Cost of living

Wibbles
Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing

According to the latest figures - Inflation has been only 1.7% since September 2023 - no idea where they get these figures from ?? Food has been going up at more than 1.7% each MONTH let alone year !!

This is bad news for those relying on benefits - next Aprils increase will only be 1.7%

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Comments

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,458 Championing

    food prices go up every year a couple of months before christmas same as everything else you gotta buy it you gotta pay it come january it will go down a bit but not to the prices pre christmas they win we lose the nature of the beast

  • chrisevans
    chrisevans Scope Member Posts: 9 Connected

    My wife and I look at the prices of items in shops and some have nearly doubled or stay at the same price but have shrunk in size. I can still remember baked beans at 9p a tin, some are over a pound now.

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing

    And fill my car up with petrol (10 gallons or 50 litres) for £10 !

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing
    edited October 2024

    Benefits have always been poor

    As late as 1971 - the equivalent of ESA paid just £6 per week

    before 1971 - it was Income Support or nothing !!

    https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06762/SN06762.pdf

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing
    edited October 2024

    Try this… 15 shillings for 3 gallons WITH REDEX !!

    61 years ago

    That's 25p per gallon..

    petrol 1960.jpg
  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 13,945 Championing

    I know it's even more expensive if you are on a diet or have to get special food/drinks

    costs for me

    • Bread-£1.80
    • coffee- £6.50
    • milk-£1.12
    • baked beans £3.50
    • Juice-£2
    • tea-£1.25
    • butter £2
    • coffee out-£2-£4
    • Lunch out £8 to £15
  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing
  • Jimm_Alumni
    Jimm_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,717 Championing

    I remember when Freddos were 10p

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Online Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 4,117 Championing
    edited October 2024

    I don't understand Scope claiming that disabled households need c £250 extra per week than other households.

    Because working families struggling to earn enough with the two-child benefit cap in place couldn't use another £250 a week and don't have 'extra' costs?

    Because disabled people like me living on £250 a month couldn't use another £250 a week?

    I don't think increasing these figures as you have recently done helps anyone understand what poverty is or what disability means.

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing
    edited October 2024

    You do spend considerably more as a disabled person than a non disabled person but how much is hard to fathom because I have no idea how much a non disabled person spends!!

    Being careful with the heating etc perhaps £200 per week extra

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Online Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 4,117 Championing
    edited October 2024

    Well, exactly, nor does Scope know.

    I cannot spend more than my £250 per month because I don't have it to spend!

    But I am still disabled and having to go without just as those struggling working households are having to go without and using foodbanks to survive. I don't think Scope's approach does anything to increase the general public's understanding of disability or poverty.

    Working households don't enjoy free travel, free prescriptions, free dental treatment or the Warm Home Discount so their 'extra costs' come out of earned income leaving them poorer than many on benefits.

    Then we wonder why welfare recipients are being targeted to get off benefits and back into work… 🙄

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing
    edited October 2024

    You have missed the whole point !!

    It means how much you would spend - to bring your life up to the level of a non-disabled person - gardeners (to mow the lawn etc), carers (to help you with your life), shoppers (to do your shopping for you), drivers (to drive you to hospital appointments etc)….all paid at minimum wage (£11 per hour) - quickly adds up.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Online Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 4,117 Championing
    edited October 2024

    I've not missed anything, Wibbles!

    Scope is assuming that non-disabled people can afford those luxuries and conveniences and they can't. That's my point.

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing

    You are still not getting it…

    I realise that you don't have a luxurious life - but IF YOU DID - It would cost you an extra £250 per week to "upgrade" your life to the sort of life that a non-disabled person would expect to live …

  • Wibbles
    Wibbles Online Community Member Posts: 2,636 Championing

    The average income is now over £30k or £2500 per month.

    If you had £2500 per month what would you spend it on ?

    This £250 per week would bring you close to this

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Online Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 4,117 Championing

    No, I don't get your argument and neither would struggling working households get it!

    Non-disabled households cannot upgrade to the sort of life you describe on poverty wages and zero-hours contracts. The difference is they're not asking for an extra £250 a week and Scope is saying disabled people need and deserve that amount.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Online Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 4,117 Championing
    edited October 2024

    You know the saying "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion"?

    Apply that to spending and income.

  • Jimm_Alumni
    Jimm_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,717 Championing
    edited October 2024

    Hey @WhatThe, I'm passing your feedback onto the team that puts out that information.

    I think Scope, being a disability charity, while it is cognisant of poverty it is focused on the needs of disabled people. This extra costs is on top of whatever income and wealth they already have. Those working households you mention, that includes disabled people. Just the average extra cost for a disabled household compared to a non-disabled household across all levels of wealth (poverty to wealthy), on average, an extra £250 a week.

  • WhatThe
    WhatThe Online Community Member, Scope Member Posts: 4,117 Championing

    Well, yes, working households include disabled people and struggling working households receive welfare benefits.

    I'm disabled and have to manage without this fantasy extra £250 a week. The welfare bill is to be slashed yet your charity is demanding recognition of this 'requirement' that disabled claimants have every week to live a full life.

    To my mind, this will fuel the resentment towards all welfare benefit recipients, disabled or not. In this regard, I don't think disabled people matter any more than the rest of the population does!