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Post by VanWoman84 on Jun 6, 2018 8:56:40 GMT
Not exactly what you might think. A writer who's book is Food Bank Britain, was being interviewed on the radio. He said 10% of the population didn't have gas or electricity. This wasn't by choice. I just made me feel so lucky. I've got electricity and gas. The gas is in bottles but costs me less than Β£5 a month. The solar electricity is free, but the kit cost under Β£200 one off. Anybody else stunned by the figure of 10% people having no power?
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Post by bigbear67 on Jun 6, 2018 9:36:11 GMT
Some people don't seem to prioritise their needs very well. How many times have we watched these baliff programmes, where a single mum is being evicted cos she owes 10 grand in rent arrears, yet she's talking on the latest 700 quid mobile and every room in the house has a 60 inch TV and ps4 etc. I can believe people exist who can't afford heating etc, but as a single parent who's currently on benefits I don't understand these people who say they can't afford food,heating etc.
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Post by NomadCris on Jun 6, 2018 9:44:46 GMT
That means 6.2 million people without gas or electric.The unemployment figures are something beteen 2 and 3 million (havent checked recently). I find the FBB figures hard to believe tbh...though wouldnt surprise me since poverty has increased radically under the Tories.
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Post by VanWoman84 on Jun 6, 2018 9:52:20 GMT
Bigbear I have to agree with you to a point. I grew up with my parents on benefits. I can't tell you how many times I heard the words "we can't afford it". The result of that is I don't borrow money (any more!) and if I can't afford it it I don't have it. The point I stop agreeing with you are those programs. You have to keep in mind they are 'entertainment', the modern day Victorian asylum. Of the say 200 cases those bailiffs had, that the film company recorded, most would have been genuinely impoverished. They won't bother airing those. The one with the lovely phones and leased brand new car, on the other hand, will get on the show. Bread and circuses.
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Off Grid
Jun 6, 2018 9:57:33 GMT
via mobile
Post by VanWoman84 on Jun 6, 2018 9:57:33 GMT
That means 6.2 million people without gas or electric.The unemployment figures are something beteen 2 and 3 million (havent checked recently). I find the FBB figures hard to believe tbh...though wouldnt surprise me since poverty has increased radically under the Tories. Agreed. One thing though, it's not all about unemployment. The majority of housing benefit claimants are in work. They wouldn't qualify if they weren't poor enough, obviously.
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Post by NomadCris on Jun 6, 2018 10:09:37 GMT
I think there was a study done not so long ago that 2 million were living without one or two basic facilities,which i think is probably a more realistic figure.Id be surprised if its more than five per cent of the population if you include the million living rough. Even poor people in rent arrears manage to find the money for electric or bypass the meter and you cant have all the bling like widescreen tvs pcs games machines and mobile phones without electric so i dont think that popular argument stands up.People prioritise and that usually means not paying rent or council tax or in some cases not eating properly to fund the things they see as essential like tv mobile pc games cooking heat and light.
I dont live in a house I dont want to for another reason i cant afford to, what with rent and paying council parasites council tax and all the other nonsense you have to shell out for with rentals like utility standing charges,insurance,maintenance,service charges etc. My income isnt enough to support that way of living but was just too much to qualify for housing or other benefit years back,certainly wouldnt now if i claimed.I just qualify for pension credits.I dont want to be beholden to government agencies telling me which hoops to jump through to qualify for a piddling handout.
The only way i can live comfortably is the way i do and chose to live..in a trailer.Ive gas (bottled) and electricity and bling and eat properly but its only by being imaginative with the money i have.
We may not feel it but we have far better support here from the state than in the US. Try being poor there.
