Are people in poverty or just ungrateful.
Discussion
Obviously we are all company directors but……
When you look at UK people on the telly and when ministers go on about poverty in the UK its’ hard not to see how well off they are when you also see starving Africans living in mud huts, people in the slums in India, even the refugees coming into Europe.
People in the UK get free money off the government, free NHS, clean running water, heating, waste disposal service, a roof over their heads even access to food banks and the help given out by numerous charities. There is also the saying that everyone on benefits has an iphone and sky tv.
I'm not including the homeless in the above for obvious reasons.
When you look at UK people on the telly and when ministers go on about poverty in the UK its’ hard not to see how well off they are when you also see starving Africans living in mud huts, people in the slums in India, even the refugees coming into Europe.
People in the UK get free money off the government, free NHS, clean running water, heating, waste disposal service, a roof over their heads even access to food banks and the help given out by numerous charities. There is also the saying that everyone on benefits has an iphone and sky tv.
I'm not including the homeless in the above for obvious reasons.
Edited by PAULJ5555 on Friday 18th March 13:55
Poverty is all relative to those around you. I don't own an iPhone, nor can I afford Sky, water is billed, fuel has to be paid for to heat our homes, NHS is paid via taxes so isn't "free" just free at point of use. I rent my home, this isn't free. Luckily I don't need to use food banks but the fact they exist says something about the way the government treats it's people.
Amused2death said:
Poverty is all relative to those around you. I don't own an iPhone, nor can I afford Sky, water is billed, fuel has to be paid for to heat our homes, NHS is paid via taxes so isn't "free" just free at point of use. I rent my home, this isn't free. Luckily I don't need to use food banks but the fact they exist says something about the way the government treats it's people.
Not sure if serious....If you look more like jabba the hut than a skeleton, have a roof over your head and somewhere to go for a s
t/drink you can't be in true poverty. Relative poverty is bks driven purely by greed and want for material things. To get those material things you need to work and earn it.It's what is now termed 'poverty' that creates difficulties in many people's minds. I never understood that someone on true poverty would be able to have a television, mobile phone, plenty of clothes etc - but nowadays that all seems to be taken for granted.
We need a 'modern' term for what people now try to still call 'poverty' (when it really isn't).
We need a 'modern' term for what people now try to still call 'poverty' (when it really isn't).
kiethton said:
Amused2death said:
Poverty is all relative to those around you. I don't own an iPhone, nor can I afford Sky, water is billed, fuel has to be paid for to heat our homes, NHS is paid via taxes so isn't "free" just free at point of use. I rent my home, this isn't free. Luckily I don't need to use food banks but the fact they exist says something about the way the government treats it's people.
Not sure if serious....If you look more like jabba the hut than a skeleton, have a roof over your head and somewhere to go for a s
t/drink you can't be in true poverty. Relative poverty is bks driven purely by greed and want for material things. To get those material things you need to work and earn it.tter? Are you bloody serious?IMO people can have homes and still be in poverty. Poverty is one of those things that have many different interpretations, but poverty can be having to chose between eating and getting warm.
Whereas other forms of poverty mean you have literally nothing but a few clothes and a blanket, nothing else.
It's different meanings to different people.
Personally, I think people having to chose between eating/feeding their kids or heating the home is pretty impoverish.
Whereas other forms of poverty mean you have literally nothing but a few clothes and a blanket, nothing else.
It's different meanings to different people.
Personally, I think people having to chose between eating/feeding their kids or heating the home is pretty impoverish.
GroundEffect said:
kiethton said:
Amused2death said:
Poverty is all relative to those around you. I don't own an iPhone, nor can I afford Sky, water is billed, fuel has to be paid for to heat our homes, NHS is paid via taxes so isn't "free" just free at point of use. I rent my home, this isn't free. Luckily I don't need to use food banks but the fact they exist says something about the way the government treats it's people.
