Mister M Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Not having a big flatscreen TV I imagine. Nice when you can afford to be cynical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anywebsite Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 How do you define poverty in this Country? Relative poverty defined as is earning less than 60% of the median wage, after taxes & housing costs, for that size of household. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSmith Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Relative poverty defined as is earning less than 60% of the median wage, after taxes & housing costs, for that size of household. In the year 2004/2005, the 60% threshold was worth £183 per week for a two adult household, £100 per week for a single adult, £268 per week for two adults living with two children, and £186 per week for a single adult living with two children. This sum of money is after income tax and national insurance have been deducted from earnings and after council tax, rent, mortgage and water charges have been paid. It is therefore what a household has available to spend on everything else it needs Wow I thought we were well off, it appears we have always been in poverty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirmisher Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 For many life isn't that simple, take this couple for instance http://www.metro.co.uk/news/881136-married-couple-driven-to-commit-suicide-by-utter-poverty Or the fact that many people go without benefits as they don't want to be stigmatised, or feel too proud. Many pensioners struggle between heating and eating. Not to mention those who have lost their jobs and wait forever for their benefits to come through. Or the mentally ill dischrged from hospital and end up homeless etc..... Admittedly there ARE exceptions. Some people DO slip through the net Just as there ARE people who are very well off and live a very rich life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna B Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Admittedly there ARE exceptions. Some people DO slip through the net Just as there ARE people who are very well off and live a very rich life. I think you'll find that far from being the exception there are a lot of people struggling like this, but they tend not to make the papers unless they do something drastic like this poor couple. If, however, by dint of having loads of kids or fiddling the benefits, you are one of a very small number found to be living the life of Riley, your story will be plastered all over the newspapers and TV giving the impression that 'everyone's at it.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinz Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 IMHO no one should be living in poverty in this country. Everyone gets enough money to live on wether they be working or claiming benefits, the problem is, most people expect too much. Most of the things that people take for granted are pointless things and not needed to have a happy and poverty free life. If you can't manage on your income, take a look at your lifestyle, do you really need the things your spending your money on? Make cuts or earn more. It REALLY is that simple. It really isn't that simple..unless you're simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirmisher Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I think you'll find that far from being the exception there are a lot of people struggling like this, but they tend not to make the papers unless they do something drastic like this poor couple. If, however, by dint of having loads of kids or fiddling the benefits, you are one of a very small number found to be living the life of Riley, your story will be plastered all over the newspapers and TV giving the impression that 'everyone's at it.' There are far more that are quite happy and very well off, out of your lot of struggling people, how many of them don't have a tv, mobile phone, don't smoke, don't drink, don't do drugs, don't have computers, don't have computer games consoles? Take away any that have any of the above then tell me how many are left living in poverty because if you can still afford ANY of the above out of your weekly income then AFAIAC they are NOT living in poverty. Just take a look at any of the charity/news items from the African countries, you know, the ones where the kids faces are covered with flies! THAT IS LIVING IN POVERTY! I don't think I have ever seen anyone in this country looking like that. So, it really IS THAT SIMPLE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skirmisher Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 It really isn't that simple..unless you're simple. See my last post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anywebsite Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 There are far more that are quite happy and very well off, out of your lot of struggling people, how many of them don't have a tv, mobile phone, don't smoke, don't drink, don't do drugs, don't have computers, don't have computer games consoles? Take away any that have any of the above then tell me how many are left living in poverty because if you can still afford ANY of the above out of your weekly income then AFAIAC they are NOT living in poverty. Just take a look at any of the charity/news items from the African countries, you know, the ones where the kids faces are covered with flies! THAT IS LIVING IN POVERTY! I don't think I have ever seen anyone in this country looking like that. So, it really IS THAT SIMPLE! You're talking about a different kind of poverty. Absolute poverty is when you can't afford food, less than about $2 a day. That rarely happens in this country. Relative poverty is when you have significantly less than most other people, that's what the rest of us are talking about in this thread. That will exist for as long as there is a wide gap between rich & poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Admittedly there ARE exceptions. Some people DO slip through the net Just as there ARE people who are very well off and live a very rich life. Do you think that most well off people don't live very rich lives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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