Nearly half of UK households say that they would struggle to cope if their monthly outgoings rose by £99. We look at how you can create some financial 'breathing space' to help you out if you lose your job or become ill.
10% 'worry about feeding families'
A tenth of full-time working adults are worried about providing three nutritious meals a day for their families, according to a study.
One in 10 adults working full-time is worried about affording three nutritious meals a day, a new survey has found
A tenth of full-time working adults are worried about providing three nutritious meals a day for their families, according to a study.
The Salvation Army poll, to establish whether social issues have changed from those identified by the church and charity a century ago, found that the main concerns of 20% of UK parents with children aged 16 or under was affording basic needs such as food and clothing and getting into debt.
Among those working, 10% were worried about affording three nutritious meals a day and 31% were concerned about affording replacement essential household goods such as a bed or cooker.
Just over a quarter (26%) were worried about being able to pay their mortgage or rent.
The poll found 14% of parents identified harmful or illegal drugs as their biggest concern for their children and 7% of all those surveyed were currently worried about alcohol or drug addiction within their family.
Just over one third (35%) of parents were worried about a lack of working opportunities for their children.
The Salvation Army said the survey revealed that "100 years on, the same concerns remain in 21st century Britain".
Lt Colonel Marion Drew, of The Salvation Army UK and Ireland, said: "The Salvation Army still recognises that in 2012 anyone can find themselves facing grief and despair.
"Family breakdown, unemployment, poverty, homelessness and drug and alcohol dependency are just some of the reasons why people can lose everything they value, including their dignity."
YouGov polled 2,099 adults online between August 17-20.
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42Comments
02/09/2012 10:46
Time was when a man's wage was sufficient to provide for his family whilst his wife could stay at home to bring up the children. Then it became necessary for his wife to get a job in order to maintain their everyday lifestyle, which was not exactly a life luxury ! now we have been screwed down that much, family's are finding it even harder to survive despite working every hour God sends. I fully sympathise with the British people, we are one of the hardest working nations in the western world and the government treat us all very badly indeed. The final insult is to be repeatedly told we are all living to long. ; (
15/09/2012 19:32
"Family breakdown, unemployment, poverty, homelessness and drug and alcohol dependency are just some of the reasons why people can lose everything they value, including their dignity."
And what are parliament talking about?
How can we make it easier for employers to sack their staff - and when they do so let's reduce the compensation for unfair dismissal!!!
GOOD GRIEF!
THIS GOVERNMENT SEEMS SET ON REPRESENTING THE ELITE 1% AT THE EXPENSE OF THE 99%.
IT'S TIME THE 99% WAS REPRESENTED.
DO NOT VOTE TORY AGAIN - PLEASE!
12/09/2012 11:19
Whilst powerful people go on avoiding paying a fair share of tax and soccer players are seen to be earning morally repugnant wages this country will continue to be divided.
The ordinary hard working man in the street is struggling to feed his family whilst predatory energy company's are fleecing us all for the sake of ever more profits, along with Banks, Insurance Company's and Local Government, all filling their coffers and paying their CEO's excessive wages and bonuses.
The Cancer 'GREED' continues making the country RIP OFF BRITAIN.
Neither Cameron, Osborne, Clegg or Milliban or Balls have'nt a clue
20/09/2012 08:57
Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, they all represent one thing & that is greed, when was the last time they had a pay cut also why has the media in this country not reported on the fact that ALL mp's have had their expenses re instated, the mp's argument to get them back was that it was ANTI FAMILY to not allow them expenses. Yet this govt is slashing benefits for the poorest in society, meals on wheels slashed to the bone etc all based on the notion that if your on benefits you are FECKLESS, isn't that bigoted, i for one am sick & tired of listening to privileged, rich, often useless mp's setting the rules by which we have to live, yet they can carry on as if nothing happens as their job's are never threatened, why is there no Polish, Somalian mp's, mp's haven't suffered from the influx of immigrants like we have, why is no one shouting at the poor excuse of a man William Hague, didn't he just donate $8 millions of OUR money not his too the Syrian free army why, or what about the £15 BILLION'S in foreign aid to countries that hate us yet its in our constitution to donate 0.7% of GDP, WE WANT CHANGE NOW?
19/09/2012 19:31
I am sorry to say that a small percentage of elite and elitists control this country through corrupt and greedy politicians, bankers, police CPS IPCC ....
By destroying communities, families, small manufacturing, unions etc, they are better able to further destroy and control the people of this country. Deregulation of health and safety, deterioration of employment law, weakening of terms and conditions of employment, immigration (both legal and illegal), are all 'weapons of fear' aimed directly towards subjugating the population and asserting even more control over the population. Unfortunately Enoch Powell's "rivers of blood" is becoming more of a reality, and it will not only be between 'colour' and culture, but also between the 'haves' and the 'have nots'.
The police and security services who seem hellbent on supporting this elite better realise that when 'it hits the fan', they will be on the front-line and their 'masters' will be nowhere to be seen, having deserted the 'sinking ship', living off their ill-gotten gains, 'squirreled away' abroad. And when the 'dust settles', they will be back because the British people will be no more.
10/09/2012 23:01
The government are mindless thugs who do not live in the real world. Of course the Unions will revolt and strike and I dont blame them. The government workers don't care anymore as their benefits of pension rights eroded and they have no other perks. They are paid under the market rate for work no one else wants to do as vocation. The government have lost the upper hand as once the low paid lose their homes and their families break up because they have an unlivable wage then whats to lose? After all if they all jack it in tomorrow they can get council houses cos they lost their homes and probably get more in benefits with no stress. Wake up, the bankers are drifting back to bonus land why are we picking on the backbone of britain who clean the loos look after your kids sweep the streets and empty the rubbish. When did the workers become responsible for the recession? By the way can someone explain why joe public caused a recession by borrowing money when 90% of people paid back their loans? Give the bank staff the brooms and toilet cleaner on strike day with the kids and the dustbins! By the way I left the council job 8 years ago for private.life is easier now.
