Preparedness for when

Doveling

http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/below-the-breadline-the-relentless-rise-of-food-poverty-in-britain-317730

We all have different experiences of life and people but in mine I've found that some others lives have not been necessarily chosen.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/03/victims-britains-harsh-welfare-sanctions

There are others.

[Deleted User]

charlies-aunt wrote: »

The option increasing the family income by claiming additional benefits is evaporating rapidly

It's just unfortunate, it was allowed to become an option, in the first place.

I know of one couple, on benefits, who, when they discovered the wife was pregnant again, the husband, in front of a group of family and friends, rubbed her belly, and, with a grin, declared "Yippee. More money".

I wish I could say I was shocked but, sadly, I'm not.

Frugalsod

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

GQ you can't TELL people how to manage their lives, they'll never ever listen but you can SHOW them how you live yours, show them how hard you work to keep yourself fed and clothed and and content with your lot, show them how you're even savvy enough to be looking to the future and building up your supplies and all on a salary that most likely doesn't earn you as much as their benefits. You can show them what making sensible and informed choices gives you, you can only lead from the front. If you do they might see the practical common sense that is you and your lifestyle and they might just decide to join you and change their ways but they will not do anything except dig in their heels and put on the brakes to anyone pushing them from behind will they?

Having been on unemployment benefits it is not easy to cope. Though I had it easier because I did not smoke and barely drank because I used to cycle everywhere so had the same full day clear from alcohol whether driving or cycling. The fact that others do is down to personal choice but benefits have not really been about coping as they were shown to be inadequate when Michael Portillo struggled to live a week on them and after that they stopped breaking down how it was made up and was sustainable.

Frugalsod

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Agreed (not forgetting who was in power at the time), but there's no use crying over spilled milk.

The current administration has to (and is) acting to straighten out the mess.

At some point, the deficit has to be tackled, and the sooner the better.

It would have made no difference if the Tories had been in power in 2008, they would have done exactly the same and bailed out the banks. The main parties were running on nearly identical policies right till the crisis.

Secondly they are not fixing the mess because the first thing that should be done is regulate the banks far more, and that is going in the other direction. We have already heard that there should not be any more banker bashing.

Unless you have any other policies that actually rein in private debt all you are doing is playing for time. They could eliminate the deficit overnight if they clamped down on tax avoidance and evasion. They would then have far more scope to balance the books yet they are taking the hard way through the problem. This will not fix the problem and it is only a matter of time before the next financial crisis. Also by running a deficit they actually give people the scope to pay down debts and that would make any future spending cuts easier to adjust to, yet they are not sending out the right signals. They are more concerned about increasing bank lending.

Frugalsod

Doveling wrote: »

http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/below-the-breadline-the-relentless-rise-of-food-poverty-in-britain-317730

We all have different experiences of life and people but in mine I've found that some others lives have not been necessarily chosen.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/aug/03/victims-britains-harsh-welfare-sanctions

There are others.

We need to start prosecuting benefit officers and departmental managers for manslaughter for deaths caused by benefit sanctions.

charlies-aunt

I don't know what the answer is, I really don't . . . . . . the solution is far beyond my comprehension - as a paid up fence sitter, I can always see both sides of any argument


All I can do is help as many people as I can by making sure they receive their full entitlements, refer them to CAB for debt relief orders etc, try to access charitable funding where I can and try to give them all the information that they need to make an informed choice.

Doveling

I appreciate different viewpoints, they make me re-evaluate my own thoughts

I don't have any answers either.
Sometimes I think that ignorance would be bliss :rotfl:

jk0

What was it I was saying yesterday?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-14/tsipras-stunner-creditors-said-countries-under-bailout-there-no-point-holding-electi

So the Troika makes it clear that countries under a bailout, such as a Greece was and is about to be indefinitely again, democracy is finished and the country becomes a sovereign ward of a few unelected bureaucrats, and the Greek "prime minister" who also just admitted he is now nothing but a puppet of Greece's new unelected leaders, is Ok with this.

Frugalsod

jk0 wrote: »

What was it I was saying yesterday?

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-07-14/tsipras-stunner-creditors-said-countries-under-bailout-there-no-point-holding-electi

Until recently I was pro Europe but seeing how they are treating Greece makes me want to leave. I do not want to be associated with the atrocities that are being done there in Europe's name on our behalf. I cannot be the only one whose attitude towards Europe is now more negative.

thriftwizard

you can SHOW them how you live yours, show them how hard you work to keep yourself fed and clothed and and content with your lot, show them how you're even savvy enough to be looking to the future and building up your supplies and all on a salary that most likely doesn't earn you as much as their benefits.

MrsLW, having tried to do exactly that in our little community, the result has been that people have simply assumed that we somehow have more money than they do, not that we've just used what we do have more thoughtfully! I'm still reeling from hearing that one lad, who knows us well, told someone else that we must be "rolling in it" because we have a bigger house, that we've bought & paid for. No, Joe, we're not rolling in it & never were! We just worked hard, didn't go out much, didn't have foreign holidays except to visit family, only bought anything new when we couldn't source something secondhand or free, didn't give our kids everything they asked for (and that was hard on both them & on us, in the current climate) drove (carefully, & maintained) old bangers until they finally fell apart, etc. etc.

Apparently he's even wondered if we won the lottery! Bless him - never even buy a ticket unless I've earned the money myself free & clear & have no other call on it!