Understanding disparity around us

Millyonare

UK today in 2022 has full employment, record household disposable income, and the 11th highest level of net wealth on planet Earth.

Sea_Shell

It also depends how you define fuel poverty, and how your data is collected.

Is it (say) if you spend more than 10% of your taxable household income on domestic fuel?

What of those who choose to draw "income" below or at the personal allowance threshold?

Taxable income of £12,570 of which 10% = £1,257.   Annual fuel bill greater than £1,257 = "fuel poverty"?

Regardless of other "means".

See how easily the "official" figures can be....(skewed/massaged/manipulated/misleading - delete as appropriate 😉)

Albermarle

I find it vaguely amusing to see all these highly paid newsreaders and politicians, trying to make out that they are all personally worrying about the increased cost of living, along with the poor downtrodden masses.

Personally I think the stories about more people not eating etc., are isolated cases hyped up by the media as in reality the cost of living issues are only just starting to bite. By the Autumn, pretty much everything we buy will have gone up in price, sometimes more than once and then the cold weather will come and the real impact of the energy prices will be felt. Then the squeeze will really start to be felt in the lower income sections of society. Xmas might keep the tills ringing but in the dark days after that, many people will be really feeling  the pinch.

Sea_Shell

Google has already predicted the date ...

Monday, 16 January

Blue Monday 2023

☹️

daz378

Sometimes  I think  oh them nasty profiteering   companies...then I realise my 21 year ongoing DB pension and stocks and shares  isa   and quietly step back....program on retirement  audited a couple s future retirement prospects   they wanted  to retire to a French b&b...audit revealed they'd be lucky to get   a week  a year in the caravan 

zagfles

Daliah said:

Most people living in the UK were not in poverty before the energy rises hit. The people you see shopping and eating out are the ones not [yet] in financial difficulties. It will be interesting to see the stats for 2022.

Despite the slight downward trend in recent years, I find the poverty figures quite frightening, and, frankly, shameful for a country that prides itself to be the 5th or 6th richest in the world. I also find it shameful to put poverty down to laziness. For example, none of the 2.1 million pensioners and 4 million kids living in poverty are lazy.

Have you looked at the definition of "absolute low income"??

You may be surprised to find that it's still a relative measure, usually based on a previous year eg 2010, and still relative only to others in the same country, not worldwide. So it's completely meaningless for international comparisons of poverty. So the fact that the UK is the 5th or whatever richest country in the world is irrelavent, as the "absolute" measure is still only a measure against people in the same country. Using the same measure, a sub-saharan African country where nearly everyone is starving could have less "absolute low income".

zagfles

Albermarle said:

I find it vaguely amusing to see all these highly paid newsreaders and politicians, trying to make out that they are all personally worrying about the increased cost of living, along with the poor downtrodden masses.

Like the hypocrites at the Guardian: https://www.uktimenews.com/guardian-editor-handed-over-inflation-destroying-150000-pay-raise/

MACKEM99

Albermarle said:

I find it vaguely amusing to see all these highly paid newsreaders and politicians, trying to make out that they are all personally worrying about the increased cost of living, along with the poor downtrodden masses.

Personally I think the stories about more people not eating etc., are isolated cases hyped up by the media as in reality the cost of living issues are only just starting to bite. By the Autumn, pretty much everything we buy will have gone up in price, sometimes more than once and then the cold weather will come and the real impact of the energy prices will be felt. Then the squeeze will really start to be felt in the lower income sections of society. Xmas might keep the tills ringing but in the dark days after that, many people will be really feeling  the pinch.

People eating less -  there are loads who could do with that these days.

zagfles

MACKEM99 said:

Albermarle said:

I find it vaguely amusing to see all these highly paid newsreaders and politicians, trying to make out that they are all personally worrying about the increased cost of living, along with the poor downtrodden masses.

Personally I think the stories about more people not eating etc., are isolated cases hyped up by the media as in reality the cost of living issues are only just starting to bite. By the Autumn, pretty much everything we buy will have gone up in price, sometimes more than once and then the cold weather will come and the real impact of the energy prices will be felt. Then the squeeze will really start to be felt in the lower income sections of society. Xmas might keep the tills ringing but in the dark days after that, many people will be really feeling  the pinch.

People eating less -  there are loads who could do with that these days.

Indeed - but how often do you hear the fatuous explaination (excuse the pun) that obesity is a symptom of poverty because healthy food costs more? Usually coming from journalists on £100k+ salaries who've probably never in their lives had to count the pennies while shopping. If they had, they might notice that stuff like fresh fruit, veg etc is far cheaper than stuff like crisps and chocolate bars.

Linton

Millyonare said:

UK today in 2022 has full employment, record household disposable income, and the 11th highest level of net wealth on planet Earth.

Yes, but it is spread very unevenly.  That is the problem.  There are plenty of people with the means to live comfortably for the rest of their lives without working and others who have very much a hand to mouth existance.