Dear Richi Sunak

[CarolineFields]

I have been a teacher for 30 years, and have at different times been head of department and head of year. Unfortunately, as a mother, it was impossible for me to full fill these roles because of the workload, so I resigned from both.

I made sacrifices to support my child through state school and university

I couldn't afford to replace my glasses, the prescription I used was 5 years out of date.

I have one pair of school shoes, and because I can't afford the bus, and walk 5 miles to school several times a week, I leave my shoes at school, because if they wear out I won't be able to replace them

I used a 10 year old asthma inhaler rather than pay the prescription charge for a new one.

The cats and I shared one heated vest under a duvet rather than turn on the central heating

I save a little bit by charging my phone and laptop from a camping style solar panel - I don't know how much this actually saves, but it must be something, right?

Holidays were camping, by public transport, off peak.

I am middle income, middle class, and consider myself reasonably comfortably well off- no serious worries about housing or food, as so many people suffer with daily.

I have never, in my wildest dreams considered the ludicrous and insane extravagance of taking out a sky tv subscription.

I understand that to some people this is a top priority, as football is such a crucial aspect of our countries cultural life. People who do take this out, will be making massive cuts elsewhere

I am very sorry, but I cannot begin to understand where you are coming from, believing that missing out on sky TV is some sort of sacrifice or deprivation.

I am stunned. I am gobsmacked. I can't take it in. I don't know what to say. I am reeling. I am so shocked. I don't know what it would have been possible to say to alienate me more than what you have just said.

I am sorry. I am struggling to articulate the depth of my astoundedness. It is like my soul can't absorb the words and gags on them. Its like a soul emetic

I've also been a teacher for 30 years, brought up a family and put children through university.
I'm a lifelong Labour voter and think you're talking bollocks.
@CarolineFields

I honestly think he wants to sound 'normal' to the average voter. He honestly has not got a clue though to the point where I'm not sure whether it's funny or offensive any more.

Agree. No one who is 'middle income middle class' has to share a heated vest with a cat and use solar power to charge a phone (which costs about 1p per charge anyway).
What is this competitive poverty and drama people are so keen on these days?

Excellent post.

As your post has not yet been removed, I'll bite

Why would my post be removed? I am talking about normal life for normal people

Unfortunately, as a mother, it was impossible for me to full fill these roles because of the workload, so I resigned from both.
Why "as a mother" ?

Because the hours needed to do the job were not compatible with the time needed to put into being a mother - sorry I don't even understand the question, is that not obvious? I have resigned two promotions because there were not enough hours in the day to complete the workload, when I had to put in the normal hours of mothering, such as cooking, playing, trips outs, etc. I have also refused to do tasks I was ordered to do as a normal classroom teacher in the past, as the hours required would have left me with no family time, so have risked even normal jobs. We had a day trip planned one weekend, and my school drempt up some admin task that would have meant spending the whole weekend on it, and I said no, I have other plans this weekend, and refused to do it. I didn't lose that job, but I risked it!

I made sacrifices to support my child through state school and university
We all do...

Exactly my point- but not having Sky tv is not a sacrifice

I couldn't afford to replace my glasses, the prescription I used was 5 years out of date.
Its £20/£25 for a test

yes, but the test is a tiny fraction of the cost, the glasses themselves cost hundreds.

I have one pair of school shoes, and because I can't afford the bus, and walk 5 miles to school several times a week, I leave my shoes at school, because if they wear out I won't be able to replace them

I used a 10 year old asthma inhaler rather than pay the prescription charge for a new one.
£9.90 for a new prescription
Or you can buy Ventolin Inhaler Online £7.49 - Asthma
Ashcroft Pharmacy
www.ashcroftpharmacy.co.uk › online-doctor

Also - if its lasted you 10 years, maybe you dont actually need one as you are not using it bery much? let alone it still being effective when 9 years out of date

No, I don't need it very much, but I needed one recently, and economised by using a very old one

The point is, bloody Sunak considering himself deprived
So this is the point, why bother with all the other shite first.

Youve been a teacher for 30 years, you're not on minimum wage - why are you so skint you cannot afford new shoes?

My point is, I am a normal person, comfortably off, on a normal wage, and making normal sacrifices, but that Sunak moron thinks he has made sacrifices and his example is not having Sky TV!!!!!!!!

Do you realise how lucky you are though? This morning a friend of mine who is a Ukrainian refugee told me come August she will have nowhere to stay, she has very young children. Want to swap with her - or is this a race to the bottom?

it is in Greater Manchester where I live maybe its an English thing?

Blimey OP, the drama!

It is throughout the Midlands. Went up to Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago and the same there. Any journey, anywhere is capped at £2

Apparently Arriva were making more from the £2 cap, so the scheme was extended and has been in place a couple of years now

Doesn't Wales have a Labour government?

