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"Poverty is the sinking feeling when your small boy finishes his one weetabix and says 'more mummy, bread and jam please mummy' as you're wondering whether to take the TV or the guitar to the pawn shop first, and how to tell him that there is no bread and jam."
Posted by Jack Monroe, a non binary.
Now I think that they would have been entitled to about £90+ pounds a week in benefits - so how come no bread or jam when tesco cheap jam is 39p per jar and bread is 55p and only one weetabix is 13p ?
Posted by Jack Monroe, a non binary.
Now I think that they would have been entitled to about £90+ pounds a week in benefits - so how come no bread or jam when tesco cheap jam is 39p per jar and bread is 55p and only one weetabix is 13p ?
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That £90 is for expenses not rent which is usually paid in full separately if they are not living somewhere very expensive, if they are not on universal credit which I presume they were not
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There was a television programme where various families spoke of what living on benefits meant to them.
All pled poverty and gave us sob stories about how they couldn't take their kids on holiday etc. In the papers a few days later was a screenshot of one family which showed a dog lying at their feet, a mobile phone on the coffee table alongside a sky remote. People have their priorities mixed up. |
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Methinks the non binary protests too much.
The non binary became famous for making meals for £10 a week, so why couldn't she feed her child? So what happened to the rest of the £90? |
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Annie, I just got home after walking Muttley, I bought 2 Hovis wholemeal loaves for 23p each in the Tescos Express near me. There are always bargains that are on offer at this time of night, two beef, onion and mushroom meals for 38p each, normally 4 quid. Expiry date is today but they are still good for a few days.
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I don't know anything about jam though as I don't eat that stuff.
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A jeely piece was staple diet for Scottish children in the 50s and 60s.
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It's hard to have sympathy for these poverty stricken types whilst they never seem short of booze****/drug money or struggle to keep up with the latest mobile phone trends and the like.
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**** is cigarettes
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And what was she doing feeding him weetabix, processed rubbish, jam, more processed rubbish and bread, probably cheap processed rubbish? I wouldn't call that being a good mother.
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Breakfast for me akabula when I was getting ready for school, Mum did us kippers and a poached egg. There was 6 of us waiting to be fed, Ma had a full time job getting us all sorted!
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I struggle to understand why no-one ever believes that people could be that skint!
Some workers are that skint!!! Not everyone smokes, but for some reason - people would rather they couldn't even do that than complain they're poor. Yes poverty is relative and it's worse in other countries. But, I would assume nothing and having met loads, I feel sympathy for them rather than immediately deciding they're just trying on. Perhaps it's because - and we all do it - we think everyone else is like we are. Sad stuff. |
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* trying IT on
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What's a non binary? Perhaps I should look it up, might learn something.
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You sound like a person of compassion STUDYFORM,I come across as cynical on these type of subjects as I've got family members who've done nothing but abuse any scenario which could benefit them and are happy to steal and take as much advantage of anyone's good nature as possible.
Granted you can't tar everybody with the same brush but there's plenty gaming the system which in many ways is what I blame rather than those that do it. |
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easy target the poor
 been there |
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There are plenty who take the P, Denzil.
The thing about the genuine poor - and there are millions, is; you don't really see them, they don't go out much. Also they're not newsworthy. No good stories from someone who stays in their bedsit with a tin of beans for dinner. For every person you see on a channel 5 'documentary' I reckon there are 4 or 5 who wouldn't be worthy of airtime. Without any question, Capt, you are right. The poorest have the least voice and are seen as an encumbrance to the richest. The press and government would have us believe that there aren't any poor, just chavs taking all the benefits whilst getting pist on a shared bottle of cheap cider. Of course these people exist, they're unemployable, they take advantage, but they're not the majority of poor people. I've been there too and had to rely heavily on friends and family. I'm lucky I had some who could help. |
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You got any evidence of these claims SF?
When I grew up families helped each other out. This no longer seems the case. I think there are some people in dire straights but the vast majority of those claiming to be aren't. Having a mobile phone seems to be a priority with them. |
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There speaks the sun and the daily fail
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aka
know plenty 1 pay cheque from food bank mobile phone £5 a month for some ffs need a phone for work circumstances can change pretty quick god Bless |
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When you grew up families all lived in the same street, akabula.
It's seriously too late at night to have to start showing examples and proving stuff - I've had a tough day at work and I'm going to bed. fwiw - mobile phones are no longer expensive. Why are the poorest expected to NOT have Phones, Cigarettes (if they smoke), or a TV. Are these things really luxuries, or should the poor live on the streets where you can spit on them? As it happens, all utilities for the poorest are more expensive, |
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My brother hit hard times SF.
We lived 80 miles apart. He struggled badly. I took his debt off him and used to visit twice a month and slip him a few quid. Despite his position I wouldn't describe him as living in poverty. |
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He was lucky then - a bit like me.
He had someone who could help. Poverty is relative. (no pun intended) |
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BTW that was quite some time ago and I don't think foodbanks existed.
He also smoked. Tried hard to give up but couldn't and ended up on roll ups. |
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nice 1 aka
but would you swop positions with him ? |
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I gave up. 18 months now.
I don't feel better off. Maybe I can blame that on my use of Betfair. |
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No I wouldn't Capt_F.
And on reflection I could have done more for him by cutting out some of my luxuries. |
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There should be NO people starving , homeless or thirsty in this world.
God created enough resources to go around twice over... Poverty comes from greed. How wealthy people can look themselves in the mirror is beyond me. God gives wealth to people to shame them. |
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As a policy, it doesn't seem to be working, diff-rent.
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Getting back to the issue the point I'm trying to make is that there is a big difference between poverty and hardship.
Neither of which is a good position to be in. But for real poverty I think we need to look abroad to 3rd world countries. |
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Diff if there is a God he certainly isn't one that takes an active interest.
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It doesn't have to be absolute to be poverty.
Yes, it could always be even worse. But bad is still bad even if not a 5 mile walk to get dirty water and no food and no income possible. We are not (yet) in a 3rd world country. |
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Always used to feel sorry for the kids at school that couldn't get anything decent to wear to school,obviously parents were skint
those kids got abuse through all the school years bullied and non of them would've done anygood on leaving.Just a basic thing like that is bad enough in itself,never mind what other things they had to go through.. |
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when we were living in east london a couple of years ago her schoolmate around the corner used to have a 4 bed house paid for,1 daughter at uni,the rest unoccupied.foodbank and the church provided her better provisioned than a working couple on the breadline-even packets of tobacco.
she spent her dole on drink and scratchcards. |
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Anyone slating the poor for having a mobile really needs to know that just for the privilege of receiving state benefits, you have to be online half the day
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so when i see these buckets in a supermarket or talk of foodbanks i know its all a con
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sky tv a must for the kids and internet otherwise in poverty
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and a car
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my wife was bought up in the eastend-they never had heating till she was 21-and that was 1992.
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