To , just once ,ask is anyone else fed up of being the squeezed middle?

[Wildandallthatjazz]

Thats it really. !

Yes , on mn , its seen as a privilege to have a mortgage, a job etc .

But sometimes it feels hard and you just wish that you got a break . Recognition of the hard slog maybe .

I am not begrudging those on benefits who got the extra payment support, its more about just wanting to have a treat / a bonus/ etc .. a spare bit of money.. a boost .. the heating on … or maybe recognition that the middle can struggle too ?

I totally accept that people can struggle and need help , sort of also feel the struggling middle are invisible ? ( and not seen to have the’ right ‘to have a little moan as it does you good sometimes )

I do think we are incredibly lucky to live in a county with a welfare state, nhs, free gp care I really do .
But sometimes, it just would be nice not to feel you are paying taxes , working as much as possible, and to be able not to feel squeezed all the time and the need to just have a grump about it .

sometimes it is good to let of steam .. when you cant IRL

and then you move on in a more positive fashion .

Five years ago, I was low income working FT. Now I have been fortunate enough to have some decent promotions and earn well.

The money hitting my bank account however is less than it was in 2017. Child tax credit and child benefit for three children came to a big amount as I had childcare costs covered too. Along with lower deductions from my salary meant that I had more deposited into my bank each month. Also I had three separate pay points a month - my wages, my CB and CTC.

I know it is harder now with the two child limit and I don't know how UC compares to CTC. I also know that my salary increase will provide me with a better pension and will remain beyond the children reaching adulthood etc so long term I am much better off.

However, the fact remains - right now, I am worse off even without CoL. I would never say that openly as I completely acknowledge I am in a privileged position compared to others. It is still shit though.

Really agree with this.

Some of the problem stems from mortgage rates having been low for many years. They were 6% when I got my 2nd mortgage 15 years ago and 12% when the Mr got his 1st...People have lived well when they've been low but now the shits hit the fan for many.

YANNU. My SIL, who has a very comfortable standard of living, is in a 5 star spa hotel this evening as a “bonus treat” paid for by the cost of living payment.

YANBU. Massive job stress for little reward.

It’s difficult as I’ve been the child in a house with low income & the struggles that come with it.

We had been doing ok, during covid made the choice to get rid of second car and reduce the main car. But this year we are now already £400 down a month (so glad we don’t have a second car to run) due to mortgage and utilities. Then the food cost increase easily feels like another 30% cost than before. My eldest is at uni, she works also but gets the lowest loan - so have to also help her with the utilities bills! Neither of us got a pay rise and i still haven’t put the heating on!

I did say to my husband I may see about Night Shift work Friday & Saturday at a supermarket if things get any tighter. But least I have choices so keep telling myself that .

Paid for by our taxes, and apparently we should be pleased for her otherwise we’re ‘bitter’ 🤷🏼‍♀️ it’s a joke

I used to think like that too, but it's pretty shit to know that you and your children will be seen as a demographic who it's OK to take from, but isn't deserving of any help when needed.

@MichelleScarn 100 per cent agree with you ! The SNP hammer working people and constantly want to dish out more in benefits and yes some benefit claimants work but there’s a lot who don’t and who have no intention of working . And the SNP are happy with this as it means continued votes for them . But saying this out loud usually results in being called every name under the sun

Someone has to pay for the Covid largesse. Didn’t hear anyone complaining when healthy adults were locked up and the government was printing and borrowing hand over fist. The same healthy adults were stood outside their houses banging pots and pans like idiots, on what seemed like every night of the week. Other healthy adults were reporting their neighbours for taking the second walk of the week. Some more healthy adults were debating the merits of why their businesses hadn’t closed during Covid.

Well, here you are. Now pay for it. It didn’t just happen by accident.

I'd like to know this too but no one ever really says what income bracket we're talking about.