Not sure if serious....If you look more like jabba the hut than a skeleton, have a roof over your head and somewhere to go for a s
t/drink you can't be in true poverty. Relative poverty is bks driven purely by greed and want for material things. To get those material things you need to work and earn it.tter? Are you bloody serious?People shouldn't expect anything more than the above
Poverty is not the same as being skint.
People in this (And other) country's have some seriously twisted view of entitlement. Benefit dwellers are often the first to shout about not being able to afford to live. From behind their 40" TV and stack of fag packets.
I have a friend... never worked a day in his whole life. i have let him money, and never got any of it back (Didn't expect too really). Seen his parents buy him motorbikes, that he completely trashes and are dead within months. And paid for him to go on holidays, that he couldn't be bothered to get out of bed to go on.
Now, flip it on its head. Folk who work very hard to look after them selves and plan for their own future get shafted by stupid amounts of tax... it really isn't hard to get in the 40% bracket these days. And if you have a kid... cant get child tax credits.
Heaven forbid if you are made redundant... Got more than a few quid saved up fella? No payout for you. Even though you have been putting in thousands in to the system every month, cant get a penny back out.
And the real kicker... if you end up going to hospital for something, you can guarantee there will be a drunk chav in line in front of you. kicking off because they have been waiting 5 minuets and haven't been given their cup of tea and a biscuit.
It really is the age old tale of people only seeing the value of something if they have worked for it.
People in this (And other) country's have some seriously twisted view of entitlement. Benefit dwellers are often the first to shout about not being able to afford to live. From behind their 40" TV and stack of fag packets.
I have a friend... never worked a day in his whole life. i have let him money, and never got any of it back (Didn't expect too really). Seen his parents buy him motorbikes, that he completely trashes and are dead within months. And paid for him to go on holidays, that he couldn't be bothered to get out of bed to go on.
Now, flip it on its head. Folk who work very hard to look after them selves and plan for their own future get shafted by stupid amounts of tax... it really isn't hard to get in the 40% bracket these days. And if you have a kid... cant get child tax credits.
Heaven forbid if you are made redundant... Got more than a few quid saved up fella? No payout for you. Even though you have been putting in thousands in to the system every month, cant get a penny back out.
And the real kicker... if you end up going to hospital for something, you can guarantee there will be a drunk chav in line in front of you. kicking off because they have been waiting 5 minuets and haven't been given their cup of tea and a biscuit.
It really is the age old tale of people only seeing the value of something if they have worked for it.
Poverty is not as single definition. Technically if your children share as bedroom in the UK you live in poverty. However that does not mean you live in poverty if you are in parts of Africa or India. We see true poverty as no home, water, food, living on the streets, no hope etc. but very very few people meet that criteria here.
Mentioning "Flat screen TV's" is a bit Daily mail circa 2007, my parents are struggling to give away an older LCD telly, everyone has them now.
I saw a documentary on the tv the other night and there was a lovely redheaded girl who had a zero hours contract and an uneployed BF, they had been told to leave their accommodation and struggling to get anything else, I really felt for her, he BF was still smoking roll ups though, she was at the end of her tether, they said theyr food budget was £30, for the month. There was a family of five or six living in one room, so though not starving and maybe not poverty, pretty dire circumstances.
I saw a documentary on the tv the other night and there was a lovely redheaded girl who had a zero hours contract and an uneployed BF, they had been told to leave their accommodation and struggling to get anything else, I really felt for her, he BF was still smoking roll ups though, she was at the end of her tether, they said theyr food budget was £30, for the month. There was a family of five or six living in one room, so though not starving and maybe not poverty, pretty dire circumstances.
Amused2death said:
Luckily I don't need to use food banks but the fact they exist says something about the way the government treats it's people.
Just because they exist and people use them, just means that there is a demand for free food. It doesn't mean that they are needed, anymore so than if there were "Apple iPad Banks" and there was a huge demand for free iPads - it's a demand not a need.If there were free Fags'n'booze banks there would be a massive demand for them too...
I don't believe half of the people who claim poverty in the UK actually suffer from it.
