What will actually happen?

[usernamechanged1]

There are many threads on here about mortgage, rent, utility, food prices all going up. I don’t think there are many left who aren’t noticing the financial strain.

So, whilst we’ve all heard “this can’t go on…” and “when will this stop…”, it is continuing to go on and shows no signs of stopping. I’m wondering what we should actually expect.

I feel like we’re heading towards a place where people will be working but literally unable to survive. I appreciate there are people in that position already, so what happens when this is a mass problem affecting a majority of the country.

It’s akin to working an eight hour shift and having 13 tasks taking 1 hour each to do. It’s simply impossible; the maths don’t add up.

Is it out of the realms of possibility that we could see people take to the streets? For crime to shoot up (shoplifting, robberies etc).

I think many of us thought the CoL crisis would be temporary, but maybe it isn’t.

People aren’t to blame. They responded to what government showed them.

It's a bit dog with a bone.

That's a bit of a non answer then 😆

And what government is going to bite the hand that feeds them?

certainly not our one!

We as country keep voting for the same two - three parties. Why? They are all the same.
Either we begin to vote radically differently, or expect more of the same, just with a different colour.

And then failed to engage any critical thinking skills.

Well, yes, very true.

I don’t believe Brexit makes any difference to this. The issues are stemming from across the pond

Of course it has, yes the conditions are global but we are more vulnerable because of Brexit and will be slower to recover, the evidence is out, Brexit has had a huge impact (negative) on our economy and whilst it is not the cause of the current situation it is impacting our response. Just look at how other countries are doing compared to us.

@chanceofpear I agree that Western civilisation is crumbling.

Crumbling? Or being demolished?

From the OBR most recent economic and fiscal outlook -

The post-Brexit trading relationship between the UK and EU, as set out in the ‘Trade and Cooperation Agreement’ (TCA) that came into effect on 1 January 2021, will reduce long-run productivity by 4 per cent relative to remaining in the EU.
^
You can't say that reducing or productivity and GDP makes no difference to how we weather global storms.^

This is so true for my workplace. You can't move for brand new Mercs, BMWs, Audis. We all earn around 30k! Lots of my colleagues still live at home though so have 2k a month just to spend on themselves.

People can’t see the bigger picture.

at the moment COL is disproportionately affecting the poorest - so those who last year didn’t have any money spare at the end of the month. Those people are having to choose between eating and bills. The rest of us have just cost down on how many takeaways we are or how many new outfits we buy all thinking that we will be ok.BUT cutting out having nails done or trips to a coffee shop etc mean that those business will have less customers and income and some will shut. That means more unemployed people and less taxes being paid whilst more benefits are given.
the less people working then the less that is being paid into pensions, the less investments so even those ‘higher up the ladders’ such as solicitors, financial advisors, bankers etc will also be affected.

our economy and society are such an interwoven web of dependency that we should all be concerned. It’s just some of us don’t feel the spice coming yet but be assured it’s coming

Spider not spice!!

"It's easy to joke about the past and sneer at the make-do and mend attitude but that's how people lived. The waste we create now. New clothes, new Christmas decorations every year, tonnes of food thrown away because we don't fancy it, houses heated so we can have the windows open and wear tee shirts in winter, it wasn't ever really going to be sustainable. But it doesn't have to be all bad- although no-one is saying it;ll be easy."

I have.never lived like this, and those that do are still living like this. They are not affected much by the vast increase in prices. It's families like mine that are badly affected.

We cannot move, we are in a tiny 2 bedroom shared ownership so we can’t downsize (boy and girl teens already sharing a room). We can’t afford to sell and rent as that would cost more. Yes, we have mobile phones but are tied into contracts (people seem to forget that people are tied in to things). We have nothing left to cut out. We are struggling to the point that I’m losing weight at a fast rate because I’m going without. I have a very limited diet due to a medical condition, I just can’t afford to buy my food and feed the children so I often go without.

Our boiler needs repair as it keeps losing pressure, we can’t afford the repairs so we are making do and topping it up. My washing machine broke down, I can’t afford to replace so I’m hand washing. My car is on its last legs, once that goes I’m without one and we live rurally. We haven’t had a holiday in years, we don’t eat out and when I buy clothes they’re from the charity shop. I can’t afford to replace my glasses and I desperately need new ones.. We are both working long hours yet can’t make ends meet and I fear of losing our home.

Thats our reality, that is how the crisis is affecting us. No matter the history or the future this is a desperate time for us.

have you checked whether you are eligible for any Universal credit? you would get help with the rent part of shared ownership.

My in laws didn’t have an indoor toilet until the mid 80’s.

@Anotherturnipforthebooks tax credits have been the real kicker for ordinary working class people in my opinion. That and digitisation.

Tax credits have meant that businesses haven't been responsible for wages commersurate to the economy and have normalised claiming benefits. We should all have the benefit of additional money we earn - not stuck in a made up system that means its not worth working more as you WTC /UC will get cut. What a joke of a system.

Digitisation means that individuals are more closely monitored than the big corporations - which is farcical when you think about it.

Maybe it should get better with each generation, but the point I am making is that WHY do you think that? Have you no clue about history at all? Just because something should happen doesn't mean that it will. Interest rates have always risen and fallen, but for some reason young people today think it shouldn't happen to them. Newsflash - it happened to earlier generations, this is not the first generation to go through hard times after good times. I can't get over how ignorant some of you are!!!

I don’t understand this theory that things get better every generation either. Yet I’ve heard it on here countless times.

my understanding is the ability to mill flour and bake bread stopped famines in this country so there was a jump forward. But then wars killed countless people, as did pandemics and infections so there was a step back.

After the plague so many people died that those that were left were suddenly made wealthy with empty houses and businesses so their lifestyles were raised. By another pandemic at the turn of the century had lots of people dead.

The Industrial Revolution bought money for the bosses but redundancy for the lower men as the machines took their jobs away. This is happening again with technological advancements with AI.

There are ebbs and flows. Winners and losers. I don’t know why anyone thinks there should be this linear projection of society improving with each generation. Where does Climate Change fit in with this theory?

I don’t understand this theory that things get better every generation either. Yet I’ve heard it on here countless times.

It's a relatively new way of thinking, pretty much post World War 2.

You only have to look at the remains of fallen civilisations to understand that nothing is permanent and what goes up will eventually come down.

Worried about crime, a lot of people will not just ‘go without’. They’ll steal it.

Exactly, those poor impoverished boomers. Got screwed over with 15% interest rates. Destitute the lot of them.

I can't get over how ignorant some of you are!!!

the irony! 😆

They have recently increased the number of hours both of a couple need to be working to claim UC. Still ridiculously low though ( something like 18 x nmw per week ).