Why won't any political party focus or help the squeezed middle

[Winterday1991]

Off the back of another thread, has got me thinking about the next general election.

Why is there not a party that will focus on the middle earners in the squeezed south east , where both partners work full time, who are struggling juggling mortgages, cost of childcare and self fund everything and are over threshold for any help or subsidies ie child benefit, cost of living payments, free childcare via universal credit?

We are a middle/highish income family and are just so sick of paying into the system and getting nothing back! The amount of tax we pay is insane, certainly not anywhere near value for money. Labour just seem to want to focus on single parent families and those on universal credit.

Any party who focuses on the middle will surely win the election?

You will get some but I think you are in for an unpleasant surprise how little it is.

The earnings threshold for qualifying for free school meals is very low - something like needing to earn less than 7k income. Considering some families on incomes of 40/50k are getting UC, there must be an awful lot on UC who don't get fsm !

Oh and I work FULL time by the way, as I have stated already. So I'll be working more than you.

I don't care anymore. I work as much as I can because who can afford full time childcare when you are on a zero hours contract and minimum wage? It is likely I could be paying for nursery but not getting a shift unlike your guaranteed 60k. Can't you see the difference?

I'm not sure how she's arrived at the conclusion that we think she won't get benefits when neither of us have said that.

Tell me how I will afford to pay for nearly £2k of nursery fees? No I can't.

Yes. I give up.

I am not salty. I don't think you won't get benefits but you need to actually be sure what you will get. I can tell you I bring home £1550 a month from work (I pay 8% into my pension) and I get £500 in benefits a month and that includes rent help, so it's likely you will get less than this.

Absolutely this. Still amazes how little ‘the squeezed middle’ actually understand about what it actually means to be truly struggling. Most have never met anyone using benefits, just know of someone who knows someone who has a massive house and 3 holidays a year on UC 🙄.

It’s a tough time for most people financially at the moment, but I guarantee OP is still faring better than most.

Well you seem to expect everyone else to. Get another job or I don’t know maybe one of you works full time. Working part time on low wages (both adults) it an active choice propped up by the state.

Have a 🥇.

Exactly! Is everything else, help for housing, free uniforms, free school meals, energy funding payments cost of living payments funding for kids trips, childcare from an early age, and no it's not begrudging this for kids but come on. There is no much incentive in working hard and end up a couple of hundred quid better off than someone not working or working only part time.

We are newly retired and not quite retired yet. After 45 years of work and saving into pensions, we have roughly the recommended "pot" for two people. And actually, we are seriously thinking about selling up here, going abroad to retire, buying a smaller house and paying tax in another country where the cost of living is lower and the rate of tax is fairly similar. I'm quick at languages so would expect to learn enough to cope with everyday life in six months or a year, and a degree of fluency in two. My point is, the UK cannot afford to lose people like us: we shall be taxpayers and net contributors long into our retirement. But because we have accumulated wealth since we were 50, we have choices. Nobody who has struggled to make ends meet all their working life is going to have the same options. Essentially, everyone finds things are tight in the early years of family formation -- but it gets easier as children get older, as long as you are being promoted and your earnings continue to rise.

@ginandtonicwithlimes is that too me? So entitled to giving out wrong info?

But I was this child … everything provided to me from the state (even til end of Uni although I did work from 14 part time). I’m now mid 40s, never claimed benefits as an adult. My children will no doubt go to Uni and earn more than I do. For everyone that games the system, there are council estate kids like me who want more. And I’m a teacher so my wages suck.

So she expects me to pay 4k for my twins on a take home salary of 3645??

I thought you said that the nursery fees were £24K a year.....so which is it £4k or £2Kpm?

@Littlebutloud
We are technically the squeezed middle but only just. However, we have been on benefits, we have faced severe struggles and been homeless. Both of us come from very working class families and my own has seen severe hardships. We may be middle now but we can’t afford to pay our bills and eat. When the cold weather comes around we won’t be able to afford heating. Facing hardship can happen to people from all walks of life.

How take home is 6k after tax?

You should be living in an autocratic country if you want to control a civilised debate.

'Tis not a civilised debate when you shame women for being single parents and lie about council housing being free.