Panorama( Young families Struggling)

[dottydodah]

Did anyone see this last evening? A lady with 2 small DC and a husband working as a Research Scientist was struggling with bills .Another young Mum in tears as her energy bill was so high.A third lady (working as a Nurse) not able to run a car. How will they manage to keep going? Surely Govt could do more?

@Blossomtoes

Bloody hell, that cauliflower’s like the MN chicken.

It really is- the M&S part tops off the ignorance too. These people aren’t struggling to cut back on the lobster and caviar- they already eat basic cheap food from the cheapest supermarket.

So much justification on this thread that this woman has brought it on herself.
People here suggesting lentils and the like how do you know that this is already part of her diet?
So poor people = junk food. What an absolute generalisation of her circumstances and others in the same difficult position.
When you live in poverty, it is very hard to come out of that. It can become a life of payday loans and cardboard in shoes.
The belt gets tighter, so the internet goes ( along with the lovely delivery of lentils and cauluflowers)
No phone = harder for jobs, contact with other humans and opportunities to climb out of the misery inducing existence your life has become.
You become tired, depressed, more likely to lose your job and your aspirations.
What example are we even setting kids if despite working , a trip to the park watching other kids eat icecream while the mum tries to work out how 2 kids can share an ice cream cone.
The kids start to think well mum works and look at our life, so there goes the motivation. Gang culture will explode.
No one here thinks of the ramifications of a truly meagre existence longer term.
Its not make do and mend, its make do then die.
Watch mental health and suicides explode too.

@Angelswithflirtyfaces

So much justification on this thread that this woman has brought it on herself. People here suggesting lentils and the like how do you know that this is already part of her diet? So poor people = junk food. What an absolute generalisation of her circumstances and others in the same difficult position. When you live in poverty, it is very hard to come out of that. It can become a life of payday loans and cardboard in shoes. The belt gets tighter, so the internet goes ( along with the lovely delivery of lentils and cauluflowers) No phone = harder for jobs, contact with other humans and opportunities to climb out of the misery inducing existence your life has become. You become tired, depressed, more likely to lose your job and your aspirations. What example are we even setting kids if despite working , a trip to the park watching other kids eat icecream while the mum tries to work out how 2 kids can share an ice cream cone. The kids start to think well mum works and look at our life, so there goes the motivation. Gang culture will explode. No one here thinks of the ramifications of a truly meagre existence longer term. Its not make do and mend, its make do then die. Watch mental health and suicides explode too.

So true!!! Well she’s only a nurse not an investment banker so why should she be able to take her child to a restaurant, or go on a day trip, she should work more hours!!!!

Some of the replies about the nurse is so annoying- it's just not as simple as working more hours and these posts highlight how the Tory Government get voted for. When my son starts school I will have to work my 24 hrs over 5 days... you know so that I can actually drop him off and pick him up. I can't afford after school clubs. I'm a professional woman, 2 degrees, paying a mortgage... my ex pays what is calculated he should. I have looked at this every which way and there is no way to earn more, to work more. But I know some posters will not like this as it is so much easier to blame the individual.

@Mojoj

Here's an idea. Stop bloody voting Tory. Whatever you think (or maybe you don't give it a thought), as a Scot, I'm sick to the back teeth of our vote (where the Tories will never succeed) meaning so little when the rest of the UK keeps voting in these useless eejits who exist on an entirely different plane from the rest of us.

I live in the North East of England and I feel the same. I really despair, and I'm ashamed to call myself English. My whole family feel the same.

@Cactuslove well when you start work please try not to better your station. Make sure you justify your netflix account with some handwringing while doffing your cap at the same time.
No fun for you either missus, make up any form of fashion will be severly frowned upon.
Practice squashing your face ( teaching your DC to do the same) against the windows of fancy shops like a Dickensian orphan sighing at all the things you used to afford.
In fact we all need to start learning how to look up with reverance to the richer and better as after all we brought it on ourselves didnt we?

