The vulnerable, the poor, the disadvantaged

[Katy]

Katy

October 6, 2017 at 1:39 pm #190

I hugged one of my neighbours today because she was packing up all their belongings into a white van and she was upset and crying in the street. I’m really not good at that kind of stuff!

They were evicted. Rent arrears. The husband lost his driving job because of an accident and she only works part-time. Both of them have learning difficulties and aren’t in the best of health in their 50’s.

The rent on the tiny place they had is not big, but they are not earning much at all. Is there help for them – in a word no, ****** all help because they can’t navigate the labyrinthine and hostile benefits system. They are moving into an older rented mobile home with a relative and sharing the rent and it will be a squeeze.

They’ve been using my phone because they were disconnected – eat or pay the phone bill – hard choice to make. Did what we can to help but it was clear they were struggling and quite lost.

Tonight I am upset, down, and really quite deeply angry. If I met May or any of her despicable scoundrels tonight I’d maybe smack their heads off a wall to try to knock some sense into them. Priveleged ******** have no clue what they have created, actually they DO and don’t care which is infinitely worse. Austerity….vicious hate driven dogma in a minimum wage zero hours economy.

Sorry, been simmering all day Maybe it has upset me much more than normal this week because I’ve just paid off my mortgage and in my mind I’m contrasting that I have security of a roof over my head and they never will have and I’m realising just how very vulnerable they are.

And no….they could not get local authority housing – not that there is any to go around.

[Jessie]

Jessie

October 6, 2017 at 1:40 pm #191

Terrible story to read and I can quite believe how this can happen – even in this day and age !! Social services were very helpful when I phoned them to report vulnerable local person.

[Sar]

Sar

October 6, 2017 at 1:40 pm #192

You are absolutely right, the sooner we get rid of this ideology driven set of ********* (no idea what I’ve starred out – I can’t think of a word bad enough!) he better. And now they’re trying to roll Universal Credit out all over, even though it is obvious that it isn’t working properly in the pilot areas, with claimants being left without access to money for up to 6 weeks! It is disgraceful!

[Luke]

Luke

October 6, 2017 at 1:41 pm #193

That’s really sobering and very sad. More shocking as they are vulnerable people with learning difficulties – no case worker to fight their corner I presume. There must be somebody who can help them get benefits, maybe you could go along with them and try and get them seen to. Just a thought…

It’s shocking what the most vulnerable people have to deal with – a worse situation than anyone else. So much for a caring society eh. And you’re right those Tories don’t give a toss, it’s the wealthy serving the wealthy. Britain is a class system so not that surprising in a way when that’s what its based on. It means there has to be the disadvantaged at the bottom and those at the top are legitimised in being entitled to the lion’s share.

[Red-1]

Red-1

October 6, 2017 at 1:41 pm #194

If the various previous governments hadn’t stolen the money which we all pay into the system and given it to the share holders of companies like G4S, the various companies who “provide” *hotel* services to hospitals, property developers, private landlords, academy trusts etc etc then the services may hae the resources to be able to help people like your neighbours, but given that they were able to work, although in low paid menial jobs, they are denied services in the name of promoting independence and choice!(that translates as if you can’t cope but aren’t bad enough for residential services you get sugar all)
Sadly this couple is just one of thousands in similar circumstances all over the country, many living hidden desperate lives, surviving by the grace of food banks and squalid housing conditions.

[mary]

mary

October 6, 2017 at 1:42 pm #195

This whole welfare disaster has been 20 years in the making – it’s not just the Tories, Blair has a fair amount of culpability.

I’m going to drop in by in a week or so and see how they are doing. Because they are moving into a different authority, there may be more help and I know a couple of people who can maybe give them help and advocacy.

The situation they find themsleves in makes me sick to the stomach. We need a univeral income, in the current ecomomic climate it is the only way forward.

Not going in to details here, but my resources are limited and there’s only so much I can do each month, but I do pay higher rate tax and yet see obscenities like G4S and HS2 and….yet we can’t as a society look after the poor and vulnerable. God knows, we need some fundamental changes in the way our monetary system and society works.

[bobby]

bobby

October 6, 2017 at 1:43 pm #196

A very sad story, and as has already been said, one that is being repeated up and down the country. I volunteer in my local food bank and some of the stories that we hear are awful. One older lady (lives alone) was taken into hospital for emergency surgery and because she didn’t submit her regular doctor’s note (due to her being in hospital for over a week) her benefits were stopped and she had nothing. Yet the Tories manage to pluck one billion pounds out of their a*r*s*e to give to the DUP when we have been told for years that there is nothing in the pot. Makes me sick.