I got caught shoplifting

[RoseBiscuitll]

I really didn't know what topic to choose for this

I'm mortified, I got caught shoplifting in boots today, I was stealing baby milk and a facial moisturiser. I'm so ashamed of myself. It was in the city center aswell. They didn't call police but they took my details, took a picture and told me I can't return to the store again

Will this picture and my details go around to the other shops near by or will it just go to the other boots shops.

I can't believe I was stupid enough to do this! I'm so embarrassed and also feel really guiltily!

OK I don’t want to go on about this because it’ll derail the thread, but very little food is actually needed to breastfeed. I assume you’re a man, so please don’t tell me about breastfeeding.

The rest of us must be absolute mugs still actually paying for stuff going by the attitudes of a few on here.

🙄🙄 if everybody did, would be a different story.

I would never resort to shoplifting. I would do anything but that to get money or find help.

There will always be someone willing to help you, people can be kind.

Until there's a breakdown of what she's spending her money on, none of us can tell if her stealing was "justified".

She might be living off baked beans and value bread and struggling.

Or she might be buying herself face moisturiser, more expensive choices for foods, a netflix/prime/apple/Disney subscription etc

“No I can't go threw child maintenence as he works cash in hand.”

So you’re okay with the father of your child avoiding paying both tax (I assume while also claiming benefits) and child maintenance? Was he working cash in hand when you were together, or did he quit working just to avoid paying a few quid in maintenance?

The people who should be condemned are the successive governments that have reduced so many to having to choose between paying their rent and feeding their kids, and the feckless who men who don't pay maintenance.

You don’t think that’s the reason because clearly you are a bit thick ‘lol’.

OP wasn’t choosing whether to pay rent or feed the baby; most of her rent is paid and she had enough money for the milk, but she wanted to spend it on something else (not moisturiser though; she wanted to steal that too).

She wanted to spend it on food.

Totally agree. Honestly, I read the first couple of pages and thought "ok, we're going to get real by page 3 or 4" .... I'm still waiting.

It's just beyond belief how naive some people are. They'd be the same ones to believe 20yr old "George" from sub Saharan Africa saw their profile picture and instantly fell in love with them. That's the level of naiveté we're talking.

It's because many are living in their comfortable middle class bubble and not street wise. They see that people that steal , just MUST be victims needing baby milk oh so desperately. But they're viewing the 'idea' of these people only, they're not living and walking amongst them and dealing with the consequences on a daily basis- which are vast.

Again, I'll say - I'm not actually particularly judging the OP- humans do stupid things. Of which the op has likely done. But the posters falling over themselves to offer money and be reeled in by believing the op stole out of sheer desperation is just not very savvy.

Stealing to ease some kind of mental anguish or simply for the impulsive thrill reward is more common than you'd think. But desperation, not so much. Hence the face cream.

Don't forget some people steal formula because they know it is more likely to be overlooked or they'll be treated more sympathetically if are caught. Unlike if they are caught stealing for themselves. So they steal the things they are more likely to get away with so they can spend their money on other things. It's cunning.

Bless you, OP. You must have had the fright of your life.

I've stolen something when I was hungry. I'm not going to detail my entire life circumstances at the time, but also around that time I ate a half eaten chocolate bar I found in the street on top of a bin. So things weren't great.

I was at the till buying some bread, butter, and beans, which was all I could afford. They had a display of Creme Eggs and I just grabbed one.

No one caught me. I still vividly remember stuffing the entire thing in my mouth as I walked away, even though this was in 2001. It was delicious.

Sorry to those who think I should, but I don't regret it. There was no such thing as food banks back then, at least not at the scale they are now. I got a free box of food once from somewhere that was given to me because it was Christmas, but that was it.

Living on a tiny amount is no joke. Being hungry and worried and cold and desperate month after month after month wears you out. UC is not enough to live on. Especially not with the amount food has risen by in the last couple of years. Maybe three years ago, you could afford your shopping on it but not in 2024.

I tried to get real, and was called 'awful and 'lacking empathy'. Just because I can't see a way to justify theft.

How many times have you said the word "naiveté" today,

Hope your ok and you get some help, from the links posted here tonight, it must be bloody hard trying to manage and being on your own , chin up , have a look at some of the the links and see if there's anything else you can claim. Fingers crossed life gets abit easier for
You soon , big hug from me.

I'm sorry about your situation. I do hope you'll get the help you need.

With regards specifically about shoplifting, I really wouldn't worry about it. So common nowadays that the police don't even care. I suspect that the shop won't even remember you the day after. My son had taken some biscuits off the shelf and I didn't notice him holding them so didn't scan them at self check out. The attendant then accused me of trying to steal them. We had an argument after which he banned me from coming back in to the shop. I went back the next day and he didn't even recognise me. This was a large chain supermarket store. Don't sweat it. You're only worried because you're a good person.

No. People stealing from supermarkets is absolutely not the reason prices have increased so rapidly and if you think it is then you're the thick one here "lol"

Thabkyou, the man took my name but said "I won't take your address, just don't come back" and let me go. Not sure why he never asked for address, but dreading the letter threw my door now. If they have another way of finding out where I live, as I did give my full name

I would rather give the £20 if I could afford it, and happen to be right. If it is not genuine, it is what it is. You can’t tell people what to do. Not everyone is as cynical as you.

Absolutely. I'd love to do a poll on class/background of who the gullible ones are. All middle class from leafy suburbs who have never encountered life in your average UK town.

No, she wanted to spend it on “somthkng else like food” - not sure what’s “like” food, other than food. Perhaps moisturiser, or a new smart phone contract, or clothes. The rest of us went to charity shops, community kitchens, jumble sales, Facebook marketplace, eBay and the like when we were struggling, rather than knicking stuff we had the money to pay for. The milk voucher and child benefit covers formula costs.

Yes but do you have to publish it for everyone to see?

Apart from being embarrassing, it's likely to encourage others to also do exactly what MNHQ have asked them not to.

If you want to be a fool, at least do it via private message.

You haven't worked in retail have you ?

"Shrinkage" can be calculated and contribute to price rises

I've barred myself from boots after being followed by the security guard when I had 3 grand children with me wearing crocs and me in my Birkenstocks we could hardly do a runner not that I've ever nicked anything anyway. I am still fuming.
I will never step foot in Boots again.

Milk vouchers and child benefit cover it yes. But once that £250 top up comes out because for some reason housing benefit refuses to cover full rent then you’re already behind

I was a single mum on UC living in a private rented flat and it is the rent top ups that absolutely cripple you.
Im not gullible, I don’t live in a leafy suburb but I do know first hand how hard it actually is to live on benefits. My friend was in my position, but in a council house, no rent top up and she was almost £270 a month better off than me.
Its not a case of simply use charity shops/vinted/marketplace
Once you’ve lived like this and had to absolutely cut off anything other than a necessary expense you only realise how fucking hard it actually is.