Broke BBC2

[BedraggledBlitz]

Can't see a thread for this. I'm sick to my stomach for these people, they're trying their absolute best but can't catch a break.

And the poor lad living with his dad on the beach. Sounds like he's just keeping an eye on him in case he attempts suicide again.

And the boy Tyrone, just needs a cuddle from his fucking heartless mother.

When he went to his mums house and got no answer

I felt very sorry for the pair in tents, however, was a bit baffled by the posh couple living in the housing association flat. Surely the mum could get a job after being a stay at home mum for 28 years? Found her attitude quite selfish while her husband drives an Uber 60 hours per week.

I missed her, was it last week?

McDonalds are bastards too.

Felt so sorry for Tyrone.
Also the beach dwellers' joy when they got their caravan.

Thoroughly depressing show. I despair that a wealthy country like ours can allow such poverty / homelessness like this. While the rich get richer all the time.

Yes the one I watched was on iplayer so must have been last week's.

I saw this for the first time tonight. It made me sad and angry in equal measure. We live in a rich country, there is no need for people to be living in tents or working for a pittance.

Tyrone broke my heart. I didn't see all of the episode, did it explain why he fell out with his mum?

I just watched the second one, and agree it's shameful that such a wealthy country should allow this state of affairs to continue, and indeed get worse.

All the participators are in dire situations not of their own making, have good work ethics and struggle so much to keep their heads above water (with the exception of Uber driving man in the first episode - I agree that his wife needed to contribute financially).

Thank goodness Tyrone's friends were looking out for him.

So glad you started this thread, was looking earlier to see if there was one. It’s just mind blowing that you can work and still can’t get by. The Spanish lady made me cry, so sad.

In ep 1 I was also a little bit baffled by the wife of the taxi driver. I think she is possibly completely in denial? She seems to think that if, one day, they hit rock bottom then she will find more Pilates work. But by then it will be too late.

The one cheering thing is that the Spanish woman (Angelica?) and her colleague not only managed to shame their employers into paying them the living wage but the rest of their workforce too. It just shows what can happen if people get together and fight.

I agree, it was very sad and moving. Poor Tyrone just never had a break his whole life. It brings into focus the unbelievable inequalities which exist in our supposedly advanced, prosperous nation.

Just downloaded e1

It seems so wrong that people work and still can’t afford to live

Do they not give housing benefit to under 18s?

Yes it was strange about last week's where the wife wasn't working, or not a lot anyway. Her reason seemed to be that she wasn't qualified for anything. Was their situation not as bad as they were making out or something? Otherwise surely she would have a job

I really found it hard to have much sympathy with the older couple. It sounds like they have never undertaken any basic financial planning and have lived for the moment. The wife hasn’t worked (apart from the odd Pilates class it seems) for 28 years. She doesn’t seem to show any embarrassment or shame about the fact her 60 year old husband is doing loads of hours in a taxi.

Felt sorry for the father and son. Dad obviously a grafter but the son needs to get a permanent job (he seemed to be satisfied with causal work). Programme didn’t say he was looking for one as far as I remember

Felt most sorry for Tyrone and at least he has the 2 guys he worked with to support him. He’s lucky he met 2 such decent guys. It was awful to see him knocking on his mum’s door.

Yes the law changed in regards to young people receiving housing benefit.

Just watched episode 2 and Tyrone was heartbreaking - he looks like a baby.

On a brighter note, the tall strike leader chap was very dishy and caring and courageous

I’m catching up on this tonight and it’s devastating. Poor Tyrone. I also have a lot of sympathy for Steve and Billy. He seems like a great son to have stuck with his dad.

Less sympathetic towards the Uber driver and his wife who seems very reluctant to get a job herself.

Good on the cleaner taking on the agency employing her!

I suppose like a lot of these programmes it's how you classify someone as "Broke"? In the case of the uber driver would they have been broke if the wife had taken. a job (even part-time) at any point? They appear to have benefited from a HA flat in London in which to bring up their children (think they had 4?) so that is a good starting point for any family in terms of stability and job opportunities.

Agree Uber driver and yoga wide could have worked

The father and son :(

Trying her best to work but as dad said he comes lower then a refugees

Just seen 2. So sad about the parents not wanting to know

Fab the tent father and son finally got their rent for caravan

I agree with all of the above but had mixed feelings about the family from Wales. He's worked in a NMW(ish) job for a long time, supports a family of five and a large dog (I didn't hear any mention of his wife working at all but I may have missed that) on that and appears to live in secure housing. He seems to have enough money to pay the mortgage/rent/bills/food/hobbies. TBH, under those circumstances, I wouldn't expect to have anything left at the end of the month.

I don't really agree with everyone being so down on the uber driver's wife. To get any job - even voluntary work you need work references. After 28 years of work in the home (and bringing up children and running a home bloody well is work) how on earth would she obtain these? Should she write them herself? "Sally has been a dedicated child-rearer and domestic skivvy for the past 28 years and i highly recommend her for the role. Yours sincerely, Sally".

I do agree RuffleCrow that it would be hard for the Uber drivers wife to rustle up a new career out of nowhere.

I was more thinking she should have tried to increase her Pilates classes years ago. Their poverty hasn’t come out of nowhere and all her kids are quite old. It just feels a bit like she has let her husband carry the load for maybe longer then was advisable?

My mum spent years out of the workplace and did cleaning during school hours when she needed to . I think the uber driver wife could have managed that if she wanted to.

ms vestibule the welsh man had a wife who did work. she didn't until recently it said as she was stay at home mum but she now works, presumably cos the kids are a bit older. but it said they amassed debt because of her not working til now

I did think the man who was working 100 hours a week seemed a bit strange. I mean it seemed like he wasn't in poverty and it seemed he chose to work that much just so he can save money for his son's future? If came across like he didn't need to work that much he just wanted to so he could get some savings. which to me, is different.
and it didn't seem like he had a good quality of life with all this?