It`s a steep learning curve

Josieanne
Yes I agree completely, it’s easy to cope when it’s just a means to an end, but a different story if there is no end in sight.

On the bright side! It’s a great way to reduce our carbon footprint. How long before before this will be trumpeted as a gain? ???

Those who are struggling to eat may also be struggling to pay their rent, especially with the bank rate rising.

I don't think it is the actual living conditions that people find hard to cope with, but the total despair at being unable to get themselves out. For a year or more we lived in a stone outbuilding with no heating, gaping windows, no inside toilet, a couple of pans etc and survived quite happily. It was easy enough to cope because we knew it wasn't forever so the mind remains focused and upbeat. What it must be like on a permanent basis, I can't imagine.

Franbern
I agree that a lot of people these days struggle to eat, worrying about mortgage rates would be a luxury

AmberSpyGlasd
I agree. I don’t think people should have to live like that, but Karmalady is right, we, or our parents really, managed to keep body and soul together under quite difficult circumstances.
The thread about seventies mortgage rates reminded me of how tough it was, but we just got on with it.
At work we range from thirty to late sixties, and I absolutely know that the younger staff members (including my own children) would find it really hard to cope with.

Absolutely disgusting that people are being reduced to living like this and so many working people having to use foodbanks in order to get enough to feed their families.

A result of all these years of multi-millionaire Tory governments. They do not care, why should they - they have millions and have made even more from the near-fraudalent contracts spread out amongst themselves and their matesd over the last two years.

They hold us in total contempt - just tell us lies and more lies.

Meanwhile, the French government has forced Energy suppliers to take most of the financial hit and over there, it will be just a 4% increase in household energy bills.

Energy companies have made increased profits, and paid increased dividends to their shareholders. Surely, the time has come to bring energy into public ownership.

But in this day and age, no one should have to live like that.

Many of us, the ones who were brought up and survived, when we had ice inside the windows, when we had one small coal fire as the only form of heating in a whole house. When money was very scarce. When food was basic and cooked in one pan. We have skills and we learnt how to live on very little money and with very low temperatures and an outside toilet, when the pipes froze

We got through, we learnt and we survived, bringing what we learnt with us. You have skills to pass on. Times have changed all of a sudden, many have no clue, what to do