BU to work less hard?

[MyDeepRaven2039]

Namechanged.

Work is okish. News says this week UK inflation is a 3.8% and cost of living or inflation high for years

Work are giving 0.5% pay rises each year since covid with people at work saying below inflation I am hitting my targets but I think business is maybe just not doing well maybe. Im getting closer to minimum wage each year.

My wage has just reached 30k per year but Im single female with no children live on my own and I feel like I get no help. cant get any benefits and sometimes I think about shoplifting as everything is expensive and the police dont do anything about shoplifters anyway

AIBU to work less hard as I am getting poorer each year and is it all just going to get worse for rest of my life

Consistent below inflation pay rises are so bad. What industry are you in? Could you get more money if you move job or company?

(Shoplifting still a crime, please don't do that)

Barely a crime the police do noting

I have thought about this post for a while. And, I have come to the conclusion that I would not shoplift, not even if I was on my absolutely last dregs of money. That aside, I also think they would chuck the book at you. They don't go after those that have nothing to lose, already in the system for past incidents, known offenders, because they know they don't care anyway. Whether it is right or wrong, I suspect your treatment would be different. I have, however, every sympathy with the comparison that many on here have to make around working long hours for "not great" wages, trying to forge ahead, do the best for themselves and their kids, while looking around and finding others seeming to get it all on handouts, by virtue of working the benefits game. Should be a safety net, not an entitlement. As others have suggested, it seems like a look around at what is out there, that is fair inflation wise, might be helpful xx

Can you retrain, apply for a promotion, look for a better paying job? If you stay where you are your going to earn less (relatively speaking) each year, you already resent your job and you will start to under perform/ stagnate... none of which will make for a better standard of living in the long-term. You are only 30s... you have another 30+ years of work ahead of you... it is way too early to give up and coast!

just because the police don’t have the resources to tackle this CRIME doesnt make it any less of a CRIME.

Your post is entitled, deluded and frankly the reason why you won’t get ahead in life.

You might find yourself with no wage at all with a criminal record.
Why do you think you should be able to claim benefits?

And no wonder you name changed.