If you don't want to play right into the hands of your opposition, you'd be better explaining why on your salary with only one child you can't afford £20 for shoes or a prescription charge more often than once a decade. Are you servicing a lot of debt? Are you living in a very high cost rental area or paying enormous mortgage repayments? Also how you manage the site fees for your camping holidays.
Because much as I agree with highlighting the plight of people living in poverty, and how out if touch RS is, I think all you've done here is confirm the prejudice of many that its exaggerated or due to poor choices, which is something of an own goal.

I feel dramatic! honestly! I feel so angry, and so shocked I can hardly express myself

This is straight from the Jack Monroe school of performative poverty. If your child is now through university why are you still struggling so much? You could probably benefit from some budgeting lessons if things remain so difficult.

Unless of course it’s all nonsense 🙄

I think I explained fully, I was a single mother paying childcare and mortgage entirely alone, and obviously amount it costs to be a single mother decreases with age to some extent but shoots up again massively supporting DC at university!

But tbf, my friends in relationships with more children are struggling just as much to pay mortgage and child care between two of them!

I am not saying I am hard up. I have never felt hard up. I am saying I am and have made all the normal sacrifices.

Normal sacrifices!

That Sunak person is claiming that not having Sky Tv is a deprivation!!! that would never have even been a question, it wouldn't have even been on the radar (no criticism to people who choose to have it, I am sure they are cutting back somewhere else)

But seriously, to suggest that this optional luxury, which is such a teeny tiny part of family life, and matters not at all, is a deprivation if you didn't get it?

We don't have netflicks, or anything pay to view- it just would never be a question.

I believe you about the glasses. Say you have an astigmatism and a very high/low prescription (say -14), I would expect it to be very expensive. And lots of places won't sell you them online and the NHS voucher is £15.50. I would be happy to be proven wrong though!

most of my post is about the past, raising children on a comfortable income, and making normal sacrifices, and I don't consider myself hard up now, but I was off work for a year with cancer, so obviously that has a knock on effect - but that is not the point though, is it. I am not saying I am poor. I am saying I am normal. But I am outraged at Sunaks idea of "deprived"

Have you tried going to Asda for your glasses? I have complex lenses and get extra funding fron the NHS as need various special things adding to my lens prescription, and even WITHOUT my discounts they'd only be be £45-80 for a new pair of glasses. You don't need to spend £380, even for varifocial supersuper tinted mega thin lenses. If you're as poor as you say then you need to be more savy with your money. You could have bought another 300 inhalers with that money you spent last year.

I was sympathetic with you to "I can't take it in" never mind "I am reeling". Your very good point got overshadowed by the dramatics.

I'm curious as to why you consider yourself to be middle class. Your situation sounds distinctly working class. There's no shame in it.

@FarmGirl78 What's your prescription. I am very interested in that price! Was the thinning enough? I find I have to buy extra extra thin lenses or they don't fit on my face.

Is this specifically for teaching staff? (I'm in Scotland. We get free eye tests anyway, but I was unaware of the voucher scheme that you mention.)

Give over, as an experienced teacher I was on 42k a year two years ago (there's been a payrise since then) I lived on my own paying rent. I quit and took a job on 30k. I can still afford a bloody pair of shoes from Shoezone and a prescription. If OP has no money for those basics she needs some financial advice.

Is there any format more annoying than the open letter?

It isn’t Sunak’s fault that he was brought up without having to make genuine sacrifices but it is his fault that he hasn’t put enough effort into trying to understand the real difficult sacrifices that some in this country have made. If he really cared he would have made more of an effort to understand. He just hasn’t a clue.

But what you describe isn’t normal. Walking five miles to work? One pair of shoes suitable for work? Solar chargers?

I was a lone parent to my son when he was born in 1998. I got a lot of help from the govt to support me to work in 1999. If your son is much older I can understand some of what you describe but it doesn’t resonate to modern life.

Sunak is trying to be a man of the people. I don’t think he believes or is trying to portray lack of sky tv as a huge sacrifice. It’s a well worn Tory trope - how can people be poor if they have massive tvs and sky and an iPhone etc. He’s preaching to the choir.

As far as i know it's for anyone who is required to use computers as part of their job, it's an employers responsibility

I'm quoting "ish" prescription because I can't remember. Maybe -11 in one eye and -14 in the other? I have astigmatism and keratoconus. I need the thinnest lenses available and even then I can only get very small frames, because once they get so big the side of the lens convex's out so massively thick it add to the weight and just looks ridiculous. I'm sure if you're in the same shoes as me you know what I'm trying to explain! As the difference between my lenses is fairly big too they'll let me do the right lens as mega-mega-thin, and the left as just mega-thin, to balance out the weight on the bridge of my nose. I get one pair for £80 or two pairs for £120 (I think!). There are frames for £45 all in, but non were suitable for me and wonky ears 🤣