A new 'tougher' thread... and so it continues

smileyt_2

I daren't read those articles yet. I'm feeling so low again. It's the sense of hopelessness that gets to me.

What also gets to me is that I have dogs and a rented house. So, if I decided to demonstrate, and ended up in prison, who would care for my dogs? I would also lose my accommodation. Believe me, if it wasn't for that I would trail DC around the country chucking rotten eggs at him or worse!

Popperwell

I also forgot if you get help with your community charge and at present get 25% reduction soon that is to be changed to be reduced by 10% so you'll only get 15% discount.

So in the worst case scenario there's three cuts before you do anything and I could see myself approx £60 a week worse off before I do anything.

The media ignores much of what is going on and fuels the problem by finding exceptional cases of where someone does work the system(few do)but it helps the politicians and also means that the population who have never had to use the system think it's great. It's not. Also they keep using the same stereotypical examples to make their point.

Playing one section of society off against another.

ginnyknit wrote: »

I obsessively turn everything off here and consider carefully before I use electric so any cut in benefits would cripple us.

Already doing that(and with the gas CH or heating of water)

I could not be any more frugal than I am...

I try not to be political as some will agree, some won't and I am strayoing off off topic but in another way not because this will make life tougher for many. And we'll need all the advice, help and support we can get.

stiltwalker

Greetings from the plague house! Thankfully DD is better now - she polished off her breakfast in double fast time and refuses to eat when she feels even a little bit unwell - but OH turned up back home within an hour of setting off for work and DS has already chucked up on the bed and produced a nappy I will not mention! Also thankfully I am proper better enough to be looking forward to wine o'clock at some distant point this evening to keep me going - lol!

I am so with you all about the benefits proposals, we might be up North but you should see the housing costs around here, apparently were are in a triangle that is on a par with the SE, factor in the almost non existent (but when there incredibly expensive) public transport and a distinct lack of aldi/lidl type shops then I can't see how they can claim it is cheaper to live.

The whole HB thing incenses me - the reason we need it is down to the ridiculous rents private LL's charge and even then you have very little security - we get a small amount even though OH works full time, what does that tell you? Oh yes, that wages are too low - he's not even on minimum wage but a bit above it. As far as not giving it to under 25s :mad: how dare they try to turn a whole sector into second class citizens based upon nothing more than DOB? Surely that must be against the equality act or something?

And breathe....

Popperwell

stiltwalker wrote: »

Greetings from the plague house! Thankfully DD is better now - she polished off her breakfast in double fast time and refuses to eat when she feels even a little bit unwell - but OH turned up back home within an hour of setting off for work and DS has already chucked up on the bed and produced a nappy I will not mention! Also thankfully I am proper better enough to be looking forward to wine o'clock at some distant point this evening to keep me going - lol!

I am so with you all about the benefits proposals, we might be up North but you should see the housing costs around here, apparently were are in a triangle that is on a par with the SE, factor in the almost non existent (but when there incredibly expensive) public transport and a distinct lack of aldi/lidl type shops then I can't see how they can claim it is cheaper to live.

The whole HB thing incenses me - the reason we need it is down to the ridiculous rents private LL's charge and even then you have very little security - we get a small amount even though OH works full time, what does that tell you? Oh yes, that wages are too low - he's not even on minimum wage but a bit above it. As far as not giving it to under 25s :mad: how dare they try to turn a whole sector into second class citizens based upon nothing more than DOB? Surely that must be against the equality act or something?

And breathe....

And most employees are on minimum wages or low paid to start off wityh and many employers therefore are not paying a "Living" wage and it still needs topping up by the State so you are still on benefits.

When they say you will be better off working we could be talking of perhaps as little as a couple of quid and as costs go up that will be soon eaten up. Many are still living frugally.

As you say about the cheaper supermarkets if I need to go to one I have to use a bus/taxi so any savings are lost and how much can you bring home on a bus. However at last they are building an Aldi two streets away, if I can remain here and use it.

Of course if I lose my DLA under the new proposals(well the replacement)that would be the end...so many will be affected.

Popperwell

After all isn't that why sites like MSE are so popular and have so many using it because many of us are struggling to survive and somewhat scared.

smileyt_2

Popperwell, what you say about low wages is so true. If wages were decent, people wouldn't need benefits to top them up.

I can see the suicide rate rocketing once these cuts are all in place.

fuddle

Have we really only seen 20% of the cuts so far?

I'm having a wobble! Well, all I can do is put the kettle on and dunk a few biscuits in it - think about preparing our tea and try to calm down. No one is talking about anything we talk about here at the school/nursery gates - it's all fifty shades grey books or catalogue sales. I sometimes wish I could bury my head but where would that get me. Damned if I do i.e. the more I know, the more I worry and damned if I don't i.e. the not knowing and not being educated makes me worry!

TEA!

smileyt_2

Welcome to Tory Britain. I have just had a letter from JSA saying they cannot pay me any JSA because I have too much money coming in. I am assuming they are referring to the money I get from the charity which has placed Lodger Boy here with me. Lodger Boy who would otherwise be homeless and sofa surfing or on the streets. No good deed goes unpunished.

Oh God, I wouldn't fancy David Ca-moron's chances at the moment if we were alone in a room together.

Popperwell

fuddle wrote: »

Have we really only seen 20% of the cuts so far?

I'm having a wobble! Well, all I can do is put the kettle on and dunk a few biscuits in it - think about preparing our tea and try to calm down. No one is talking about anything we talk about here at the school/nursery gates - it's all fifty shades grey books or catalogue sales. I sometimes wish I could bury my head but where would that get me. Damned if I do i.e. the more I know, the more I worry and damned if I don't i.e. the not knowing and not being educated makes me worry!

TEA!

Fuddle, I know how you feel...

Pete Murray the DJ/Presenter used to say that he stopped reading newspapers and listening/watching the news because it was so depressing.

At this minute I try to avoid it too and my little world seems to be ticking over ok but I know something bad is around the corner and it just takes a phone call or a letter on the mat to change things. So I need to know(even though I don't want to)

No one around here expresses the opinions that are in the media or by the politicians. Most are struggling in or out of work, ill or retired and they do tend to concentrate on big cities like London and use it as the template for the rest of the country.

shelley_crow

I am so glad that I'm not responsible for voting this lot in, as another poster said there will be an awful lot (more) desperation once all the cuts are in place. If there were lots of jobs then it wouldn't be quite so bad.

To that end, there have been quite a few attempted burglaries in the early hours of the morning around here. The most recent was a friend a few streets away, terrible.

Popperwell, you are right about the news! I make a habit to avoid it but watched the news at ten last night, a poor 2 year old child killed in an explosion among the other doom and gloom, needless to say I switched over poste haste!