another. Or even one to begin with.

I know way too many people in council houses, on benefits, etc working part time or not at all and having child number 2. This is very unfair to someone who is a single parent, has worked hard and now ended up poor but gets limited or no support because the resources are taken up by people who don't really need them.

Having a child is not something everyone's entitled to and if life goes bad the taxpayers can support you. Also know a lot of people who don't want to learn anything, so they just do the bare minimum at work, or less. That's just lazy.

@Miajk

You've put it much better than I have! Thanks

My DM chose a low paid job to make sure she was at home more for my brother.

No- she chose a job with family friendly hours. Unfortunately those tend to be low paid. If she’d been faced with two jobs with family friendly hours- one paying min wage and one paying £2/hour above min wage she’d gave chosen the better paying one.