MSE News: One in nine worried they can't pay for housing costs after Xmas

Former_MSE_Paloma · 5 January 2015 at 3:44PM

"More than 3 million people fear they'll miss their rent or mortgage payments this month following the cost of Xmas ..."

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One in nine worried they can't pay for housing costs after Xmas

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grumbler · 5 January 2015 at 4:19PM

Shelter_ wrote:

Katharine says: "I work every hour I can to support my family. But each month I wonder if I'm going to able to make my rent, and I'm expecting things to be especially bad after Christmas – even though we cut back on spending as much as we could."

It would be nice to clarify why she expected this.

After reading the article I don't understand what Christmas has to do with this. Is it that things just generally keep getting worse - despite the government claiming that they are getting better?

If it was the reckless spending to blame, then I don't understand why this wasn't clearly addressed in the article.

ceredigion · 5 January 2015 at 4:21PM

You can only spend it want's !

[Deleted User] · 5 January 2015 at 4:32PM

Well the article says Katherine's work hours are unpredictable which probably means zero hour contract and works in a shop/restaurant/hotel. Generally after Xmas, these firms cut back hours to the bone as nobody is spending extra money.

A couple of years ago, my son had no hours for 6 weeks in the period prior to Easter as the hotel who "employed" him (on a zero hour contract) had few clients so slashed the staff hours to zero for the majority.

colsten · 5 January 2015 at 5:06PM

I am sure that there will be people who have zero hours related downs but would think the vast majority of people with new money problems after Christmas have them because they spent money they didn't have. The relentless advertising and media hype (special deals, nonsense such as Black Friday, huge food piles in supermarkets etc) will put many people under psychological pressure to buy stuff they neither need nor can afford.

It would be nice to see Charities and journalists helping people before Christmas by telling them it is alright not buy stacks of presents, to ignore Black Friday and other special offers, to just eat normally rather than feast, and to only spend money that has been saved up for the special occasion.

WestonDave · 5 January 2015 at 5:34PM

Thing is, if you ask 1000 people whether they fear they might not be able to make their mortgage/rent payments, those that respond with a yes will be a mix of those who know they have insufficient funds, those who might not make it, and those that almost certainly will be able to pay but always fear the worst.

I'm sure we get these surveys every so often from Shelter, which always seem to come up with cataclismic projections, except that doomsday never actually comes.

sinizterguy · 5 January 2015 at 5:36PM

If you have no extra money to spend, but can just manage every month .... Why choose to make Christmas more expensive ?

Their own fault.

zennith · 5 January 2015 at 5:49PM

I was worrying about housing costs and bills BEFORE Xmas!

I had a Very Meagre Christmas!

I'm still worrying!

One can't over spend if one doesn't have the money/access to it!!

AlwaysLearnin · 5 January 2015 at 7:44PM

zennith wrote: »

One can't over spend if one doesn't have the money/access to it!!

and yet some people still do...

Catriona_P · 6 January 2015 at 10:44AM

I usually end up worrying after Christmas because I get paid a week early in December (I think most people do?). It just means having to stretch wages an extra week in January. If you're struggling to make ends meet, that extra week can be a problem regardless of how much you've spent at Christmas.

But then I have the added problem of my child's birthday being in January. If I'd had known beforehand...

pmduk · 6 January 2015 at 12:02PM

I'm in the same boat as zennith

MSE News: One in nine worried they can't pay for housing costs after Xmas

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