[quote Angelswithflirtyfaces]@Cactuslove well when you start work please try not to better your station. Make sure you justify your netflix account with some handwringing while doffing your cap at the same time.
No fun for you either missus, make up any form of fashion will be severly frowned upon.
Practice squashing your face ( teaching your DC to do the same) against the windows of fancy shops like a Dickensian orphan sighing at all the things you used to afford.
In fact we all need to start learning how to look up with reverance to the richer and better as after all we brought it on ourselves didnt we?[/quote]
🤣🤣🤣 haha just snorted into my cup of water and bowl of lentils.

Also for other posters mentioning UC and that they pay 85% towards childcare. I only just qualify for UC. But they make it beyond difficult to get the money back which you have to pay up front to the child care provider. So on 31st March I paid nursery fees... UC pay me on the 14th April and they have given me nothing towards it... I've messaged them etc and now need to wait until 14th of May. So 6 weeks of that money gone... money that would have been used for groceries and petrol.

So it really is easy to judge... but you don't have all the answers- even when it looks like there's options often these are very difficult to access.

I don’t actually think food is the issue, it’s possible to eat reasonably well for not ridiculous cost provided you have an idea of cooking and nutrition however a big issue is utilities and rent as these are fixed and can’t be varied. We need as a country to sort out the lack of proper affordable social housing relative to wages. To give an example when we lived in Bath- if you needed to claim housing benefit and were say a single mum with 2 very small kids or even 1 - the ‘allowable’ on a 2 bed house/flat is around £780 — the actual price in private rented is around £1100 to £1500 .—even if you moved somewhere a bit cheaper like Radstock around 5 miles away - allowable allowance goes down but the price is £860 to £1100 — whereas 2 bed housing association is around £640 and would be covered. We have so many people trying to supplement rent out of money that’s intended for food and bills. And if you work then in many cases you get no help at all so could easily end up with £1200 rent and £1800 income . It’s all very well saying move somewhere cheaper— itsnit that straight forward , requires up front money in quite hefty chunks and depends where your job is based— not all jobs are home based!!!

@Angelswithflirtyfaces

So much justification on this thread that this woman has brought it on herself. People here suggesting lentils and the like how do you know that this is already part of her diet? So poor people = junk food. What an absolute generalisation of her circumstances and others in the same difficult position. When you live in poverty, it is very hard to come out of that. It can become a life of payday loans and cardboard in shoes. The belt gets tighter, so the internet goes ( along with the lovely delivery of lentils and cauluflowers) No phone = harder for jobs, contact with other humans and opportunities to climb out of the misery inducing existence your life has become. You become tired, depressed, more likely to lose your job and your aspirations. What example are we even setting kids if despite working , a trip to the park watching other kids eat icecream while the mum tries to work out how 2 kids can share an ice cream cone. The kids start to think well mum works and look at our life, so there goes the motivation. Gang culture will explode. No one here thinks of the ramifications of a truly meagre existence longer term. Its not make do and mend, its make do then die. Watch mental health and suicides explode too.

Good description.

Remember lockdown? Imagine it's forever, because that's what poverty is like. Food shortages, no days out, no holidays, no meals out, no coffee shops, just relentless work and agonising claustrophobia.

Constantly juggling small financial transactions with no hope of improvement, living in fear of something breaking down or needing replaced, feeling shame and self recrimination because if you were more able in some way you could have been better off. Chastising yourself for your upbringing or health conditions that set you up for a more difficult path.

It's relentless.

@Keepitonthedownlow yes I can truly see that. With that, hope goes and then it really is a slow sad spiral.
Bordering on discrimination really, as where is the equality, opportunities and chance to improve your lot in life?
We are developing an underclass by default, steathily. Very poor people will soon have no one to advocate for them. They will be too tired to protest themselves and the kids born into an underclass will never know any different.

@lemmein

What a depressing thread. The biggest cost of living crisis in a generation and some posters are falling over themselves to blame these families for their shit circumstances.

This is why we'll never be rid of the Tories.

