Growing up poor. Life on £8 a day.

[Parvo]

Incorrect, housing support has changed. It has been cut for under 25s.

in the 70's we had to find rent out of our benefits, it was separated in the eighties.... and in the 80's we had to pay water rates out of benefits and a percentage of rates-housing benefit only covered rent itself

[Ms Macbeth]

I watched the programme. From the little bit we saw it was pretty obvious that none of them had come from very stable homes. I think its pointless arguing about how much £8 was worth whenever. The issue is surely why youngsters of 17 are cast adrift from families to try and cope alone.

 

The girl from Rotherham didn't know who her father was, her mother was an addict who had no involvement in her upbringing. Her nan had probably done her best, but as a grandmother myself, I wouldn't fancy trying to look after a wayward teenager. She was very aggressive, but I don't think she had many decent role models, especially the people she hung around with.

 

The pregnant girl at least had her mother's support, she was in a better position than the other two. She shouldn't have been smoking because of her pregnancy, her mother ought to have been telling her. She had been living with her father previously, perhaps that was down to her mum having a new partner.

 

I had some sympathy for the girl in Glasgow. It had been a year since she'd seen her father, and living in isolation in those conditions at 17 wasn't something I'd have wished for my kids. She turned up for her work placement, and seemed to be doing ok. There was no explanation as to why she couldn't get a job. She'd got retail experience through the placement, and Glasgow has plenty of stores.

 

It made me wonder how many girls of seventeen, in stable families, whose parents provide for them and support them turn out like these girls?

 

If we ignore the girl living with her mother, the money the other two get is basic subsistence living. They have to pay for everything except rent and council tax out of their £8 a day. And Chem is right, the poorest single pensioner on benefits does get £20 a day, £140+ a week.

 

As a person with a child will see a big increase in their benefits, perhaps the girl from Glasgow has done the right thing financially. However, it can't be the best start for the child. But at 17, she probably didn't even consider that. Perhaps the young mums will turn their lives around, but the odds were stacked against them since birth.

 

I used to interview youngsters who needed housing, and the main reason they were on their own was their rubbish family life. Their backgrounds had much in common with these girls. Its tragic, and the cycle continues.

[tinfoilhat]

I watched the programme. From the little bit we saw it was pretty obvious that none of them had come from very stable homes. I think its pointless arguing about how much £8 was worth whenever. The issue is surely why youngsters of 17 are cast adrift from families to try and cope alone.

 

The girl from Rotherham didn't know who her father was, her mother was an addict who had no involvement in her upbringing. Her nan had probably done her best, but as a grandmother myself, I wouldn't fancy trying to look after a wayward teenager. She was very aggressive, but I don't think she had many decent role models, especially the people she hung around with.

 

The pregnant girl at least had her mother's support, she was in a better position than the other two. She shouldn't have been smoking because of her pregnancy, her mother ought to have been telling her. She had been living with her father previously, perhaps that was down to her mum having a new partner.

 

I had some sympathy for the girl in Glasgow. It had been a year since she'd seen her father, and living in isolation in those conditions at 17 wasn't something I'd have wished for my kids. She turned up for her work placement, and seemed to be doing ok. There was no explanation as to why she couldn't get a job. She'd got retail experience through the placement, and Glasgow has plenty of stores.

 

It made me wonder how many girls of seventeen, in stable families, whose parents provide for them and support them turn out like these girls?

 

If we ignore the girl living with her mother, the money the other two get is basic subsistence living. They have to pay for everything except rent and council tax out of their £8 a day. And Chem is right, the poorest single pensioner on benefits does get £20 a day, £140+ a week.

 

As a person with a child will see a big increase in their benefits, perhaps the girl from Glasgow has done the right thing financially. However, it can't be the best start for the child. But at 17, she probably didn't even consider that. Perhaps the young mums will turn their lives around, but the odds were stacked against them since birth.

 

I used to interview youngsters who needed housing, and the main reason they were on their own was their rubbish family life. Their backgrounds had much in common with these girls. Its tragic, and the cycle continues.

 

Very good post. I was unemployed on and off inbetween college and jobs in my late teens. My mum and dad helped me. I went out with a girls whose parents had split and had new families where she didn't fit. She was on benefits and probably still. God help her kids if she's had them.

[Green Web]

Chem1st is right, the youth of the 70's and 80's overall had it far cushier than anyone young person today, plus the football violence, skinhead nazi movement, gay and **** bashing was common place, and far more violent,dispicable and damaging than what even the worst of our young people today behave.