A lot of lower earners are in work. It's people like my next door neighbours people are talking about; don't work, know the system and how to play it, in a 3 bed council house even though it's just them and their adult son living there now. Have had new windows, a new kitchen, drive a brand new car every 3 years. They are the real life stereotype unfortunately and they're utterly vile.

But I wouldn't sweep all benefit claimants with the same brush as them because lots are hard working families just trying to get by.

I'm with you OP! it's really frustrating isn't it 😞 problem is, the more they squeeze us, the more the economy will suffer, we are the ones who spend, we have the disposable income, and we don't hoard it all offshore or pile it into investments, when we can't do that anymore, businesses will start to struggle surely?

“I’m now being used as a cash cow”

Crikey. This started in the late 70s.

More and more it seems, a proportion of the population have sussed how to work the system, and the rest are quietly targeted to fund them. It’s obviously an unsustainable position.

The Tories right now are just asset stripping, like they always have done.

Hopefully people are beginning to realise this. Boris pretty much waved two fingers at the populace, and STILL there are voters wanting him back. Wake up ffs!

Funny isn’t it, how a lot of the wealthy bods retire (with their money) to socialist countries abroad. They’re not daft. Just greedy bastards.

What income constitutes the squeezed middle? We are on a relatively low income but have a mortgage, car finance etc. 2 teenagers mean the money soon goes, we are not entitled to help as we don't claim any benefits.
Sadly I do know people on benefits in social housing with a larger disposable income than my family.

I could have written this myself! The looks comfortable on paper but in reality is very different.

I was really pleased when everyone got the £400 energy payments despite the outcries as that makes a huge difference to us!

My DB constantly tells me it's alright for me...... I spelled out his income he recieves in support alone is more then my DHs salary per month he soon shut up!

I will await the lecture from SNP that it's my responsibility to pay more tax then the rest of the UK etc etc

Everyone has been quite nice to you. Usually you get your arse handed to you for daring to complain you can't afford holidays or beauty treatments. Personally i think its shit to work hard and then have less than those who work less. But if you own ahouse you will be better off long term.

I think it sucks to say the harder you work the less state support you have but that's life.

I was really pleased when everyone got the £400 energy payments despite the outcries as that makes a huge difference to us!

Yep! But apparently that outcry was all ok, despite it being 'why does everyone get it, only those receiving x and y should get it'!

It's seen as a privilege to have a job? Honestly?

Do you think everyone that is below the 'squeezed middle' is unemployed and on benefits? That isn't the case. I am entitled to nothing despite my rent taking up more than half of my income. And I promise you I work hard for it.

I do get your point about it not being easy for you either, and you are absolutely entitled to have a moan. But you seem to have a misconception of what life is for those of us that don't enjoy your level of income.

If you work full time it is difficult to understand how people can choose to work part time and top up with benefits

Well I think that we have maybe less disposable income than some people on benefits and so I wonder why the col benefit isnt means tested .. if it was I think we would get it and it would be a huge help to us and many other s in the squeezed middle .

We have a joint income of 43k and entitled to no benefits. We are going to struggle so much when our fix ends in January. Even with the £400 as we fixed 2 years ago when it was cheap. Everything is getting so expensive that we will have to cut out everything we can. We don't eat out, or go on expensive holidays (we did have a cruise this year but my mum paid for that!) And we have very minimal savings that we have to dip into if something breaks.

With the budget coming up I am dreading it.

our actual disposable income may be very close( I dont know) to people who are in receipt of benefits

Well many people on benefits have no disposable income. Likewise many people in work. If you are talking about having an amount of disposable income at the end of the month that's good.

Do you not think there's a difference in working 40hrs a week and after paying for all the costs of commute general living and having no disposal income is different to not having any work commitments/stress/responsibility and having no disposable income? I know which Id rather have!

I disagree @LadyMarmaladeAtkins , 2 adults in full time work, one with a full time job and a part time job should not be grateful to have a disposable income.
If that's the case we might as well reopen work houses and just toil for food and lodgings.