To think many people are barely surviving Life in uk is unsustainable!

[Cupcakeicecream]

To think a normal standard of living is out of reach to the majority of the population. People are barely surviving as is.They have cut back as far as they possibly can and it's still not enough.Next month prices are rising even more. I know most people would say cut your cloth accordingly dont live beyond your means. If you stopped netflix and takeout coffee everything will magically be solved. That's not realistic there is people out there stressed wondering how they will afford the Bill's barely eating sitting in a cold house as they cant afford to heat the house. Yes there will be people on their high horse saying things are not that bad. But the uk has gone to pot. Wages arent high enough. Food prices are too high. This is just a general rant as its constantly on the news. And some people are just oblivious to the fact people in uk can actual be in poverty and really suffering right now even though we arent a third world country. And it seems will only get worse.

@Hellsmovie I took it from ONS.

Median disposable income increased by 1.6% to £66,000 for the richest fifth of people

They define disposable as all income after tax.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/financialyearending2022

Used to shop at Morrisons and have now changed to Sainsburys as it's cheaper. Morrisons is currently extortionate!

I don't think it's about people being arseholes and disagreeing just because it's AIBU, people are just saying what their personal experience is, that's all. I don't get this 1 in 5 living in poverty. What defines poverty? No phone, no tv, no food, no house? I think it's rare to find that in this country.

You're on the internet, look it up.

HettyMeg I agree 100%
This Tory rule of the last 13 years has absolutely fucked the country.
We’ve got worst inflation for 40 years, average pay in no way keeping pace, cost of living way past tolerable for many many more people- food banks were already oversubscribed BEFORE all this happened- and the cost of housing is out of reach of so many people.

The stress of this is exhausting for so many people and making them ill. Our kids are all growing up knowing that unless they’re in the top tier of society with inherited wealth, their standard of living is likely to be very much worse than their parents or even grandparents had. That hope for their better future is gone. It’s absolutely tragic what’s happening.

I think the UK should vote for anyone but the Tories. They’ve had their chance. Even Brexit, the big hope they dangled in front of the UK, hasn’t worked. Instead it’s actually shrunk the economy. They’re con artists. Give someone else a go.

As many pp have said, its a mixed bag. There are people struggling to make ends meet,and there are people who are filling the theatres,pubs and airports.

We have been lucky with the timings of energy and mortgage fixes which has helped but even so the heating has been off most of the winter where possible,food shops are much more selective and economical, and we dont have big holidays or luxury items. We are now a household of 4 adults and cat but no way would a weekly shop come to £160 quid tho!

Good god. Comments like this make me realise that the UK HAS gone to shit - for a variety of reasons.

That's mental, I know I'm doing ok. But I'm by no means living it up.

My situation is mainly helped by relatively low rent , old cars (18yrs), no debt, dont smoke,rarly drink,dont eat out that often but yhats by choice and takeaways have been cut back but that due me and the OH being a couple of fatties that want to lose weight.

Our savings are ok (27k) but that due to wanting to buy a house.

I don't think it's about people being arseholes and disagreeing just because it's AIBU, people are just saying what their personal experience is, that's all.

I would also say that there is an element of, well not reassurance exactly, but the idea that no, the world isn’t going to hell in a hand basket.

We see the endless doom and gloom on here all the time - you ain’t seen nothing yet, there’ll be soaring unemployment, a recession is coming, house prices will plummet and everyone will be homeless due to negative equity. Reading this shite would plunge anyone into depression, and it’s not right to do that to people. Things aren’t great right now and for a not-insignificant number of people they’re bloody awful.

But it won’t be like this for ever - prices are falling, overall inflation is or will come right back down, the Winter (with its energy needs and reduced availability of some foods) is passing - and things are not necessarily as terrible as the ‘Get their rocks off by making everyone miserable’ brigade would have us believe. It is not wrong to say that.

London a complete bubble. Every single restaurant is fully booked literally 1 week book ahead is impossible.

Very accurate. The boom bust cycle the depression period is going to be a very long time. It has barely started. We have record low unemployment at the moment. We are just starting to see the signs of people especially tech firms cutting jobs, but mass unemployment is coming when companies are going to start defaulting.

@MissLucyLiu you’ve entirely misread my post. I’m saying that those things AREN'T going to happen and speculating that they are is harmful

I'd class Brexit as a political decision. No-one forced Cameron to hold the fucking referendum.

I think most people on average incomes are having to cut back, but the ones who are really struggling are those on low incomes with no scope to increase them.