Yes, I find it depressing too. I despair at the lack of empathy some folk show.

@mydogisthebest Milk has went up in price. It used to be 98p for 4 pints in Asda pre pandemic. It's now £1.25 for 4 pints.

When you are disabled and living on benefits that have risen 3% this year total, whilst inflation is nearing 10% and gas and electric is up a staggering 54%, the you'll notice these increases.

These increases cause misery for a lot of people. In previous years I've saved £2 a week (yes, a week), to have a couple days camping once a year. That is now gone for this year. .

But I guess I'm lucky, some people will starve or freeze. At least as a female I have the option of selling my body if things get that bad. .

The race to the bottom is really alive and well on here!!

It would be telling if some on here had to actually try to live on the UC the Tories have brought in and the cuts and freezes. £70 a week for EVERYTHING after rent (and even worse if in private rent). Every bill. Even less if you have debts. My gas and electric and council tax is 60% of that alone. I spend £10 a week on food. I cannot even get a bus to visit my family 15 miles away. EVER.

@Crikeyalmighty Spot on!

My rent is £760 pcm for a small 2 bed flat.
UC only covers £600 of that.

After paying just the rent, me and DC have £440 left for the bills, council tax, food...

I don't have Netflix. Haven't ordered a takeaway, well.. Never! I don't have a car (wouldn't be able to afford that), I don't go out for entertainment anywhere, I don't have a TV so I don't pay the TV licence, I don't have a broadband, my Internet comes from my phone but someone else pays the bill. I have no memberships, no insurances, no hobbies. I shop secondhand nearly exclusively (less so for DS, it's much more difficult to find charity shop clothes for him!). I don't have nail appointments and my hair gets trimmed for a tenner.
My family are abroad and I can't see how I'll be able to visit them any time soon (haven't for 3.5 years already).

It makes me very sad that with the recent increases I won't be able to afford the little treats either - some pumpkin seeds to add to my oatmeal, some smoked salmon to go with eggs, fresh berries, or even a long, hot bath just to relax in!

Hopefully I get top marks for trying to be poor!!

@ringlightisnotflattering I feel for you! It really is frighteningly crap, isn't it!

@mydogisthebest - oh give it a rest, please! Not everyone is as perfect as you are when it comes to having children, but you keep labouring the point and it is getting very boring. Maybe try and show some empathy instead of judging.

[quote QueenCamilla]@Crikeyalmighty Spot on!

My rent is £760 pcm for a small 2 bed flat.
UC only covers £600 of that.

After paying just the rent, me and DC have £440 left for the bills, council tax, food...

I don't have Netflix. Haven't ordered a takeaway, well.. Never! I don't have a car (wouldn't be able to afford that), I don't go out for entertainment anywhere, I don't have a TV so I don't pay the TV licence, I don't have a broadband, my Internet comes from my phone but someone else pays the bill. I have no memberships, no insurances, no hobbies. I shop secondhand nearly exclusively (less so for DS, it's much more difficult to find charity shop clothes for him!). I don't have nail appointments and my hair gets trimmed for a tenner.
My family are abroad and I can't see how I'll be able to visit them any time soon (haven't for 3.5 years already).

It makes me very sad that with the recent increases I won't be able to afford the little treats either - some pumpkin seeds to add to my oatmeal, some smoked salmon to go with eggs, fresh berries, or even a long, hot bath just to relax in!

Hopefully I get top marks for trying to be poor!![/quote]
Top marks.
Reality for mostnow. Sadly.

Terrible times ahead for too many.

While the top 1% encourage us to go to food banks and eat lentils.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers It really is- the M&S part tops off the ignorance too. These people aren’t struggling to cut back on the lobster and caviar- they already eat basic cheap food from the cheapest supermarket.

I was pointing out (and thought it pretty obvious) that if I could get a very large cauliflower in M&S for 85p presumably you can get them at other supposedly cheaper supermarkets for less.

