There was a time; it seems a lifetime ago, last century, but in reality little more than a decade ago, when
we counted the people in poverty, the people going hungry, the people suffering real hardships, by the
thousand.
Two thousand here, five thousand there.
Then as the numbers grew it became common to talk of tens of thousands, we spoke of them so often
it became normal.
Then the numbers grew to the point where we talked of hundreds of thousands and such numbers were
spoken of so often that they became normal, even accepted.
Now we speak in terms of millions. Every new story talks of millions and it has become the norm. One
million using food banks, 5 million on working tax credits, between 5 and 6 million in or approaching
fuel poverty. A million here, a million there, the new normal.
So when we today get figures saying that more than 9 Million are in serious debt the millions bit is not
so shocking. We have become used to talking of millions. The number nine is new and a bit higher than
normal but the millions bit, we are used to that.
So NINE MILLION people are now reported to be in serious debt. That is to say they have failed to make
three out of the last six bill payments for rents, mortgages and/or utilities or that they are suffering from
levels of debt that they are unable to realistically repay.
Where are these figures coming from, that would be MA, have you seen the adverts, want a holiday what
does MA say. The Money Advice Service, an independent organisation set up by the government but not
controlled by them, which is probable why they can get away with releasing such bad news.
About four million are reported to have been struggling for at least a year.
About four and a half million are reported to be cutting back on basics like heating, lighting or food
because of debt.
Six million of those in serious debt are reportedly under 45.
Roughly one and a half million people in serious debt are in benefit dependant households.
About five million households or people in serious debt are in employment.
About five million households live in privately owned houses.
Given the numbers and the total a significant number of this NINE MILLION are suffering from two or
more of the above problems.
Shocking YES, surprising NO.
What do our so called leaders think the consequences of the bed room tax are going to be when they
cut benefits or tax people for living in a house that has arbitrarily been decided is too big for them. The
complete lack of one bed houses for people to move into is not a factor, needing a spare bedroom for
medical equipment or a sleep over carer is not a factor, children living with them part time not a factor.
So tax people, cut their benefits because they cannot afford to move.
What they are in debt and suffering you say, nonsense says the government, not our fault.
Hundreds of thousands of people, well by now we are probably into the millions, have lost disability
benefits because they can walk or touch their heads. A huge number of those people are not employable
and the job centre treats them as such. So no income, no benefits, moths or a year or more of delays
to appeal the process and no income during that time.
What they are in debt and suffering you say, nonsense says the government, not our fault.
Our Prime Minister stands at a golden lectern to give a speech, He stands next to a golden throne.
Wonderful history and pageantry, classically British. All that pomp and circumstance.
But to then give a speech calling for permanent austerity which in effect means permanent poverty, did
he think that the proles would never find out, did he think the common folk, the taxpaying peasants
would never learn of his speech? Or did he simply not care?
What does he think the results of his permanent austerity will be. Does he think that the rapidly increasing
number of people driven to food banks to put food on the family tables is somehow unrelated to his
decisions and the decisions of his government.
Does he not think that what he, his cabinet, his party and the Lib Dems are doing has savage and cruel
consequences for the weakest and most vulnerable section of our society.
What they are in debt and suffering you say, nonsense says the government, not our fault.
The response. Well let me think.
HS2. Rapidly growing poverty across the UK, lets spend 50 or 80 billion on a pointless railway.
Energy costs climbing, an ever increasing green levy that accounts for some 10% of peoples bills and
is to increase to be a third of those bills in the future. Shut down more coal power stations and let
the French charge more per unit for electricity from that nuclear plant.
Food bank use increasing dramatically, households in food poverty growing dramatically, people
going hungry in ever greater numbers. But it’s clearly the fault of the food banks, if there were less
food banks less people would use them.
We haven’t had “Let them eat cake” yet but it’s only a matter of time.
30,000 dead last year of cold related causes. Energy bills up, income down, benefits down or gone. What
will this year’s death toll be, does the Government care.
So here we are. We have gone past one million and two million and five million is now old hat. The new
number is NINE MILLION.
No one will be cut off this winter if they cannot pay their electricity bills. There is plenty of free advice
available about restructuring debts. Special winter fuel payment. Special measures. Special considerations.
Sticky plasters and band-aids.
Nothing that is being done even touches the real problems. Why are people getting into debt in the first
place. Outgoings more than income. It’s not rocket science.
But when outgoings have been reduced to the point where its heat the house or buy food then the
problem is NOT the outgoing money but the incoming money.
As our Government continues to do its best by cutting costs and jobs while still somehow increasing the
national debt the number of people in every type of poverty will continue to increase.
We are now at the point where we will make the next step up. Thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds
of thousands, millions.
The next step is tens of millions.
As we live in the 7th richest nation on this planet, as we live in what is supposed to be a civilised, western
democracy, do we really want to reach the point where we start to talk about poverty and suffering in
the tens of millions.
Unless something changes, 2015 will be the year we start to talk about tens of millions.
What do we do then?