08/09/2012 19:20
My MP sent a letter around congratulating the government on the pay rise for pensioners £5 week but he forgot to say more than that went on increases gas /elec cost of food. and everybody pays water bills no discount there. it wont be long before the soup kitchens start up then the money they save they can give it to other countries.
21/09/2012 00:31
Well I must have been a lucky guy..no family breakdown..married 54 years before wife died..brought up family. retired at 77 after working 52 years, never took drugs, love my red wine 3 bottles for £10, buy frozen meals in supermarkets for £1...meals in pub for £5.....careful use of heating...totally independant
and enjoy my life.....I must be a lucky guy.
07/09/2012 20:02
29/09/2012 11:51
GREED is the canker sweeping our society brought about by 'Powerful People', Millionaires wanting to become Billionaires and predatory 'Fast Buck' making companies such as Banks, Insurance Companies, Energy Suppliers, Mortgage providers, all hell bent on increasing their obscene morally repugnant incomes and profits.
Today SSE Energy Supplier, about to up their prices in October by 15%, in my own case, announce forthcoming profits amounting to £110 from each and every customer. If this is not gross repugnant i don't know what is.
The forcast is they will make £385 million over period of 6 months.
When soccer players and managers get up to £200,000 a week, is it not time the Government imposed a tax rate of 95%. If they choose to go abroad, then good ridance I say.
07/10/2012 12:28
This Tory government is failing.
At a time of recession we have policies that have served to increase the gross inequalities of wealth in this country.
Believe it or not the richest 1000 people in the UK have actually increased their wealth by £155 billion over the last 3 years during which time 10% struggle to feed their family.
No mansion tax, making it easier for employers to sack staff, attacking benefits. Cameron, Osborne and co need to go before they do any more damage.
10/10/2012 22:00
It`s times like this I wish I was an MP, as the price of food goes up, I could add a little bit more to my expense sheet. Though I might have to consider only 5 nights at my favourite expensive restaurant, instead of 7, after all, we are all in this together. And when the old ancestral pile is getting a little grubby, it`s time for the old flip again and the old Hon. Member of the Board cheque is handy for tiding things over. What a life............*sigh*
Bigger thieves than any benefit fraudsters, how they managed to increase their expenses when the reins were supposed to be tightened, I`ll never know.
03/10/2012 21:24
Here's an idea let us make the next election our oppotunity to show our disgust, if we all register to vote and on the day write No Thanks on our ballot papers the number of spoilt papers will outnumber the number of votes.
We will send a clear message to parties of all shades that they need to think again.
02/10/2012 09:31
If our so called leaders were to get their fingers out of their arses & sort out the economy then we wouldn't have this problem would we? The politicians are only interested in lining their own pockets or giving tax payers cash away to the likes of the Syrian free army in the name of democracy, didn't the tories promise in their manifesto not to bash the poor yet that's all they have done even giving the top 10% a tax cut of 5%, come the next election EVERYONE should refuse too vote as ALL politicians are crooks & should be treated as such ie put in prison & left to rot so there?
20/09/2012 19:17
16/10/2012 03:22
People struggling to feed their families!!!! Perhaps if the government recovered some of the taxes owed by companies such as Vodaphone, they would not have to make such deep cuts in the pockets of the poorest people in the country. Or just an idea, what about getting a grip on fuel prices, this issue is linked to the cost of everything, look at the proffits for fuel companies, it's obscene. Better still why not get a grip of both of these issues and stop selling the people of this country short.
04/10/2012 21:44
Whatever this government is trying or not trying to do, can not be changed in the blink of the eye (after all, they are stuck with all the politically judicious decisions made by previous governments). The fact is that rich people will get richer because they have the right connections but on the other hand you have all the asylum seekers and immigrants who will travel all the way through the EU to get to England because they can get free houses, medical care and most of their needs are met. No, I am (unfortunately) not part of the minority rich nor belong to the asylum seekers (more your average housewife, husband working and kids). All I am saying, it is easy pointing fingers when the times are tough, but when the times were easy and working for you, were you looking any further?
14/10/2012 12:15
that's the sad reality unfortunately for every family to make their ends meet nowadays with social ties breaking away gradually. the main concerns of parents who live on the dole having their offsprings addicted to alcohol and drugs outlines an issue that got to be tackled by the government
it can't be taken for granted , parents unable to feed through their children with a proper meal there needs to be done somethings about it
it can't be taken for granted , parents unable to feed through their children with a proper meal there needs to be done somethings about it
06/10/2012 23:16
I aspire to earning a minimum wage..... but am not worried about food. Why? I can cook basic meals, find things that are cheap in season, and do not eat takeaways or food in boxes! Nor do I buy beer, lager or spirits. Funny how I've been single so long......
I can make meals for a day for around the cost of a litre of diesel. A pizza for £11 would take my whole weeks food budget! Don't believe me? Check out the cost of rice, and sausages, sardines etc.
I'm in my sixties, my parents learnt wartime cooking with rationing, my father was a prisoner of war and came back from Japan half the weight he was when he left. Seems the dirty ring round the rice cauldron had all the vitamins in... a handful a day was enough to survive.
Sometimes discipline is needed to survive. You can do it yourself or ask for help.
Without housing benefit, I am prepared to live in a van. Paying the insurance is hard. I bet my premiums are high because of the careless among us.
It's fun being an old age traveller.....
17/10/2012 13:05
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