The re-emergence of absolute poverty in Britain

[joe_bloggs*]

Something terrible is slowly happening across the face of Britain.   We are seeing the return of absolute levels of poverty which have not existed on this scale since the Victorial age over a century ago.   Relative poverty is when people can’t afford the comforts and enjoyments which most people have, but absolute poverty is when people haven’t the money to pay for even their most basic needs.

The evidence is all around us.   There are now over 300 food-banks in Britain, and the number is rising every week.  

The Red Cross is setting up centres to help the destitute, just as they do in developing countries.   A new study published this week shows that even in prosperous area of the country like London, more than a quarter of the population are now living in poverty.   And a new scary fact is steadily emerging: an increasing number of these poverty households are not dependent on benefits, but where someone is at work.

In the north the first of the Northern Housing Consortium’s surveys just published presents a devastating picture.   It is based on 74 househoolds, a small sample but one which broadly reflects all households living in the social rented sector.   It reveals that two-thirds, after paying for rent and food and other essential bills, end up each week with less than £10 left, whilst more than a third end up with nothing at all.   A quarter can only afford £20 or less on food per week – how many of the rest of us could survive on that?  

http://www.michaelmeacher.info/weblog/2013/10/the-re-emergence-of-absolute-poverty-in-britain/

[spawnjohnuk]

exactly ,divide and rule ...

as they have no affect or rule over anyone except the less fortunate than themselves in this day and age ,how their 'rule' isnt well and truly up is outside my level of thinking.

I have no issue with a governing body but when (todays example) Ian Duncan Smith and his supporters are in a governing body ,well as I say ,beyond me,and now the civil servants (ha) are  happily saying to people who's money has gone ''use the foodbank'' (fact) as if the rotten govern had set the whole thing up as help.

Disgrace its accepted more than its happening imo

[rednoise2001]

Hey, at least we`ve got a space programme

[briar888]

Where have all my contributions gone?  - since the 1960s I have paid my stamp (one seventh of my wage).  It wasn't much when I started work, but by the time I finished, it was a goodly sum.

Bad investment - over-indulgence with government spending - can be added to unwise projects (has anyone calculated how much is spent on these consultants used to calculate how much their schemes should be?).

The times I have heard that the government have changed this or that (education/tax systems/NHS/infrastructure, etc.)  It must have cost them a fortune in consultation fees.

Bring back the 3R's and educate our children, not mollycoddle them.  Teach them decent, law-abiding, practical subjects - bring back cleanliness - and even godliness if it helps.  But please teach our children to care.

[tommy.irene]

https://witness.theguardian.com/assi...CMP=mic_231176

[bankhaunter]

The more I look at it, it would seem that the unemployed on JSA have to spend more time and effort avoiding sanctions and dealing with the whims of Job Centre staff than they can actually trying to improve their lot.

[joe_bloggs*]

Jenny's DLA was stopped:

Jenny came to the Chester and Ellesmere Port Foodbank last month, having been diagnosed with terminal Cancer. Her prognosis was three to six months. She already suffered with several chronic illnesses preventing her from working over the last two years and was in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.

Having no family she was trying to "put her house in order", ensuring all her bills were paid and saving up for her funeral. Her DLA was stopped; the reason given was that as she was not expected to survive the required time, she did not qualify for this benefit!

She came to the Foodbank not for herself but to bring a neighbour who had mental health issues and short term memory problems. He had been 30 minutes late for his appointment at the Benefit office (he had forgotten the time!) and had therefore been sanctioned. He had not eaten for three days.

They were both given a meal and the time to talk of their problems and referred to the appropriate agencies for food vouchers and further support and help. Several weeks later Jenny came to the Foodbank to thank everyone for the help and food that was given and the kindness and support that was shown in their time of need.

http://chesterellesmereportfoodbank.blogspot.co.uk/

So let’s be clear about this – if you are terminally ill and you don’t have the financial means to keep yourself for the remainder of your life – you will have to find work or starve.

