John Doe

A little low perhaps?

Just returning favours. Besides, they paid me every penny back, with interest......... only joking about the interest 6.5k ouch B'stad! Perhaps the DSS had lent him money before

That was my understanding too. Although I don't think you can have savings above a set limit also?

Fair enough. (Sounds like my brother, mod cons were never his thing, stays in his lorry most of the time even now). I can only go by my own experience and that of others I have known. I too have helped friends (even sorted a deposit and a months rent for them so they can get private rented housing while claims are going through, they helped me out in the past also). No problem at all, in fact I was amazed just how easy it was. I have a question though, how did your friend go from civil engineer to homeless in such a short period of time? Why didn't they do the same? If they could get to Aus they could easily have stayed and got private rented then claimed while looking for a new job, couldn't they? One thing I made sure of is that I will never let my family end up back there. Whatever happens.

People still cared and had a (relatively) real choice, capitalism, or nationalisation. Don't see much of that now.

No offence, but I have been through the system myself. I got help within two days (albeit in a B&B for a couple of weeks). It was many years ago now, but the safety net worked for us.

You would get benefits in the UK, even as ex SE. You wouldn't starve, but you would have to adapt to a whole new way of life. It’s bloody difficult, but millions do it. It's when you learn who your real friends are. The new way of life you have chosen definitely sounds better though. Fair play!

As long as it's after midday. You know how hard it is to get out of bed before then! If that were ever going to happen, it would have happened in the 80's. It didn't.

That's actually the point. The benefits system mean we don't have the masses uprising. People aren't starving here.

Mortgage approvals have just "unexpectedly" jumped to their highest level for a year. BoE Figures. Nationwide report MoM up 0.3% Crash cruise speed? What a crazy country. House prices "should" be down about 33% from peak. Yet, here they are level (nominal). The UK market has defied logic for decades. Good points. I always assumed the "underclass" were necessary to keep wage expectations down in a capitalist system. With everyone working, wages have to rise. Problem is, the "underclass" got to hear the theory and so accepted their lot and gave up looking for betterment.

I know exactly what you mean (different city, similar story). It's clear from some of the naive comments raised, that many here have never even been to places like this, let alone lived there. I remember Paddy Ashdown (Ex Lib Leader) once went to live in Moss Side (a sink in Manchester) for a few months. He told afterwards how he was more terrified than when he was fighting wars in the jungle. He also added that even through all that, he still knew that he would be going back to his comfy home. The people that live there know they are stuck. Perhaps it should be mandatory education to have to live in one of the sink estates for a few months, a bit like national service. It would make some posters realise how hope, ambition and drive can be crushed and fade and why people "give up". As usual, the headline is missleading. It's only being repackaged and renamed. Not removed.

Nor has it for many years, I don’t think the figures have stacked up since about 1998. If inflation stays, then it is inevitable that wages will start to rise. It is a myth to think people will just sit back and allow their incomes to fall year on year. They will stand it for a while, especially while scared for their jobs, but the point will be reached when they say enough is enough. This is already happening in the private sector and will eventually spread to the public sector. Either that or the alternative, mass industrial action (and maybe worse, which helps no-one) as people get poorer and poorer. The government know this.

I think it is under government pressure (as fully owned by uk tax payer).

Compared with the best 5 year fixes with LTV 60%, yes. Also, if you think inflation is here to stay, yes.

Yep, but historically that’s still quite low for a FTB. (I had a capped 6% in early 2001). Also, 10% deposit was the norm before the madness. Wow, that's quite good On the other hand, this article about bank lending in the future looks more interesting. http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/UK-banks-...667934.html?x=0

And it's back! The 90% mortgage makes a return to the UK. And guess who's offering it? Yep, the Northern Rock! http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/fe...-cent-mortgages

Also depends how many need to sell, and how many are just chancing now that HIPS has gone.

I ask the same thing every day Yep. But, can still get 5.59% fixed for ten years from Brittania (although, was 5.09% a while back). So, the dilema is fix now, or wait till oil hits $150 again (or way above), and then the next recession, which will lead to the presses being turned on again and cheap money for all again! Woo Hoo!

Not in Cuba ..............................

Now that's a good analogy. The trader who uses their own money is essentially a professional gambler. Nothing wrong with that. Quite right about the gamblers that play with other peoples money though. They win when their clients win, then they win when their clients loose and we, the tax payers, end up with the bill. They really are the vampires. I don't always agree with him, but I do believe he works hard and tries to "give back" in quite a few ways. Well said CTR. It's not many nowadays that have the honesty (and cahoonas) to apologise I'm sorry to say. (no pun intended )

I think that was Brown's model (the genius ) hence the increase in spending each year. Worrying seeing the rise in oil again today. Could easily end up being the shock that tips us over the edge again.

True, but a huge amount of the current (not structural) deficit is directly down to the huge drops in tax receipts yes? Barclays, for example, writing of their tax due to losses the year before (just one example of many). That’s just one company. Take just the FTSE 100 and it soon adds up. Structural deficit is also falling due to inflation at present. With inflation ~5% and pub sector pay rises ~0.5%, that's a 4.5% wages (and future pension) saving straight away. (Had a couple of years of that already).

Sounds fantastic (sat here in my nice warm house), You are my hero! Morar beach is probably my favourite beach in the UK! White sand, clear blue sea, happy days indeed!

There was a caller into the any answers on Radio 4 at the weekend who described a “one off” tax on the most wealthy 1 or 2 % (IIRC) people in the UK in order to wipe out the deficit. Apparently, the vast majority in that bracket (with average wealth over £4million) were quite supportive of the idea. I haven’t looked at the figures, but it made me think for a while. I mean, how many millions do you really need? Just a thought.

Yeah, we stayed in Kinlochleven on the last night of doing the WHW before the final leg. I've never seen midges like it, the sky was black! It really is an amazingly beautiful area. Even the train trip back to Glasgow was through scenery as breathtaking as the walk! Aint that the truth Along with the bankers and multinationals