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?

[quote RedWingBoots]@Babyroobs she said she couldn't afford childcare.

Even working 7-8 hours that are office hours doesn't cover school hours.[/quote]
Nurses usually have to work shifts, unless they work in very specific areas like district nursing or GP/ day surgery work. You often can't just way you won't work weekends or nightshifts and in any case those are the best paid shifts so if you can only work days your pay is lower

I've never understood how single parents of very young children can be nurses unless they have family to help with childcare on night shifts etc. I imagine paid overnight care must be astronomically expensive and way beyond the pay level of most nurses

people who benefit most from conservatism would lose loads of money if the alternatives gained popular support

I’m not sure how you work that one out. Can you explain why?

@Blossomtoes

people who benefit most from conservatism would lose loads of money if the alternatives gained popular support

I’m not sure how you work that one out. Can you explain why?

Sorry - got it now. I need coffee!

NHS shift patterns can be brutal on family life.
However I'm not sure about radiologists...
They need an extended support network.

@Hrpuffnstuff1

NHS shift patterns can be brutal on family life. However I'm not sure about radiologists... They need an extended support network.

She’s not a radiologist, she’s a nurse who works in radiology. The Tory government has really done a number on some people over the last 12 years. It used to be that people who claimed out of work benefits got slated at every opportunity, now it’s escalated to people with jobs who can’t manage on a pittance but should just work more/harder because it’s all their fault they haven’t got enough money.

Some of you should really be ashamed of yourselves.

Brexit - done! Pandemic - done and don't mention it. Energy bills - couldn't care less! Inflation - ha ha!

It's not a fault but a person needs to figure out a way to generate more income. That normally means overtime or a secondary income.

This idea that part time or a niche business set up in an area with no footfall or customers is nonsense.

The zero waste shop business model might have made more sense financially a year ago when people had more money and the wholesale costs of basic foods were lower.
She is probably signed up to a premises lease of a year or more so is just struggling along hoping to just cover costs until things improve. As for the commute, I suspect that the scientist works in Bristol or Bath and he commutes in from Wales, where property is much cheaper to buy.

I feel for all the people in the film. It’s hard to just work more, or just get a better job, or whatever, particularly if you’re not properly nourished and your mental health is fragile.

@DesidaCrick

The zero waste shop business model might have made more sense financially a year ago when people had more money and the wholesale costs of basic foods were lower. She is probably signed up to a premises lease of a year or more so is just struggling along hoping to just cover costs until things improve. As for the commute, I suspect that the scientist works in Bristol or Bath and he commutes in from Wales, where property is much cheaper to buy.

I feel for all the people in the film. It’s hard to just work more, or just get a better job, or whatever, particularly if you’re not properly nourished and your mental health is fragile.

I agree but surely the business idea was foolish. Most businesses go bust within 1

Oops pressed send by accident.😬🙈🙄

It wasn't feasible to open that type of venture right now...

I’m asking myself whether there’s a way she can at least minimize her losses. If she sold ordinary rice, lentils, nuts etc at affordable prices loose, would people go for it and would it make more money? We had a zero waste shop in our poverty stricken town in the 80s and it was extremely popular because people could buy just a small amount of an ingredient for one meal and it helped with budgeting.

Tofaen where the ecofood business was is one of the poorest areas of Wales. No surprise she gets no business... very bad idea to place her shop there. Free school meals are amongst the highest rate there, as is unemployment and poverty rates 🤦🏽‍♀️.
Research is everything.
I date say people locally are living out of the food bank nearby, not socking up on plastic free rice/pasta 😥.

Was not organic, just cheap. And they also sold treats such as dolly mixtures by weight as well!

Oh dear, well that does sound unwise business planning. Hope it doesn’t cost them their home.

@DesidaCrick

Was not organic, just cheap. And they also sold treats such as dolly mixtures by weight as well!

Her food didn't look cheap tbh. You can buy Basmati rice in Aldi..you can go to Halal shops and buy a wide range of Basmati rices. It looks lovely her shop even the containers it was very well presented I would expect to find that shop in a much different class of area though. She would be better off baking or something and selling cakes. Or just calling it a loss rather plunge into further debt.

