Widening gap between rich and poor.

[Anna B]

Watching 'Rich House, Poor House' on Channel 5 (Thursday 30th March 9.0pm)

It's repeated again on freeview 44 at 10pm.)

 

It's a house and lifestyle swap between a wealthy family, (top 10%) and a poor family, (bottom 10%.) Both nice families. Very interesting take on the gap between rich and poor that might just help a few people on here understand a bit better, and develop their empathy button.

 

A good watch. As it's something we often argue about on SF, I'd be interested in comments and different people's perspectives.

[ANGELFIRE1]

I am in the bottom 10% been a pensioner. The rich have money aplenty, so what. That's life, some of us do well, some do exceptionally well and hopefully employ us on the bottom rung of the ladder. How this system could be altered somehow is well beyond my pay scale.

 

Angel1.

[Anna B]

I am in the bottom 10% been a pensioner. The rich have money aplenty, so what. That's life, some of us do well, some do exceptionally well and hopefully employ us on the bottom rung of the ladder. How this system could be altered somehow is well beyond my pay scale.

 

Angel1.

 

And some of us do very badly because they never had a chance. Is that OK?

 

The system was altered dramatically after the war and while it was far from perfect we were doing quite well widening opportunities for all, with free education, health care etc. You, as a pensioner, would have benefited from those opportunities. But that seems to be going backwards and life chances for poorer people are diminishing again. Is that fair?

 

The gap (according to this programme) is 30% wider than it was, and it hasn't worked its way through the system yet, so far worse is to come.

Edited March 30, 2017 by Anna B

[ECCOnoob]

And some of us do very badly because they never had a chance. Is that OK?

 

The system was altered dramatically after the war and while it was far from perfect we were doing quite well widening opportunities for all, with free education, health care etc. You, as a pensioner, would have benefited from those opportunities. But that seems to be going backwards and life chances for poorer people are diminishing again. Is that fair?

 

The gap (according to this programme) is 30% wider than it was, and it hasn't worked its way through the system yet, so far worse is to come.

 

Firstly Anna, nobody just gets "given" a chance. You make your own way in this world. We all get schooling. We all have access to higher education. We all determine how hard we choose to work and what type of career we set. We can at any time in our adult lives learn, retrain or do something to improve and progress.

 

People born with a silver spoon jammed up their backsides dont automatically get a perfect life. People can have rich parents, the best schooling, a job handed to them on a plate and still throw it all away and end up on the streets.

 

Others born into proverty, scrimp, save, have years of hard graft and self development and can become successful financially and in status.

 

There will always be some unfortunate people who through illness or disabilty never get those opportunities BUT those are the exceptions to the rule. Those are the people the government should be focusing on. Those are the people who deserve the attention and sympathy.

 

We all take responsibilities for our own lives. Enough with the self pity and looking for a target to place the blame.

 

Poverty never is a permanent position for those prepared to do something about it. The family in the programme proved that by working and earning. If they want the lifestyle they have had a taste of, there is absolutely nothing to stop them having a chance of getting such a life. He can bobby off and set up a successful company or 1001 other career choices to build up his assets and income.

 

IMO whilst they were clearly on a low income they were nowhere near what would be deemed in my mind "POVERTY" anyway. £440 a month net spending money is still a good amount and a figure that millions of lower grade workers will be living with too. Hardly some shocking figure.

 

The channel 5 definition of the word to boost their ratings and fuel their endless parade of povo porn programmes is absolutely warped.

Edited March 30, 2017 by ECCOnoob

[Robin-H]

And some of us do very badly because they never had a chance. Is that OK?

 

The system was altered dramatically after the war and while it was far from perfect we were doing quite well widening opportunities for all, with free education, health care etc. You, as a pensioner, would have benefited from those opportunities. But that seems to be going backwards and life chances for poorer people are diminishing again. Is that fair?

 

The gap (according to this programme) is 30% wider than it was, and it hasn't worked its way through the system yet, so far worse is to come.

 

I'm not sure where that 30% figure comes from, although on its own it's a rather meaningless statistics (30% wider than when, 2010, 1950, 1800?).

 

I believe income inequality in the UK has fallen slightly recently.

 

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/bulletins/householddisposableincomeandinequality/financialyearending2016#inequality-rose-for-retired-households-but-fell-for-non-retired-households-in-recent-years

[TORONTONY]

I am in the bottom 10% been a pensioner. The rich have money aplenty, so what. That's life, some of us do well, some do exceptionally well and hopefully employ us on the bottom rung of the ladder. How this system could be altered somehow is well beyond my pay scale.

 

Angel1.

Envying some one's bank account is futile. There has always been rich and there has always been poor. My stepfather had the coolest answer to anyone who envied the rich and the famous, he would say, "There are no roof racks or towing brackets on a Hearse. "

[silentP]

We are all equal in the end.

[El Cid]

I am poor, but I like to think I am better off than my parents, although thinking about it not sure.

Life choices do make you poor, if my parents had more faith in education I might have done better.

[Cyclone]

I am in the bottom 10% been a pensioner.

Being retired doesn't automatically mean you are in the bottom 10% of income.

 

---------- Post added 31-03-2017 at 07:30 ----------

 

Firstly Anna, nobody just gets "given" a chance. You make your own way in this world.

Complete nonsense.

Some people are born with massive privilege, and perhaps don't even realise it.

Having well educated, well off parents is a huge advantage. Having 2 parents also, and parents that care about education themselves.

Having family wealth is an even bigger advantage.

Yes, some people can overcome a poor start, but to pretend that "born equal" is real is to deny reality.

[I1L2T3]

I am in the bottom 10% been a pensioner. The rich have money aplenty, so what. That's life, some of us do well, some do exceptionally well and hopefully employ us on the bottom rung of the ladder. How this system could be altered somehow is well beyond my pay scale.

 

Angel1.

 

The current system is potty.

 

Tax credits and extensive use of housing benefit are massive mistakes. It creates dependency on the state.

 

People need to be freed from this nonsense but Labour and the Tories don't have a clue.

 

---------- Post added 31-03-2017 at 09:17 ----------

 

Firstly Anna, nobody just gets "given" a chance. You make your own way in this world. We all get schooling. We all have access to higher education. We all determine how hard we choose to work and what type of career we set. We can at any time in our adult lives learn, retrain or do something to improve and progress.

 

People born with a silver spoon jammed up their backsides dont automatically get a perfect life. People can have rich parents, the best schooling, a job handed to them on a plate and still throw it all away and end up on the streets.

 

Others born into proverty, scrimp, save, have years of hard graft and self development and can become successful financially and in status.

 

There will always be some unfortunate people who through illness or disabilty never get those opportunities BUT those are the exceptions to the rule. Those are the people the government should be focusing on. Those are the people who deserve the attention and sympathy.

 

We all take responsibilities for our own lives. Enough with the self pity and looking for a target to place the blame.

 

Poverty never is a permanent position for those prepared to do something about it. The family in the programme proved that by working and earning. If they want the lifestyle they have had a taste of, there is absolutely nothing to stop them having a chance of getting such a life. He can bobby off and set up a successful company or 1001 other career choices to build up his assets and income.

 

IMO whilst they were clearly on a low income they were nowhere near what would be deemed in my mind "POVERTY" anyway. £440 a month net spending money is still a good amount and a figure that millions of lower grade workers will be living with too. Hardly some shocking figure.

 

The channel 5 definition of the word to boost their ratings and fuel their endless parade of povo porn programmes is absolutely warped.

 

You can't blame people for having a crap start in life and being unable to recover from it.

 

The disadvantages start rapidly stacking up as soon as they hit education