Page 6 | To think in the UK, in 2022...

Getyourarseofffthequattro · 03/04/2022 13:13

@gogohm

Of course we agree but what is adequate? I have my heating on 2 hours per day, I feel that is adequate (newish house) I have plenty of healthy scratch cook food but no treats, not good for us, haven't bought coffee or ice cream in many weeks, have coffee at home (lidl French roast and cafetière). It's about priorities.

I would say I think people should be able ti buy healthy food to cook at home but treats like takeaways or coffees are not essential. Trips out don't have to cost anything but nobody should be worrying about the cost of heating their home to 18 degrees morning and night or the cost of cooking their food crucially (healthy food often takes more cooking).

I would like to see vouchers for gas/electric/heating oil for all households on benefits or incomes up to circa £30k through the winter months each year but means test the old peoples ones (my parents do not need the help!)

But what kind of a life is that? Someone has to do the lowest paid in society. Why should they just exist and not live?

bigyellowTpot · 03/04/2022 13:14

@Waxonwaxoff0 No not at all this is honestly true as I often wonder myself how they afford it. I do know quite a few of the families are claiming to be single parents but actually have their partners living with them, nobody checks up so they get away with it for years. Also maybe some are using credit cards. When you live in these so called deprived areas you do see how well off people actually are. I actually think the people who are the worst off In society are single people with no children who are working in minimum wage or low paid jobs as they get very little help and support. Many cannot afford to live alone so have to stay living at home or house/flat share as could not manage the bills alone.

Lovemyheathershimmer · 03/04/2022 13:15

People should get help when needed, eg disabled and the vulnerable in society. But folk that use the welfare system as a lifestyle choice is wrong. Having more kids when they can’t afford it, knowing they will get money from the system. If you can work, you should be made to work. Employers should be paying decent wages, not relying on the government to top up wages. Plus no one should be getting more in benefits than someone working full time on a low wage. That’s not fair, all wrong

Florenz · 03/04/2022 13:16

Anyone who works full time should be able to afford some luxuries. People who do not work or who only work p/t should not expect this.

liliainterfrutices · 03/04/2022 13:17

I do wish that the UK got as exercised about taxing big businesses and the super wealthy properly as it does about those on benefits.

Lovemyheathershimmer · 03/04/2022 13:17

I’m not benefit bashing, I’m only on the min wage myself, my partner earns just above the benefit threshold. So we only get child benefit. We struggle every month

Flatbrokefornow · 03/04/2022 13:18

I completely agree. But costs vary. Heating costs are vastly different in different houses, ‘a shop’ looks hugely different for every family. So it’s hard to set a bar of what cash people should need. Whatever you see it at, people will abuse it by whacking the heating up and wearing t shirts, and people will freeze in 78 layers and say it’s too much and everyone should be happy freezing in 78 layers. (Or even worse, be nice and comfy now, but say it’s unreasonable to fund others to be comfy because they used to freeze in 78 layers when they were kids and it never did them any harm).

Which is not to say low incomes are adequate now. They are not, and the current Tory government has blood on its hands. It’s hard to get it right, which should not excuse the bastards from trying.

Spikeyball · 03/04/2022 13:20

"Anyone who works full time should be able to afford some luxuries. People who do not work or who only work p/t should not expect this."

Some people will never be able to work. Could have been you, could be you in the future, could be your child.

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 03/04/2022 13:28

@Thebestwaytoscareatory

Your husband is a perfect example of a) why we're in the situation we are and b) why it will never change. Far, far too many people vote Tory because they either mistakenly believe they might one day be rich enough to benefit from tory leadership, are terrified people who "doesn't deserve it" might get help they didn't get (or just help in general), or think that creating a more equal society will somehow negatively effect them.

Oh and then of course you've now got the "I won't vote for Labour because the don't know what a women is but will vote for a party that have spent the last decade eroding women's rights and increasing inequality that disproportionately effects women" lot too. Which would be hilarious if we didn't have to live with the consequences.

Yes, people vote Tory because they are terrified of Labour after seeing how Gordon Brown tried to make all working people dependent on benefits.

Employers should not be able to pay their employees a low wage knowing that it will be topped up by benefits.

Unfortunately, after 13 years of Labour, it is going to be difficult to reverse this.

Brexit has helped increase wages, but it will take a long time.

OnTheGoAlways · 03/04/2022 13:33

The majority of people claiming benefits are in work. I work Full Time and take home around 1300, but bills are just over 1150. I'm topped up by universal credit. I have a post graduate and work in HE...I can't believe I work FT, endure a lot of stress and shoulder heavy expectations...to exist and require top up.

I also don't understand why Father's are able to cheat, leave and pay next to nothing for their children.

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 03/04/2022 13:35

@OnTheGoAlways

The majority of people claiming benefits are in work. I work Full Time and take home around 1300, but bills are just over 1150. I'm topped up by universal credit. I have a post graduate and work in HE...I can't believe I work FT, endure a lot of stress and shoulder heavy expectations...to exist and require top up.