[lipschitz]

Until the attitude of some teenagers changes you will always encounter people like the ones in this programme. Go to Sheffield university or the local colleges and see the teens who want to make something of themselves working hard on their courses. The contrast is glaring. We all knew of the idiots in our year at school, the 'rebels' who thought that school was a waste of time. They are the ones who end up like this. The Scottish girl was the only one with anything going for her as she was prepared to work..shame the company she worked for used her like they did.

I have a little sympathy for them, but they can't blame the circumstances with their family for how they turn out, many more teens have a bad upbringing and drag themselves out of it and have a good life. It is the individuals attitude which makes or breaks them.

Also, a little lesson in what is important wouldn't go amiss. When one girl got a fiver it was off to McD's!! One meal or possibly 2 days food for a fiver? Which would you choose if money was tight?

I can't help thinking they didn't do themselves any favours.

[neepsendlane]

You fail to mention many of todays Yoof`s do not want to work , they are happy picking up benefits and standing outside the shops all day drinking cheap cider and smoking dope. They have no intention of finding work .

Penistone you know and I know that when we left school we could walk into any job that we liked.

Then the rich of OUR Country decided to move our heavy Industry abroad so as they could once again as in Victorian times employ people inc children on two bob a day.

This has led to Sheffield's down fall along with many Industrial Towns in Lancashire.

Add to that the closure of the pits and shipbuilding Industries and you have the situation we get to day with kids again getting a pittance so as to make the Government look as though they are doing some thing about it.

Get real things have gone back wards to the Victorian times in this Country due to the greed of the few.

 

---------- Post added 15-01-2013 at 09:13 ----------

 

Litter picking is the obvious one but there are many other things they could be doing.

They could marry a future King that would sort it out.

 

---------- Post added 15-01-2013 at 09:19 ----------

 

We are not told what the £8 is to cover-in many cases OAPs have around this figure assuming they have to pay rent and council tacks from their pension.I would imagine OAPs have a harder time of things.

My pension is £107 my rent is £100 result!!!!they give with one hand and take back with the other this has always been the way with people on wages.

The wages are earned then mostly given back to the richest of the Land any way.

 

---------- Post added 15-01-2013 at 09:31 ----------

 

No. However £26.50 in the mid eighties adjusted for inflation is more than £56.25 today.

 

As per gym rat's earlier post.

 

OAPs with an income below £142.70 get topped up to this amount and are entitled to full council tax benefit.

 

You mum either has an income well above £142.70 a week (more than £20 a day), or is not claiming a benefit she is entitled to.

Chemist some people have saved for their old age hoping to be O.K. Then along come the financial wizards who ruin the economy and the people who have saved and payed full rent for years suddenly find that their savings have gone on just that paying the rent.

Now I think that your posts are in many cases helpfull because you make people who are better off think. But what would you do if after 50 years of hard work and saving you found that it was all a waste of time as you would have been better of with nowt!

[chem1st]

Chemist some people have saved for their old age hoping to be O.K. Then along come the financial wizards who ruin the economy and the people who have saved and payed full rent for years suddenly find that their savings have gone on just that paying the rent.

Now I think that your posts are in many cases helpfull because you make people who are better off think. But what would you do if after 50 years of hard work and saving you found that it was all a waste of time as you would have been better of with nowt!

 

You highlight the problems arising from means testing (which are very real problems).

 

Means tests discourage saving and discourage work.

 

And after working 50 years I expect to be dead. I will be taking regular 6 months break from work every few years and will save nothing towards a pension.

[epiphany]

Life is complex. Everything we are today is the result of a mixture of predetermined circumstances, personal choices (some well informed, some not) and the wiring of our brains.

 

It's easy to blame people for the state of their lives, and while it's true only they can pull themselves up, it doesn't mean they necessarily have the strength or courage to do it.

[neepsendlane]

You highlight the problems arising from means testing (which are very real problems).

 

Means tests discourage saving and discourage work.

 

And after working 50 years I expect to be dead. I will be taking regular 6 months break from work every few years and will save nothing towards a pension.

I hope it all works out for you pal .

[chem1st]

I hope it all works out for you pal .

 

Cheers pal, you too.

 

I just hope I don't have to abandon all my principles for things to become better. I could easily become better off legally by taking advantage of others, but I don't want to go down that route, it'd be like taking blood money/30 pieces of silver.

 

I'd be happy as larry with regular wages from an honest job, a council house and ability to raise a family. (A lifestyle that used to be looked down upon!)