I know some people will argue that Jenny could have appealed the decision which would have been overturned, or she made a mistake when she was filling in the forms which could have been rectified, or the DWP made an honest mistake themselves and Jenny should have gone back to them and argued her case harder. But she can’t now, can she?

Because she’s dead.

[bankhaunter]

I know some people will argue that Jenny could have appealed the decision which would have been overturned,

And she would probably have been told an appeal could take up to 13 weeks.

[rcjjackson]

I hate this happening and i do not understand why it is allowed, I can not simply decide to move to the countries these people come from and have a house by the sea fully paid for and get the cash needed to survive i am sure if i could not just me but everyone would be moving out of britain but no i checked and well as a brit you need savings and a secure job to move into there country all i ask is that the rules be changed so that our country demands the same from the migrants we get here in britain, Once they do change i simply won't have a problem with it

[rcjjackson]

The thing with cameron is the economy in areas where he was voted for is still ok but in areas where he got no votes are now the poorest areas of britain so maybe its worth voting for him but is that not just some form of a dictorship rather than an actual goverment which leads me to my next point at what stage did politians decide it was ok to stop listening to the people they are supose to represent maybe they should get paid commission on what they actually follow through on that way they would not be so secure in there jobs and leave millions without the basic needs to survive whilst bankers take home millions in commision 

[**caution**opinion_ahead]

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@picoteet wrote:

Nobody needs to be in poverty. When I was 27 I was unemployed, facing bankruptcy and eviction with no prospects or qualifications and a mountain of debt. Then we discovered our third child was due.

We started a small business literally from nothing, worked hard and cleared our debts within 5 years. Today's society no longer encourages people to take responsibility for themselves.

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Splendid!

But ... not everyone is in good health.  Do you experience debilitating pain?  Are you fully mobile?  Is your mental health sound?  Do you have a sleep disorder that renders you permanently exhausted?   Do you have support, or are you completely on your own with no one to turn to for help?  

Some people are in poverty because they have been dealt a hand, through no fault of their own, that anyone would find challenging to live with, not because they are not willing to "try". 

[guardpig]

Oh I love these threads

!.  Raise the tax allowance to the level at which benefits would kick in - ie go back to the old "family" tax allowance.  People who need benefits shouldn't be paying tax or NI.

2.  Make the Universal credit system work so those people who can and do want to work can at least take temporary work(which will give extra money, experience and references).

3.  Prioritise the family unit, with or without kids, same or different sex

4. Make child allowance affordable - ie limit number of kids supported by it.

5.  Stop throwing money at problems and think outside the box. There are solutions to a lot of problems with imagination involved.  Listen to "normal" people not Civil Servants and politicians protecting their own jobs

6.  Have a good look at what the EU costs and what we get back, have a look at the trade deficits, the immigration, the legislation.  Not saying we should leave, not saying we should cut all ties if we did leave, not saying we should stay in.  Saying it needs thinking about critically.

7. NI, Scotland and Wales all have their own parliament.  The house of Lords has been made more or less impotent.  It is time for reform - maybe an English Parliament in Westminster and a second house overseeing National issues like defence.  Now that would save MONEY.

8.  Educate the young in what they need to know in order to work, stop sending everybody to Uni, point out that not everybody is going to get the career they want, that an awful lot of people aren't ever going to have a career, that most people's jobs have boring routine elements, that some people hate their jobs aND that benefits are charity and if you want to eat you need to work.

8.  Reform the NHS. Reform what we offer for free and what we don't.  And yes I think eye tests and prescriptions should be free or do I?.  Having just paid out for a scrip, I was informed by one chap that he always had spare medecines(prescribed by his Doctor when he said he needed them and didn't) around in case of emergencies.  If he had to pay for the scrip I bet he'd only go when he had to!

9.  Cut the public sector wage bill. Do we need all the pen pushers(because of all the rules and regs) or all the services that are pushed upon us?

10  With the money we save maybe we could look after the vulnerable, the sick, the disabled in our midst PROPERLY.

And no I am not wanting to be in Government - mainly 'cos I'd sack the lot of them just for starters.