To think there should be more help for middle class families

[RootinandTootin]

This isn't a hate mongering post, those on lower incomes and can't work should be helped. My issue is that there seems to be little to no support at all for middle class families. Myself and partner work 5 days a week and have 2 kids. Not a terrible wage so I can't complain about that but the energy cost, food bills and fuel are going to cripple us soon enough. We also have Christmas to think about and a couple of birthdays inbetween. I just feel so unbelievably stressed out all the time about it. I'm praying this all calms down by the end of next year when our mortgage is coming up to renewal. There is pretty much no help being offered to us (unless anyone has some hints). I can't see it getting any better and its pretty depressing, alongside other personal issues going on at the moment I just want to cry.

I probably sounded harsh just then but it's this definition of classes that's so annoying, old fashioned and irrelevant!

No, it’s easier than a credit card because a credit card is unsecured debt.

You have an asset worth tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of £££
Thats the money I’m talking about.

@Crankley the government do have a magic money tree actually - quantities easing. That is not the solution though - the magic money tree- the money should come from those businesses making big profits.
The government works for all of us- including you. The government is not a charity giving out handouts! We are all part of society. Wonder who you vote for 😕

@Discovereads to me it's because wages haven't increased - min wage isn't a living wage any more
I would say things were tight, if I lived with someone it would be fine

But I think someone working FT should be able to afford to live without having to maybe stay in an unsuitable relationship because of finances
I can't get a second job due to health issues, 40hrs is my absolute limit

I’m with you OP. We’ve worked hard and could see the light at the end of the tunnel where a few things would be paid off, a small pay rise coming and we might actually have some money to save and go on holiday. It’s depressing that now that extra will be spent on higher mortgage rates and higher energy bills. I’m not necessarily saying I want government handouts, but I can still be annoyed that I won’t have the funds that I thought I would have. The funds that we work hard for.

I’m absolutely in favour of support for the lower paid and for people who can’t work - however we all know there are SOME people who quite happily claim benefits, knock out baby after baby, never have any intention of getting a job and are quite happy to collect their benefits every week.

You appear to be confusing the words 'class' and 'income'.

Really how facinating. So how does money tied up ina home help us then?

How does that help us be wealthy?

No. The money has go come from somewhere. No way should middle class families like mine be given handouts when we are fine (okay, making cut backs but we eat well, can afford heating this winter and can run a car) when there are families who can't buy food and are freezing. The rich should be taxed more, yes - but I don't think many middle class families are in desperate need of 'help'. What we need to do is learn to live within our means, as a previous poster has pointed out.

You must be joking. A second mortgage is easier to get than a credit card? No it's not. It's really not.

Yes, I agree. There’s alot that should be and I’m similarly angry at the government for making various global challenges worse through their incompetence as we are all suffering more than we should.

Well it was for me. Did it all online too. And remember its based on equity you already have in the house. It’s not the same process.
www.homeequityloans.co.uk

? It helps you not be in poverty. I said nothing about being wealthy.

www.homeequityloans.co.uk

You can access it in a crisis.

But my point is that anyone who owns their home NOW cannot plead poverty

What total and utter bollocks.

I own outright - do tell me how this means I can feed myself from an empty bank account?

Sure sure I could sell it - and where will I find a rental property that is wheelchair accessible, and will rent to someone with a variable freelance self employment income - even with the sale money in the bank (not a lot its worth sub 100K) it's just not going to happen is it?!

So the fact I could raise some cash from it is meaningless, that cash would not replace what I have, in any practical way.

You could say I could borrow against it but again... unreliable income. Not going to happen.

There will be many like this, freelancers like myself, elderly people who don't want to do equity release but wouldn't get a loan/remortage, people who inherited a home but have never had the funds to save or earn reliably.

I feel for everyone struggling op but as a middle income household I have several lines of defence that other people working just as hard as me don't have. Help needs to go to people in real poverty first. I have savings, if they go I have an overdraft and credit card, if that's maxed I have things I can sell, art, jewellery, clothing, cars. If that goes I have equity in my house. This is why these threads from the squeezed middle don't go down well. HOWEVER we should be be moaning together. Living standards and public services are being taken from all of us. These elite arseholes are destroying the country and I think posters on mumsnet are keeping a pretty good record of it. From all walks of life.

You do realise that the pile of cash people are sitting on usually belongs to the mortgage company, you pay a great big whack of money to the mortgage company which is interest before you get equity in the property ffs

And that is why you no longer own a house/have a mortgage!

If you have it in the first place. Yes, I understand how it works but they will NOT lend you more money (because it's not your money until you sell it) if you cannot afford the repayment. You can't deny that. It may have been easy for you but please do not mislead others who may be struggling into thinking it's some kind of golden ticket when it's not.

Well, there has been one political party in power for the last 12 years - someone's voting for them. Maybe it is something to do with that? They've clung to power by excluding and blaming more and more sections of society, now it's your turn.

Honestly yes, it’s as thought we don’t exist most of the time. Just lots of people harping on about “living within your means” but what about what the whole bloody economy crashes around you? Hardly expected a few years ago when we bought a new house, got a new car etc. Honestly would be lost without our savings right now and feel very vulnerable to any sudden expenses.

We saved our arses off for five years to buy our first house; thank god we borrowed bottom of our budget or we’d be screwed right now with mortgage ready to renew next year. Nobody prepped us for 4% increase. Heating isn’t going on until we really need it to & we’ve got lots of blankets. Have changed supermarkets and gone is the weekly bottom of wine as a treat. Cooking lots of basic food and generally feel more unhealthy. Luxuries are going out of the window incase we have a cold winter. We want to try for a baby but also dreading the wage drop that comes with maternity pay. No holidays in sight. It’s just depressing when you know you’re the lucky ones and it’s still crap!

We get universal credit. We also own a house but can't afford to get double glazing etc. Yeah I think we are poor.

As the username says. I have peanuts in my bank account. I don't qualify for any help with anything because of the value of assets. So I'm better off than many people asset-wise, but that doesn't pay the bills.

We won't all have to pay for it, it will be a burden on the shoulders of those who actually work, like the majority of the money the government hands out.