Someone of working age on basic benefits will get £84.80pw/£368pm, it's hard to see where they can cut back much to cover the increase in energy costs, water charges, council tax (in lots of areas, even people on means tested benefits have to pay 20% of their council tax), and probably a significant amount towards their rent. My monthly bills* come to £177.60, ex. c/tax, before the latest increases. Council tax here is massive, even if I only had to pay 20% of mine it would be £28 a month. If i had to survive on basic UC, I'd be left with less than £40pw for food and everything else. I could do it for a month or two, but it would be a struggle.

People in this position really are barely surviving.

*water, tv licence, internet, mobile phone, energy

I think you can look like you're doing ok and not be
I'm not going to say I'm scraping by but - don't drink, haven't been on holiday for 25 years, worried about energy costs, couldn't afford a night out/nails etc and I add up my food shop as I go round
On the other hand yes I had my hair cut this month - done once or twice a year and my dad paid. And I have a peloton - the monthly cost for the membership is cheaper than gyms, and the benefit to me is such I would rather miss a meal than give it up. But that's my only luxury at £40pm and I earn just above min wage

Agree with Daffodil - great post.

Ah ok . Good luck then.
Just google 'job cuts' on google and see what comes back. There are a lot of higher frequency data on job cuts, and default rates in UK an Europe. Have a look at the evidence. Companies cannot turn over a profit when funding their borrowings at current interest rate (pretty much same as mortgage concept). When they don't turn over a profit after paying for the cost of these borrowing to keep running they look for other ways to cut costs. There's only a certain extend they can increase prices as there will be a point where people 'replace' or just don't use the good/services.

It is not harmful to prepare for the worst. Hope for the best. It is a fools game to not prepare for the worst. History in the 80s already shown you how long a depression periods is.

Of course some people are really struggling economically.

But there always have been, and there always will be, for a variety of reasons, most of which have fuck all to do with Government policy.

As a pp said, not one of these programmes or journalist essays which bewail nurses having to use food banks go into the facts - what they particular household economy is, and why it is not sustainable without food banks.

I did the income survey above and only 14% of households are worse off than we are, and we live in a poor inner city area, so so not speaking from some ivory tower.🙄

Agree with this. The majority that I know are grumbling but cutting back and taking on extra work. Holidays abroad are still being booked, home improvements going ahead, but other stuff is falling by the wayside (noticeably kids parties).

There are of course a lot of people really struggling and can’t afford basics, but I don’t think it’s “the majority” of the population.

I hope everyone who is living the high life has money put aside for Private Health because otherwise they may find themselves spending hours and hours in A and E with the povos. The country is broken, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The kind of I'm alright Jack comments on here are depressing. I don't personally know anyone struggling but I totally believe some people are.

Why on this type of thread do people say they have a certain amount of savings (usually a decent amount) and then say they are doing 'ok"? Seems a little crass.

@LiliLil I agree. It's probably not that visible to people with decent jobs, mortgages, driving their decent cars and things. But people on not even minimum wage, single parents, homeless as not enough housing, are really struggling. Food banks can't keep up. I drove through our town the other day and the queue for the local food bank was down the street. It is a real choice between food and heat for so many people too. No it may not be comparable to other countries but it's pretty dire right now.

This.

We went to a local shopping centre on Saturday which also has bowling, a cinema, and a trampoline park. It was all totally jam packed with people.

Most likely, the people who are barely surviving now, were also barely surviving before.

Many notice increased bills and have maybe cut back to suit and moan - this shouldnt be confused with barely surviving.

Better money management and planning make all the differance.

( Flame away - facts dont care about your feelings )
🙂

So much nonsense on this thread. The healthcare service is an absolute shambles. Waiting lists of over a year with severely-life-altering illnesses!! and that is just to see a consultant - IF the referral is not rejected!!

It's insane. We need to be getting rid of this government.

So many 'I'm alright Jacks' ..

Some are struggling, some aren't. There has always been a wealth gap in this country. And we have always done "boom and bust".

As a young mum, I was pot less in the early 70's...no benefit top ups, no food or clothes "banks" and little available credit, or options. Food was much more expensive then, than it became in the following years.

For a while, we ate cheap and it was jumble sales all the way for clothes. Second hand furniture. Old bangers to drive round in - I've pushed more cars than I care to remember lol 🙄

There weren't really any technology gadgets or luxuries to waste money on then, as they hadn't been invented.

My biggest thrill was when Bejam bought in home freezers, and cheap frozen veg etc.

Every generation suffers a financial crisis, for some at least.

Some of these "starving/heat or eat pensioner" stories always make me wonder if they are claiming all they are entitled to.

I worked for the DWP, and know what they can get- if they're getting it, they shouldn't be skint. If they're not, someone should help them claim.

The recessions usually pass in the end. Until the next one.😗