Although not sure that is true. A large one in Asda (a supposedly cheap shop) is £1.50. In Tesco they are £1.90. They might be cheaper in Lidl or Aldi although every Aldi I have ever been to has disgusting fruit and veg so a complete waste of money.

M&S is not always more expensive. A lot of their prices are the same as the main supermarkets and some are cheaper.

So not me being arrogant but you being ignorant in assuming M&S are always expensive

[quote ringlightisnotflattering]@mydogisthebest Milk has went up in price. It used to be 98p for 4 pints in Asda pre pandemic. It's now £1.25 for 4 pints.

When you are disabled and living on benefits that have risen 3% this year total, whilst inflation is nearing 10% and gas and electric is up a staggering 54%, the you'll notice these increases.

These increases cause misery for a lot of people. In previous years I've saved £2 a week (yes, a week), to have a couple days camping once a year. That is now gone for this year. .

But I guess I'm lucky, some people will starve or freeze. At least as a female I have the option of selling my body if things get that bad. .

The race to the bottom is really alive and well on here!!

It would be telling if some on here had to actually try to live on the UC the Tories have brought in and the cuts and freezes. £70 a week for EVERYTHING after rent (and even worse if in private rent). Every bill. Even less if you have debts. My gas and electric and council tax is 60% of that alone. I spend £10 a week on food. I cannot even get a bus to visit my family 15 miles away. EVER.[/quote]
I think the gas, electric and fuel prices are awful. I have oil heating and the price has doubled.

Food though has to go up whether people like it or not. Farmers also need to earn and living and their rent, gas, electric have all gone up along with fuel for their tractors, feed for their livestock.

Farmers far too often get badly treated by the big supermarkets. It's about time they actually made money from milk instead of losing money

I also meant to say that food in this country has been very cheap for years. Far cheaper than most, if not all, of Europe.

So not me being arrogant but you being ignorant in assuming M&S are always expensive someone on a budget- myself included- is not going to wander into M&S for a browse. And yes your weekly food shop will always be more expensive at M&S- if you can buy one item late in the day cheaper than saimsburys it’s completely irrelevant

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

So not me being arrogant but you being ignorant in assuming M&S are always expensive someone on a budget- myself included- is not going to wander into M&S for a browse. And yes your weekly food shop will always be more expensive at M&S- if you can buy one item late in the day cheaper than saimsburys it’s completely irrelevant

Not sure what you are going on about with buying one item later in the day.

Do you think the item was reduced? Because it wasn't. M&S prices are not expensive on the whole and when they reduce items they really reduce them unlike Tesco, Morrisons etc that reduce by 20p.

Their fruit and veg is good quality unlike Aldi so false economy to buy at Aldi.

You can wander into M&S or not, I don't care. I also budget for food but when I am near M&S food I go in to see if there are reduced items and what they have on offer.

I would bet I spend less on food for me and DH than most people and we eat well. We just don't eat meat or fish.

The ponzi scheme has gone on for so long, the government is now stuck and unable to do anything.

Inflation is currently 7%, with RPI being 9%.

The UK interest rate is 0.75%.

So we have inflation spinning out of control and rock bottom interest rates, to get inflation under control typically you would increase interest..

However, a large amount of people have large mortgages, cars, sofas, clothes, god knows what else on tic, so if you increase interest rates too much you screw all these people.

So the government can help more, by what? Giving more money out? Inflation is at 7%, if we increase monetary supply inflation will go up further.

The country is in a tough spot with no obvious way out, other than the pain. It's going to get a lot worse over the coming months and years. I'd expect to see huge changes to the benefits system, housing benefits, tax increases everywhere they can.

Oh put a sock in it. Your sanctimony and smugness are unbearable. As if having no money wasn’t bad enough without having your nose rubbed in it and being blamed for it.

@Blossomtoes

Oh put a sock in it. Your sanctimony and smugness are unbearable. As if having no money wasn’t bad enough without having your nose rubbed in it and being blamed for it.

@mydogisthebest - highly appropriate user name, by the way.