the ONLY reason we were able to buy a house was because we got some money from mil after the death of a relative and that enabled us to put down a deposit, it seemed like a good idea at the time (5yrs ago) as mortgage prices were and still are, cheaper than renting. but now we are really worried about how much interest rates will go up, we always go for a fixed rate deal so we KNOW what we will be paying. but i dont know how easy it will be to get that kind of deal the next time we need to re do our mortgage.
At least you have a council house, it is a NIGTHMARE trying to get one here, we looked into it when dp was made redundent 7yrs ago, and even if we had been made homeless then we would have spent months if not years in a bedsit before getting a flat or house.
i know that we are VERY fortunate that we have family who have been in a financial position to help us out, but that was only because dp's dad died at a young age of misdiagnosed bowl cancer
i dont expect that we should be given anything, but i do believe that as a society we all have a responsiblity to each other, and part of that is helping lower income families through tax rebates etc.
btw our bought council house, well we have another 30 odd years or paying the mortgage before its bought, is in a small cul de sac with flats at one end and they too are rented out to some unsuitable types, we quite often have had the police and riot vans parked outside, but many of the other neighbours are in fact nice and the kids play together.
everything is swings and roundabouts tbh and yes i am very aware that things could be worse, MUCH worse, i have four healthy kids, i have successfully battled back from and got well after suffering postnatal psychosis and sevre depression, with not much help from the nhs who just told me i needed to get more sleep and pull myself together..
and i havent noticed on mumsnet that lots of people expect things to be given to them, but then i dont actually spend that much time on here, i find it too big a board, tbh and often go days without posting at all unless something catches my eye, like this thread!
and i am NOT trying to start an argument with you expat, i have seen you post before and you often make valid points, i am just VERY wary of making generalisations about people and just saying that 'you should just get a jo, shift work etc' because it is not always that simple.
fwiw i DO think that cb should be means tested as should the heating payments made to old people, as plenty of them, my mil included do not need them.
but as ever the worst hit will be those who can least afford it, especially with vat increase and that sucks and no one is unreasonable in complaining about it, well as long as they didnt vote tory and then they deserve to go to hell in a handbasket