AIBU to be sad and shocked by this article?

[LittleDorrit]

Have just been reading this:

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/18/child-poverty-labour-eradicate-promise

and I am shocked by the conditions this family is living in, but in particular how little/what sort of food they are able to afford.

It's not so much an AIBU issue, but just wondered whether others in similarly difficult circumstances think this is typical, or whether the mother could try to buy other types of food (e.g. rice, lentils, etc.) or perhaps be able to afford to spend a bigger proportion of her budget on food... £20 is very little.

Okay the benefits what she will get with two children

£85 IS
£50 CTC

She has already said that when she gets her CB she buys fresh food with it and makes meals from scratch if she doesn't have to buy clothes/shoes for the children which I presume would come from that too.

Leaves her with £135.50 per week.

outgoings are

£17 on loans
£5.50 on tv liscence
£10 on gas meter
£5 on leccy
£5 for mobile
£5 for nappies

Equals £42.50. This is what she has ticked off on her envelope. This leaves her with £93.

Is every one still with me? Good. Lets carry on then.

Water bill £5.50
Bus Fair £4
Money saved for xmas/birthday presents for her children £5
Top up rent and council tax £10.
Money saved to buy furniture £5

That all comes to £29.50.

So she had £93 left

Ckelpie - Squalor - PMSL. If you think this is squalor you need to get out more. This looks like my friends house when her kids have been awake 10 mins. I'm lucky that our place is bigger - so it takes them 15 minutes to make it look like this and we have a playroom and fantasic storage, unlike this poor woman who has no furniture to hide it in for storage!!

There is some depressing reading on here.

I find it hilarious that people who have a decent and 'valuable' life believe that this is all down to what a wonderful and marvelous person they are, and has NOTHING to do with the circumstances they were dealt.

Of course, you can change the circumstances you have been given. But if the circumstances you have been given do not give you ideals, hopes, confidence, role models and self-esteem, then it is incredibly difficult to get out of this type of situation.

The kind of people who DO get out have been given and shown self esteem, confidence and hope, which is why that IMHO, these are THE best things you can give to your children and something you can do for free, so should they find themselves in such a situation, they will be able to do something about it.

And I do believe this these things are learned behaviours BTW. You are NOT born like that.

Hi FAQ
Sorry didn't think about that..never used freecycle lol
Put foot in it without knowing what i was yakking about.. typical

Our LA does have a furniture recycling facility but it is not very well bloody advertised IMO so you don't know about it until you are on your knees for stuff.. plus they charge an arm n leg for delivery..
Charity shops .. i know they have to make their money but ffs they are GIVEN stuff (mentioning no names salvation army shops ) and then charge fortunes for it and even more for delivery.. no payment plans which would be better IYAM as when you are on that shit amount of money which is currently knows as JSA/IS .. Child tax credit.. whatever.. it is almost impossible to save.
Oh and you need to have been on IS 26 weeks before they will let you have a budgeting loan, if you quibble the repayment amounts they are arsey about letting you have another, they are desperately needed for xmas and other things like white goods which are also unobtainable unless you have a BL or save (see above for chances of saving lol)

It is a vicious circle and some of the people on here would probably think of suicide if they had to live like that, they don't realise how lucky they are

her children are there - she has a 3yr old (who by the looks of it in the photos is in the process of spreading more toys across the room). Perhaps she did tidy up before they came. They interviewed her, while doing that her DC's messed it all up again.

My DS3 alone can create that much mess with his toys (and other stuff he gets hold of) in just a few short minutes.

What kind of furniture FAQ?

Sorry for the hijack!

lol Stercus - that's ok - it's a nightmare "use freecycle" sounds so wonderful until you're checking your emails every minute you can to see if something comes in that you need - you reply straight away (or as soon as you can afterwards) and get a reply back that it's already taken/

Is most disheartening - in the last 2 days I've "missed" out on a 3 pieces suite and a double bed for DH - ho hum.