I also don't understand why Father's are able to cheat, leave and pay next to nothing for their children.

Yes, one of the major reasons your bills are so high is because of rent and mortgage costs caused by the unlimited immigration of 6 million people from the EU who have all had to live somewhere and have caused rents and house prices to increase.

Goodbyetowinter · 03/04/2022 13:39

Try being a pensioner. If DH dies before me, I wouldn't be able to pay the next month's bills. I couldn't pay heating bills, buy food etc. we rely on our state pensions and his attendance allowance. He is in total denial that I wouldn't even be able to pay for a funeral.

mudgetastic · 03/04/2022 13:40

Rents increased because the housing market was privatised and wealth protection is the priority of the uK political classes , not a result of immigration

Countries with higher immigration have lower rents

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 03/04/2022 13:42

@mudgetastic

Rents increased because the housing market was privatised and wealth protection is the priority of the uK political classes , not a result of immigration

Countries with higher immigration have lower rents

Of course, the 6 million EU immigrants had no effect at all!!!!

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 03/04/2022 13:43

@mudgetastic

Rents increased because the housing market was privatised and wealth protection is the priority of the uK political classes , not a result of immigration

Countries with higher immigration have lower rents

Which countries with immigration have lower rents?

Perhaps countries with low population densities, but we are not.

ToiletPoster · 03/04/2022 13:44

The majority of people claiming benefits are in work. I work Full Time and take home around 1300, but bills are just over 1150. I'm topped up by universal credit. I have a post graduate and work in HE...I can't believe I work FT, endure a lot of stress and shoulder heavy expectations...to exist and require top up.

The thing is, these issues are directly linked. If the government didn't top up wages, people would not work for companies that didn't either pay more or allow enough free time for additional income.
Those companies would be forced to pay workers more (which means hiring fewer people) or make their processes more efficient to keep labour costs down.
All of these things are trade-offs. You can have a situation with lower unemployment but lower wages or higher unemployment and higher wages but one will generally impact the other.

RobotValkyrie · 03/04/2022 14:00

Plus no one should be getting more in benefits than someone working full time on a low wage. That’s not fair, all wrong

Really? Have you really thought this through?

Some benefits are paid to disabled people, so that they can manage their disability. It can covers lots of needs, and lots of ways to meet these needs (special equipment, paid helper, etc.). These are needs able people don't have. But disabled people also need to meet all their other "normal" needs, like eating, housing, etc.
So it's only fair they should get (if they can't work) the equivalent of a small wage for their "normal", basic needs, and some money on top to manage their disability.

As it stands, as far as I understand, things are capped, and that is certainly not fair.

Leol · 03/04/2022 14:01

Voting Labour just puts more money in the hands of the state and that doesn’t seem like a good thing.

TimBoothseyes · 03/04/2022 14:04

[quote shabbalabba]@justonanote

The lowest incomes should be able to -

Have food in at all times and be able to do a shop without fear they haven't got enough -YES

Adequately heat their homes and have as much hot water as they need-YES

Have a enough left over for a few little treats. An ice cream, a coffee out once a week, enough to enjoy a cheap trip out every now and then?*- NOT NECESSARILY NO...
[/quote]
What do you mean by "NOT NECESSARILY NO"? It's either yes or no surely.

GiantHaystacks2021 · 03/04/2022 14:06

Y'alls need to stop voting Tory.

Lovemyheathershimmer · 03/04/2022 14:14

RobotValkyrie
If you read my post I says disabled deserve to help. I’m talking about the work shy who choose to have kids as a source of income and have no intention of working. Don’t twist my words thank you

shabbalabba · 03/04/2022 14:17

@TimBoothseyes I mean that having treats is not a god given right

joydivisionovengloves71 · 03/04/2022 14:18

@Spikeyball

If you are on a low income you cannot afford expensive stuff. Basic fact.

You can if you get it all on credit and after the repayments there's not much left for essentials

Georgeskitchen · 03/04/2022 14:29

Yes of course everyone should have the basics . Food, warmth and shelter. However, if everything is handed to you on a plate there's no incentive to improve your life

MythicalBiologicalFennel · 03/04/2022 14:32

Yes, one of the major reasons your bills are so high is because of rent and mortgage costs caused by the unlimited immigration of 6 million people from the EU who have all had to live somewhere and have caused rents and house prices to increase.

It took 3 pages for someone to mention people squandering their benefits on Sky TV, and finally on page 6 EU migrants are blamed for the housing crisis (which of course has nothing to do with Thatcher's Right to Buy and people using property as an investment due to lack of trust in the pension system).

We've had the "don't have children you can't afford", the "labour would have been much worse", the communist hellhole, the Starbucks coffee and the designer clothes plus two flashy cars in benefit-dependent households.

Can I call full house yet? Oh wait nobody has frothed over people having their nails done...