Food Banks and Poverty- was Nye right?

I could tell you the back story to both the people I mention but it's pointless. It wasn't their fault. They made mistakes, used bad judgement and very very quickly found themselves in a big mess.

Joelsnan

I am so sorry. That is awful.

For what's it worth, I think the benefit system needed an overhaul. A one stop shop idea is sensible. But it was not properly piloted and applied cruelly.

In itself, it's not a bad idea Inky but how about we do this so we know everyone has enough to live on. They may have other challenges and issues and we do need to build more homes but, we could ensure that, like those with wealth, everyone would know they had enough to fall back on.

We could start by deciding what that is. Well, the government has decided that no individual should pay tax until they are getting £12,500 in earnings as they need that to live and they are now saying they are going to raise NI to the same amount so they seem to be sure. Let's say that is what everyone needs for security and let's say we pay each adult that amount regardless. We pay it regularly at just over £240 a week. This would be unconditional, each adult would get it.

Obviously, we would take away the personal tax allowance as you are now being given it.

We would do away with NI so tax might go up but we would see what it actually is. NI is for in-work benefits (including pensions) so no need now as we all get our £240 a week.

We would have to think of a name for this type of Universal Credit which is paid regularly, to the individual, with no conditions attached and cannot be withdrawn.

Mmm. It seems someone got there before us and called it Basic Income or Citizens Income or we could go for Real Univeral Credit

It does sound one heck of a fu*k up to have no shoes, no food, no transport ... inkycog

ExperiencedNotOld Mon 30-Dec-19 18:04:13

That is probably the worst post I have ever seen on here. It could have come out of a pre-1939 handbook, and you seem to be going the same way with your categorising of people UG. Perhaps we should start measuring sculls and noses to make sure these people are fit to live.

If you have one pair of shoes and they break, what do you do?

How do you get bus fares to interviews? How do you go with poor clothing? How do you get there is you are in constant pain and you have had nothing to eat for 24 hours plus?

I know I am wasting my time trying to explain.

No sorry, not buying this bleeding heart nonsense. Help is out there. It just is. Nobody has absolutely NOTHING. No food. No money.

Ok, as you wish.

I rather think they do UG. You cannot imagine it; I get that. But it doesn't mean that it can't be true that some people lives are so different from yours that this does happen to them.

Given the history of this Tory government on acting to improve how Universal Credit works Urmstongran I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for Boris to make things better!

I noticed that one of my unemployed adult students was absent on rainy days. I asked if he'd like to borrow my college umbrella. Then he showed me the soles of his trainers, worn through with cardboard glued inside. He was saving up for new ones!

I really like the old/longstanding idea of Universal Basic Income. With financial security, people can choose to manage on that or work for a better lifestyle:

www.wired.co.uk/article/universal-basic-income-policy-universal-credit

Temporarily maybe. Until they access help. Or some kind soul who knows of their distress points them in the right direction to obtain that help.

That man with only one pair of shoes, that broke? he knew they wouldn’t last forever.

But trisher we’ve not had a Boris before! You’ll see.
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Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew there was a point where one in three families in this country were only one payday away from losing their home. I checked and it was 2016 but I can see no reason why this has improved. Perhaps someone could find an update of that one. However, I did find one for this year (19 September 2019) that says that almost half of working renters are only one paycheque away from losing their home.

It's a knife-edge for many people UG. Just not you, it appears.

We lost £100,000 in the recession so don’t lecture me about hard choices. And if you saw my bank account right now you’d be shocked.

Yet I’m fortunate. Good health and peace of mind? You can’t buy it.

Hetty I have been banging on about UBI for years on here. Even as I typed it I could see that it is basically using the same money differently but giving people security. People thrive if they are secure and I would like our fellow citizens to thrive.

But trisher we’ve not had a Boris before! You’ll see.
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I worry about that statement UG. You haven't started sticking up posters of him in your bedroom, have you?

I’m a glass half full type of person GGMK3. Unlike some. I can’t help it. I’m an optimist.
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I'm not sure everyone could "choose to manage" on UBI. As others have intimated, there will always be non-copers. The fact that they're non-copers may not be their fault — probably isn't in fact — but it isn't necessarily anyone else's fault either. No system, however well-meaning and universal, can eliminate all social ills.

That this fact is depressing doesn't make it any less true.

Think what you like GGMK3. I think we’re all created equal, it’s just circumstances and our response to it that results in a difference. I do wonder just how close have some of the bleeding heart liberals really got to those not coping with life? I’m not talking about those with genuine issues who most definitely deserve our assistance and compassion. I’m thinking about those with ‘ ‘mental health’ as a result of a unwilling to tackle drink and/or drug addiction, those that can’t be arsed with contraception or see parenthood as a route to more benefits, those that just don’t like work (nor took advantage of schooling beforehand) - all things that are within the ability of an individual to improve. I refuse to condone someone that won’t make any effort to improve themselves. Tell me what’s so bad about that.

How would you differentiate between the deserving and undeserving poor?

And how would you manage on £73.10 a week?

This is about the thinking in Scotland re UBI. They are starting a lot lower but I feel you have to recycle benefits into it to make it work - or you still end up with people on income-related benefits and all the cost of processing these.

Many people feel the Finish project was a bit of a sham; not big enough to show very much but Canada is interested and so is one of the states in the USA although that seemed to be more of a benefits system.

Ah well, next time you see some poor soul with a dog on a piece of string, as you jump into your transport and off for lunch with the girls, you can feel all cosy and smug inside.

it is their choice, they are obviously deficient losers.

There's no need to differentiate if help is universal. How the help is acted upon will often cause different differentiation though.

Where can this help be found Urmstongran?

I seriously mean it.