Or it might be because she has not named the father? They reduce your money for that.

I do feel very fortunate for my upbringing, as I have posted, it would have been a different story.
I think Louise is doing an amazing job in very difficult circumstances and limited money.

£1for a load of washing?? Not when I had ore pYment meters last year!! Bit steep!

Stretch - well at the moment he currently has

A triple wardrobe (which I couldn't be arsed dismantling and bringing here - wouldn't have fitted in anyhow)
A computer desk and chair
A sofa bed like this (well a bit like it - it's bright orange checked and has a tiny single bed/chair with it too
ermm what else
oh he's got a cooker (as it's fitted lol)
Fridge freezer - let him have my one as I needed to replace with single undercounter ones to fit in my new kitchen
dishwasher (again was also mine - but there's a fitted one here)
Piano (oops - it's still there - really need to sort out getting it moved out for him lol)

He also has a little 14 inch TV (aww bless it's the first one we bought when we moved to the UK), a hoover, a microwave and a kettle.

think that's about it

oh no - he's got a little telephone table/desk type thing that I also left as I didn't like it anymore .

doing the washing is expensive!!
dh bemoans if we dont do the washing late at night when its slightly cheaper

Which would leave with even less left over than in my calculations SGM.

I for one am fucking glad that I don't have to live like that anymore.

It's not easy. It's hard. It's depressing. It's soul destroying. People judge you. People think they have a right to have a say in what you spend your money on because you are living off their money.

You can't see a way out because you know nothing else and no one shows you how to help yourself.

doing the washing is even more expensive if you have a very old machine.

You're in Wellingborough aren't you?
Loads of people are always getting rid of stuff round here (leicester) I'll let you know next time.

It's a shame I didn't know sooner, we've just refused an offer of a double divan!! Too big for our room! Lol!

My leccy meter goes down by about 90p per load and thats a brand new energy efficent washer. I would presume that she has no one with a decent enough credit rating to go out and get her a decent washer. So if she did have one, it would be older/cheaper and therefore less efficent.

yes I'm Wellingborough, didn't realise you were only up in Leicester - thought you were further north than that.

Thanks - he's not currently got a car b*stards took his company car when they fired him. But he says he's hoping to have loan of his BIL's Van again next week so should be in a position to pick up then.

Of course we are all forgetting one thing. This article was published in the Guardian - not a paper well known for checking its facts! W

Whatever she is actually on it must be horrible to go through each week hoping that nothing unforeseen happens that requires money being spent. I lived like this on maternity leave (£100.50 per week) and it was horrid even though I knew it wasn't permanent. I had no savings or other money and still had mortgage etc to pay. I also couldn't go back to work when I wanted as ds was too poorly so I had several months of no income whatsoever and I had to get a bank loan to survive. Lucky that I could actually get a bank loan (bank didn't seem to twig that I didn't actually have an income at the time I applied fortunately).

I also remember time-sharing the heaters/fireplace with our wet washing. Was a tossup between getting our clothes done or keeping DD1 and myself dry. The damp was, and still is, awful.

I was lucky though, my mum used to take the occaisional load, mainly towels dressing gowns etc...

I remember the sheer luxury of being able to afford a tumble dryer for the winter! Oh bliss!

PMSL at needing to get out more. I get out plenty which is why, if you look at the thread regarding fitting housework around fulltime work I confess my house is a state. I do however make an effort when expecting visitors. Call me cynical but that has been staged and she in her ignorance/depression/whatever, is oblivious.

As I said, I do feel for her - she is completely up against it all and still trying but whilst my choice of words seem to be provoking comment I'm going to throw this little gem out there before I head to bed - she's a big girl isn't she? Not exactly wasting away so her kids can eat is she?

And on that note ....... i bid you all a good night

night Sorrento - and it is Thursday tomorrow isn't it - I should have my HB tomorrow LOL.