Zero Waste Tofaen
<a class="break-all" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=zerowastetorfaen.co.uk/&ved=2ahUKEwj9npPvupj3AhUNfMAKHRMzCikQFnoECBoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3jNkhesp8rTx2xq3SUuo-d" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=zerowastetorfaen.co.uk/&ved=2ahUKEwj9npPvupj3AhUNfMAKHRMzCikQFnoECBoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3jNkhesp8rTx2xq3SUuo-d

@Smileyaxolotl1

I don’t doubt that it is going to be very difficult for people with rising fuel and food prices but the nurse worked 3 days a week. It’s not surprising that she couldn’t run a household on that few hours and as usual no sign of a man anywhere to support the three kids.

And the idea that the people are worse off than miners in the 20s? Do you realise how dumb you sound? I’m sure if miners had been spending money on cars, internet, trainers, take aways etc then they would have been hungry too rather than on a couple of bits of coal and some meat and vegetables.
Unfortunately there are far more things that we all see as essential now which take up large parts of our income and the difference is that we don’t expect to have to live frugally like they accepted then. Things like internet and phones have become essentials.

One of my kids is a nurse working 3 days a week, 13 hr shifts so a 39 hr week. Seems reasonable to me.

I've just read this article and it shouldn't be allowed to be printed. A mother and child living off of £1,251? Its false.

She would get working TC and child tax credit. If she is on UC she would definitely be entitled to money... as my own wage is higher so I've compared my Own wage which is high than hers. Plus she would get Child benefit also.

I bloody love some of these replies - why did she have 3 kids, why does she only work part time. Victim blaming at its finest. Working people shouldn't be struggling to feed their kids it's obscene.

I don't think anyone has kids in the expectation they won't be able to support them in the future. I'm sure when she, had them she probably had a partner and thought eveything was rosy. That said If we all waited to have kids until we were sure we could support them comfortably for 18 years no matter what happened then we'd be extinct.

Or you could do like me and plan for a second child and end up having twins - can't exactly give one back can I?

Nobody knows what the future holds. This is a perfect shit storm nobody could have predicted.

As for working full time how the hell is she supposed to manage childcare especially in the holidays. There comes a point where you are worse off working. Last I checked most childcare was Mon-Fri 7-6pm. Hardly conducive to full time 24/7 nursing shifts.

@Dairymilk50

I've just read this article and it shouldn't be allowed to be printed. A mother and child living off of £1,251? Its false.

She would get working TC and child tax credit. If she is on UC she would definitely be entitled to money... as my own wage is higher so I've compared my Own wage which is high than hers. Plus she would get Child benefit also.

What article?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59311895

Another poster posted this earlier.

Thanks 😀

I haven’t seen this documentary but I watched a news report about a woman struggling to provide for her child because of the rising costs. What struck me was, I could help her, but there are so few options available. I donate to food banks, but that’s not really enough for families like hers. I’d happily pay more tax, but the government won’t use it to help those families.

It shouldn’t be up to charities to support people who the government is failing, but given the current situation more needs to be done. I know people feel too proud to accept charity, but in some ways, it’s no different to me paying more tax to support people who are struggling, it just means the money doesn’t get wasted by government. Does anyone know of any charities which provide this kind of support. I’ve googled for my local area but all that comes up are food banks.

@Dairymilk50

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59311895

Another poster posted this earlier.

Ok. Going on this article

Whys isn’t child benefit on there that £85 a month ish for one child

Surely she would get some uc

So towards rent ans some left over towards bills

I’ve said before I don’t get why some parents don’t eat

Bread 59p and beans now 1.09 was 89p from Aldi - beans on roast. Cheap. Yummy. Filling

Ct is very cheap. Guess area and smaller place

200 a month on food so £50 a week for 3 of them sounds a lot. Could save a little

Again be interesting to know what they buy for £50 a
Week

Bread 59p and beans now 1.09 was 89p from Aldi - beans on roast. Cheap. Yummy. Filling

No nutritional value. Plastic bread full of additives. Pure carbs. Nobody can live on beans on toast and it’s a very long way from yummy.