[Politics] Society

[GT49er]

income may have been more equal but overall we were poorer, and as we've become richer the lower end have been richer too. after rising in the 80s the general measures of the gap have gradudually declined, so we're slightly more equal since then. see FullFact. it would seem the inequality issue is not nearly as large a problem as some would have it.

Third sentence on that link states, "But the gap between rich and poor is much larger". Indeed it is, and it has been growing larger since the 60s and 70s, when we achieved the lowest gap we've ever had. As for the lower end becoming richer, there weren't many homeless people living on the streets back then, not nearly as many as now. Try convincing them they're better of now than they would have been 40 or 50 years ago and they'll rightly tell you it's bollox.

 

[beorhthelm]

Third sentence on that link states, "But the gap between rich and poor is much larger". Indeed it is, and it has been growing larger since the 60s and 70s, when we achieved the lowest gap we've ever had. As for the lower end becoming richer, there weren't many homeless people living on the streets back then, not nearly as many as now. Try convincing them they're better of now than they would have been 40 or 50 years ago and they'll rightly tell you it's bollox.

so firstly, the gap is larger than measured against the 60's, direction of travel is no longer up. secondly, problems of homeless and destitution are not about income. so we should focus on them specficially, with proper provision of services to help them. not conflate these issues which only leads to poor policy.

 

[half time scores]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YawagQ6lLrA

 

[The Clamp]

so firstly, the gap is larger than measured against the 60's, direction of travel is no longer up. secondly, problems of homeless and destitution are not about income. so we should focus on them specficially, with proper provision of services to help them. not conflate these issues which only leads to poor policy.

Your point about homelessness not being exclusively income related is very relevant. I have worked with women who have had PIP back payments of tens of thousands of pounds, who receive regular benefit payments worth hundreds of pounds a week. Alas, mental health issues, substance abuse and the inability to manage their money lands them in dire straits time and time again.
Universal credit has been disastrous for this sector of society. So many have not got a hope of managing and budgeting a lump sum once a month.
The only hope they have is constant multi agency support, which is disappearing at an alarming rate.
Successive governments don’t seem to understand that if you give someone with a major drug addiction £3k in back payment it’s not going to solve anything. In fact it will exacerbate their problems.

 

[GT49er]

so firstly, the gap is larger than measured against the 60's, direction of travel is no longer up. secondly, problems of homeless and destitution are not about income. so we should focus on them specficially, with proper provision of services to help them. not conflate these issues which only leads to poor policy.

Problems of homeless(ness) and destitution are not about income, indeed - they are, however, very much about lack of/low income.