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Off Grid
Jun 6, 2018 10:31:06 GMT
via mobile
Post by VanWoman84 on Jun 6, 2018 10:31:06 GMT
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Post by NomadCris on Jun 6, 2018 11:01:44 GMT
I think the 10% figure is likely to correct if it means they have neither for a short period of time because of the viciousness of the benefit agencies and benefit sanctions dropping people into a financial black hole from which they struggle,really struggle to recover from. I have a friend with MS who cant work and they stopped her money because she was for no fault of her own 5 mins late for her appointment at the agency office. She had no money for 6 weeks and friends including me had to help her survive. I just dont believe 6.2 million people permanently have no access to gas or electric.Many in poor urban accommodation cant access gas anyway as its not allowed.Electricity is not a good heating source either so most people on low income wont use it.Ive been in many poor homes to deal with sick folks when i worked and they were always freezing because they couldnt afford to have electric fires or C/H on and some just had a mobile gas fire if they were very lucky. The situation is much worse now with the Torys. The whole populist mentality has changed from both government and society in general though. You must be punished for being poor or disabled or foreign for claiming money off of the state for help.
Meanwhile the government doles out billions of pounds in non essential corporate subsidies supporting businesses and industries that dont need support.
The general population has swallowed the 'dole scrounger' lie hook line and sinker though so life for people living on the edge of or in poverty wont change much for a long time even if theres a change of government.
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Off Grid
Jun 6, 2018 13:09:52 GMT
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Post by bigbear67 on Jun 6, 2018 13:09:52 GMT
Bigbear I have to agree with you to a point. I grew up with my parents on benefits. I can't tell you how many times I heard the words "we can't afford it". The result of that is I don't borrow money (any more!) and if I can't afford it it I don't have it. The point I stop agreeing with you are those programs. You have to keep in mind they are 'entertainment', the modern day Victorian asylum. Of the say 200 cases those bailiffs had, that the film company recorded, most would have been genuinely impoverished. They won't bother airing those. The one with the lovely phones and leased brand new car, on the other hand, will get on the show. Bread and circuses. Dont get me wrong,I'm the first one to say these programmes are all shit and blatantly put forward in such a way to get viewers. All I'm saying is that these people do exist and while I'm sure some people are genuinely struggling, the ones that are put forward on these programmes are usually in that position due to stupidity/greed/laziness etc. Usual case, the media use a small number of people to paint everyone black in the eyes of their viewers. I have every sympathy with anyone who is genuinely struggling, all I'm saying is people seem to put too much store by material things at the expense of necessary stuff... If you were cold in your van you'd probably buy a bottle of gas or some logs, not a cappuccino maker....
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Off Grid
Jun 6, 2018 13:23:22 GMT
via mobile
Post by VanWoman84 on Jun 6, 2018 13:23:22 GMT
Yes, I see your point and agree with you
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Post by patchypete on Jun 8, 2018 19:55:35 GMT
Whatever the true figure is, itβs probably going to increase as time goes by.
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Post by lonewolf on Aug 20, 2018 11:57:05 GMT
I think a lot of people just don't know how to budget and they get into debt. universal credit isn't going to help either, I can see a lot of problems with that.
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Post by bernie on Aug 23, 2018 20:14:34 GMT
I think a lot of people just don't know how to budget and they get into debt. universal credit isn't going to help either, I can see a lot of problems with that. Universal credit is going to be the best/worst thing to ever happen. People will either have to really sort themselves out and get some control in their lives, pay their bills and live within their budget or they are going to crash and burn big time. The days of running up massive rent arrears and maxing out credit cards are over. If you get evicted for rent arrears while receiving UC the council disown you saying you have made yourself intentionally homeless and wipe their hands of you. Landlords who were more than happy to rent to people on HB when it was paid directly to them won't touch people on HB or UC now because 80% allegedly go straight into arrears. If you have any history at all the credit searches will throw it up. There has been a lot of stuff about it on the radio and in the papers. A lot of landlord's mortgage providers and insurers are now not allowing them to rent to people on benefits even if they wanted to. Result now a lot of people are having to move back in with family, assuming they are able to do it. Or like in Bristol create roadside squatter camps, but that's not going to be tolerated for long.
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Post by lonewolf on Aug 24, 2018 8:00:36 GMT
most letting agents wont rent to people on HB. that's a known fact.
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