I do believe some people genuinely suffer and some people who do work hard just don't earn enough. Unfortunately, they should have tried harder in life.
That being said, I know quite a few people (indirectly) who claim to be broke but always have money for a pack of special brew. Always have money for fags. Always on their phone. (so clearly have enough for credit / contract).
I do believe some people genuinely suffer and some people who do work hard just don't earn enough. Unfortunately, they should have tried harder in life.
That being said, I know quite a few people (indirectly) who claim to be broke but always have money for a pack of special brew. Always have money for fags. Always on their phone. (so clearly have enough for credit / contract).
well see the council thread.............
Ok, I've posted lots in that thread: I work in social housing.
Basically: not really, but its relative. No one here is fleeing a war, religious persecution, being restricted in work or education due to being a woman.
My thoughts are: It's rare you walk into a home and see poverty. What you see are people who have:
bad diet, thus expensive eating habits. (takeways, frozen food)
smoke
drink
drug problem
gambling problem
are vulnerable and thus other prey on them and their money
people who use brighthouse etc: thus get themselves easily into debt, ditto using illegal money lenders
cannot budget financially, nor save: its the "must have now culture"
fill their house full of pets when they have a limited income.
However, all of this can compound and poverty is created and of course its the children who suffer.
Equally if you cannot break the cycle of whatever yr fix is- drugs, drink etc, yes of course you'll sink into poverty.
what's the answer: well everyone has 'uman rites innit and no government will properly shake up the benefits system and stop the relentless churn. Prison's are overflowing and no one seeems to get locked up and properly punished.
Although at least over the last few years some badly set up attempts have been tried- eg bedroom tax, HB changes and so on.
we're all doomed and the country will sink, literally, as we're all getting fatter too.
Ok, I've posted lots in that thread: I work in social housing.
Basically: not really, but its relative. No one here is fleeing a war, religious persecution, being restricted in work or education due to being a woman.
My thoughts are: It's rare you walk into a home and see poverty. What you see are people who have:
bad diet, thus expensive eating habits. (takeways, frozen food)
smoke
drink
drug problem
gambling problem
are vulnerable and thus other prey on them and their money
people who use brighthouse etc: thus get themselves easily into debt, ditto using illegal money lenders
cannot budget financially, nor save: its the "must have now culture"
fill their house full of pets when they have a limited income.
However, all of this can compound and poverty is created and of course its the children who suffer.
Equally if you cannot break the cycle of whatever yr fix is- drugs, drink etc, yes of course you'll sink into poverty.
what's the answer: well everyone has 'uman rites innit and no government will properly shake up the benefits system and stop the relentless churn. Prison's are overflowing and no one seeems to get locked up and properly punished.
Although at least over the last few years some badly set up attempts have been tried- eg bedroom tax, HB changes and so on.
we're all doomed and the country will sink, literally, as we're all getting fatter too.
xjay1337 said:
I do believe some people genuinely suffer and some people who do work hard just don't earn enough. Unfortunately, they should have tried harder in life.
I completely disagree with that. I know people who have worked their balls off getting through uni, only to have no jobs at the end of it, so are stuck doing a minimum wage job, working 50+hr weeks just to keep a roof over their head. At no point, should they have tried harder in life, it's just sometimes you get handed a st deal, and you have to live with it, until it brightens up. I do kind of see your point though, that some people moan about having F.All but don't do anything to try and get it.
xjay1337 said:
That being said, I know quite a few people (indirectly) who claim to be broke but always have money for a pack of special brew. Always have money for fags. Always on their phone. (so clearly have enough for credit / contract).
I sometimes say to my mates that I can't go to the pub as I can't afford it. In reality I could, but I know that I have x amount of bills coming up, meaning that the money I would use down the pub would be better spent elsewhere. It's all relative. Some people might say they're skint, but go out and buy a beer or whatnot, but then wonder how they're going to pay the rent. I'm not like that, I'd rather pay all of the bills first, then I'll know how much I can spent enjoying myself after.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff