To detest the term 'squeezed middle'

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And how it's being used on here to forecast that the poor high earners will be worse off than anyone else over the next few years?

It's absolutely not true, for one. The worst off will be the worst off.

I grew up in poverty. My kids are middle class. I know the gulf that exists between the two, firsthand, and secondhand from working with kids in inner London for twelve years.

The squeezed middle will be ok. So can we stop pretending that people who earn over £50k a year are on the brink of destitution? It's really demeaning to those who survive on a lot less.

@ImWell I'm assuming you're meaning to be goady?!

I have a first class degree from a top Uni. I have always worked I am divorced from an abusive marriage. I work two jobs, including one full time professional for a charity, the other is an evening one I can do from home. I haven't made bad decisions. Shit can happen to anyone.

I don't mind if I don't get extra fuel payments, I can definitely manage . I speak to people every day in my job who can't manage. I'm not squeezed middle I'd say I'm just above. Therefore I consider people earning considerably more than me to be more ok. Maybe just starting to feel the pinch a bit and having to make tough decisions.

@Gardenista I don't get maintenance either. My dd is a teenager now so the days of running around trying to work out how on earth to work around parenting are over thank goodness. It's tough.

Goady? You are saying that you deserve help but that others don’t. You have a dog, so are wasting money there, but expecting someone else to subsidise you.

How is choosing to waste money on a dog when you are “feeling the pinch” not a bad decision.

I think unless you are trying to survive with mortgage payments, childcare and all the rest of it. You have no idea of how many people on 50k are struggling and will be in fuel poverty. Read some posts on this thread. The real worry people have and educate yourself.

@ImWell eh? What unnecessary luxury? My house ?

But surely someone who works hard (such as bin men, care assistants, delivery drivers for example) should also be able to earn enough to live on even if they only have a handful of GCSEs, or do only people who are able to go to university entitled to live well?

@Itisasecret I have all that but not childcare. So if that costs £15k a year fair dues. My point is that the help should be graduated . I think this is very difficult logistically though.

Sorry, my last sentence is totally garbled. Its been a long, hot day!

Easy and then they lose CB on top of all the other costs that go with younger children. Oh and they start paying 40% tax.

Hi I’m so sorry this is happening to you. My local foodbank help people in these situations I got some head lice stuff for DD through them we aren’t in London but I’m sure someone will be able to help you xx

YABU and probably just jealous.
The squeezed middle are the ones paying your benefits, so maybe show some gratitude.

I guess they might be proportionately worse off and living beyond their means if they've been extravagant but they will never be in the position to be clinging can me and deciding whether to buy bread or milk (we'll maybe but there will be things they can sell to raise the funds)

There is no way you can tell me ever that someone working on a check out (no matter how important) warrants the same wages as a heart surgeon.

@Inwell I'm not expecting subsidies but giving everyone not receiving help £400 seems too blunt. Why not more for those households just above the income thread hold and graduate the help down as household income increases.

I am speaking to people every day in my job who are absolutely desperate. I don't mind not getting support , I am far from desperate. But there are people really struggling who are only getting the £400 we all are .

This is my point just much better made !!

The worry is that yes the squeeze is real for this group; they may not starve but they will
have to reduce expenses. That means nights out, cinema trips, gym memberships / in other words places where people on lower wages work. And without income those businesses fold. So it is a really bad thing for everyone who is not on mega bucks.

also I completely recognise it’s a different set of worries but you do but your cost according to your cloth; the speed of riding costs has blind sided lost who were actually quite prudent about living within the means and reality they had and they will be a bit panicked.

im not for a second going to argue it’s tougher on 50k than 15k though.

That isnt what I am saying. What I am saying is that everyone who is going out to work deserves to make a wage that they can afford to live on.

The poster didnt say they shouldnt have enough to live on, they said that it might be expected that the person with qualifications or with higher educational achievement might be expected to earn more than those without

And those with university degrees currently also dont always have enough to live on either.

No but neither should they be unable to pay bills and cost of living.

You sound nasty, divisive, jealous and bitter. How dare you try to tell people their money worries are meaningless or less trivial than yours. I suggest you eat that chip on your shoulder if you’re hungry.

Another race to the bottom thread. You could say that people in grinding UK poverty have no idea what 'struggling' really is because they've never experienced the poverty seen in Asia, Africa, South America etc. You could say that compared to poverty in other countries, people in poverty in the UK aren't in poverty at all.

Where does it end and what's the point?

Nobody in the UK should be struggling to heat and eat, regardless of income. Raise the bar.

Just a FYI if the prediction today was correct £5.2k ish bills. That will mean technically households earning 50k will be in poverty. If you look at actual income and take the tax burden into account that will tip those earning 75k into fuel poverty.

The point Pp made about my dog is interesting. He is a rescue I got a year ago and yes he costs a fortune as I am working on behavioural issues.

A year ago I was saving £500pm iand had budgeted £150pm for the dog (which is fine)

Now Im saving £200 a month and that will disappear soon into energy costs. Which means no savings for emergencies .

Just shows how quickly this has moved.

Nurses and teachers are hardly the middle.

We get no help either but we're the squeezed working poor, household income less than 34k.

I agree op. Im sick of reading about the squeezed middle