There are no poor people

richyg

melanzana wrote: »

Does anyone have a definition of "poor"?

I suppose it is relative. Say for example you had the good life and then everything went belly up for you. That would be poor for you. But bankruptcy is swift and attainable. Then back to normal.

I think many of those who have little or nothing are those not well versed in the "system". They fall through the cracks through lack of awareness, education, whatever. On the other hand many have degrees in the "entitlement" faculty.

There is no way anyone in UK should be destitute, unless they choose that route through addiction or lack of knowledge of entitlements, or rash use of benefits.

Sorry. Reading back I sound so harsh. I don't mean to. I have had very tough times in my own life, and got through.

The benefit system in UK is ace. Otherwise no one would want to come to live here. The only comparator I know of is ROI, that is a good (similar) benefit system country too.

Well said. You have summed up an awful lot in one post. Fantastic that you got through.

The welfare system is there and offers support - it's not perfect by any means but much better than many other countries. Make the best of it if you need to and leave it behind for others to use if they ever need it.

I feel the benefits system is very much like the NHS. A great idea in principle but must not be abused/overused else the tax take will just kill it off within the next generation as it just become too expensive to justify to the voters.

bigfreddiel

bigadaj wrote: »

The benefits system in the uk is ace, but probably unsustainable.

Ahh well, nice while it lasted. fj

Pincher

When I am emperor, there will be trade training camps, where you get a bunk, food, and training to learn a trade.

If you are really dumb, and can't be trained, you will be assigned jobs as traffic warden, toilet cleaners and Currys salesmen.

The truly useless will be used for organ transplant.

No one need be poor.

bigfreddiel

Pincher wrote: »

When I am emperor, there will be trade training camps, where you get a bunk, food, and training to learn a trade.

If you are really dumb, and can't be trained, you will be assigned jobs as traffic warden, toilet cleaners and Currys salesmen.

The truly useless will be used for organ transplant.

No one need be poor.

That sounds about right, nice one fj

bigfreddiel

colsten wrote: »

I believe bigfreddiel has recently received his first state pension payment. It's not inconceivable that he had one or more excessive celebrations with the extra cash he now has to worry about, and that his judgement is therefore a tad more challenged than usual.

Actually you're dead right and very nice it is too.

Next one tomorrow to be exact, the result of working since 1975 despite being made redundant a couple of times, I persevered and kept at it.

Started at the bottom, clawed my way up to just above the bottom to become a pensioner.

Thanks for your feedback fj

bowlhead99

bigfreddiel wrote: »

Started at the bottom, clawed my way up to just above the bottom to become a pensioner.

Thanks for your feedback fj

IIRC from your boasts on other threads, a good portion of your million quid or whatever of wealth appeared to be from getting lucky getting into public sector employment towards the end of your career and getting a fortuitous boost to your lucrative DB pension pot when you had a promotion late on, oh and being in the right place at the right time for tremendous house price appreciation and unprecedented rising investment markets in the last few years.

"Of course, nobody in the UK can be poor because I made money from humble beginnings and I'm not special or lucky cheers fj"
:beer:

darkidoe

bigfreddiel wrote: »

Actually you're dead right and very nice it is too.

Next one tomorrow to be exact, the result of working since 1975 despite being made redundant a couple of times, I persevered and kept at it.

Started at the bottom, clawed my way up to just above the bottom to become a pensioner.

Thanks for your feedback fj

Happy retirement bf!

My take on this is unfortunately, if there is rich people, there is bound to be poorer people. It's whether by default or by design, fortunate or unfortunate, how the society works at present. Wealth disparity. Even if you spend less that you earn, you would still be relatively poor in monetary terms poorer than the people who have a higher income who does the same. Then again, its all very arbitrary and relative and can be vastly different subjectively and objectively so perhaps everyone is rich and poor at the same time. You win some, you lose some.