Dispatches - Growing Up Poor

[TurquoiseKiss]

Did anyone see this? I'm half way through on catch up - very tough to watch.

[JustAnotherPoster00]

*Theres

[AuntieMarys]

There was a dog in one of the families

[JustAnotherPoster00]

Are you suggesting that they should have eaten the dog or poor people arent allowed pets? Which one because I cant be sure with some people on this site anymore

[diege]

You'd seriously begrudge a family with such stress and constant anxiety having a pet?

[Carpathian2]

*
*
Whats no point of voting Tory if theres no one below you to kick down and make yourself feel better about your lot in life, they look at those above them and think I cant have that but I'll make sure those fuckers below me dont have what I have

Well said. You've put the stinking attitude of Tory voters in a nutshell.

I used to be like the people in the programme, my lowest point was shoplifting my dc's Christmas presents because I just didn't have the money. My xh, who was always supportive, had just lost his job and had to take out a doorstep loan to pay his rent and provide the basics for us because I had nothing.

Things are much better now, but it's always on a knife edge because my health isn't great and I'm worried that I'll have to give up work. Some people really live in a bubble

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Was so sad watching

To sleep in coats

To not eat so their child could eat

The emptiness of fridge freezer and cupboard :(

So wrong in this day and age :(

[Gilead]

You are a deeply unpleasant person Dotty.

[FoamingAtTheUterus]

The lady with the dog had fled domestic violence and moved her children miles away to keep them safe.........dottypotter are you suggesting that those traumatised children having lost their home, school and friends and seen their mother beaten should have lost their pet as well ?? It was obvious that dog is adored. You could see it. To have taken it away would have been barbaric.

[AnnaNimmity]

Really heartbreaking. Horrendous for those families. I work with many people like this and it's not at all unusual.

I can only imagine what Dotty the pp said, but she can fuck right off. The people to blame for this are the government.

[Zoflorabore]

So I watched the programme and it broke
my heart to be honest. The first little girl, Courtney is the same age as my dd, 8 and is wise beyond her years. I felt so sorry for them and yes they had a dog. They also moved over 150 miles away for cheaper housing and a better life.

The second girl who sat her GCSE’s was so troubled, talked about killing herself and then failed all her exams apart from one. I was pleased they got a new build home though.

The last family who lost their daughter/sister/mum. Wow. 2 children left without a mum and yet all the children were helping out at the food initiative that helped them eat. I too am poor due to my son being refused pip after being on dla because he turned 16. We are appealing but it’s a long process. I too have been very desperate during these last 5 weeks ( get my first UC payment on Friday ) but no way can I compare my situation to theirs. We have eaten and had fuel and clothes and a decent home. Nobody should be living like this is 2019.

[BumblebeeBum]

Would this be suitable to watch with a 9 year old please? We’re discussing food banks/homelessness at the moment.

[HeIenaDove]

I wonder how many women watching that were gearing up/psyching themselves up to leave abusive partners and now have decided they are better off where they are because they dont want to risk being in grinding poverty. The mention of SS will have been noticed too



This was posted by @YeTalkShiteHen on a housing thread last year.

YeTalkShiteHen Mon 30-Jul-18 17:20:13
Oh I forgot lawnmowers cost a lot too, so grass would be a challenge.

*My friend who got her property because she was fleeing DV and is on benefits (no she’s not a bloody scrounger) was fined by our council twice because she hadn’t cut the grass because she can’t afford a fucking lawnmower! They fined her £125 each time and then charged £125 for the council to do it! So a £500 fine effectively because she was skint in the first place!

I bought her one because I’ve been where she is and it’s shit, really fucking shit. And being judged just makes it worse"

[SquashedOrange]

Would this be suitable to watch with a 9 year old please?

Some is, but I'd probably not show the comments about self-harm/ suicide. Maybe just watch Courtney's family.

[Akire]

Was few mentions of self harm and Suicide from adults and children but nothing graphic.

Have seen a lot more poverty on TV before, I think difference was this time it wasn’t on council estates but in very green and expensive areas. Housing Benefit is crazy given it doesn’t cover the rent. Then to say her is a 3 bed that landlord will accept housing benefit for so you have pay the bedroom tax. Not fair. If there was a cheaper 2 bed she would have taken that.

Sadly you can see cycle continue, kids grow up in poverty don’t do well in exams, drop out or low pay job, mental health problems and it keeps going. it’s all very well expecting the kids to just get on with it and solve it themselves but I know from experience not having money to buy books or equipment or space to study is hard. It’s hard to imagine that you are capable of pulling set out of poverty as a hard if you have never seen anything different. Or no one expects much from you, or just expected to get a low paid job anyway.

[HeIenaDove]

Seeing accusations on Twitter that a Panorama pulled a prog on UC last night.

[mizu]

Just watched. Thought the girl in Cambridge in particular was fabulous. Very bright and caring.

[HeIenaDove]

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/growing-up-poor-dispatches-channel-4_uk_5de650b0e4b0d50f32a8bc34?utm_hp_ref=uk-homepage

[purpleme12]

I'm watching it now
Rose's mum saying that she's stuck working 16 hours a week cos she said if she did overtime she was actually worse off.
I don't understand this?
I thought people on here say universal credit means it always benefits you working more?
Which is right?

[june2007]

I think it showed that poverty is complex and not simply solved/ caused It also showed the community that did soo much positive in food banks/food cafes and the waste not/want no coop thing.

[HeIenaDove]

Yes Poverty is complex Its not caused by not having any money.


june2007 Wed 24-Jul-19 18:41:26
Make a a couple of pads out of rags. What do you think people do all around he world

[dontalltalkatonce]

I thought people on here say universal credit means it always benefits you working more?

No, it doesn't. The system wasn't meant to 'make work pay' but to punish people who are working poor. The IT system doesn't know how to deal with fluctuating incomes and pay periods that are often the case for people in low-wage (and seasonal, temp or zero hours/gig jobs) so the UC gets stopped or the payment gets delayed if anything goes awry, cuts off funds for months in which there are two pay periods, all manner of fucked upness. It's a shower of shit because, as housing benefit is paid in arrears, any hiccup like this and the person is in almost immediate rent arrears.

It's cost far more to create and administer UC than legacy benefits but hey, those people should just be able to magic themselves out of poverty! They're just lazy and workshy, because that is the entire mentality behind UC, it's to punish.

[purpleme12]

Oh I'm scared of going on it. I'm on tax credits I do work and thankfully although I don't have a lot of money I'm not like these people in the programme. I thought I could do overtime when I'm on universal credit but in this programme it said it didn't benefit her

But it is scary as well because like someone said you could easily find yourself in this situation. One of my worst fears getting poorly or something so you can't work.

And the dog was truly adorable.

[june2007]

Why though do people have no money? Mental health issues, family breakdown, domestic violence, having to care for the sick, benefits not kicking in, poor qualification. I,m mean seriously do I really have to spell it out HeleaDove

[HeIenaDove]

Im aware of that. And ive been saying it for years as my posting history will attest. IVE never told anyone with no money to use rags while on a period.

[HeIenaDove]

Here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3066503-Universal-Credit-wont-be-paid-in-months-with-5-weeks-WTF-AIBU-to-think-no-one-realises


Its not as if it wasnt well known.