Dickens in the modern age!
Its the 21st century! Surely in this day and age poverty and destitution are things of the past, the things consigned to Dickens great works? If only!
The reality today is that while man has moved on with technology and education, where health is better with vaccines and great strides in medicine (we’re living longer), the number of those living in poverty is rising.
Those in poverty are divided into those out of work and those who are in work where income doesn’t cover what’s needed to get by.
Those who are in work poverty have ‘hobson’s choice‘ because if they give up their work, there is no money for 26 weeks because the system says in leaving your job you are making yourself intentionally jobless. There is no account taken of the fact that affording to actually get to work and paying the bills is becoming too much. In that 26 weeks there is no help with housing costs. This means housing providers taking back properties and then homelessness follows. Once homeless no one has responsibility to support you and a life on the street is your only prospect. So the life of in work poverty continues.
This is the reality for many people and the numbers in this situation is growing.
For those in work poverty help is limited, after all they are the unseen. From the outside they’re working often longer hours, they smile each day and give a cheery hello but beneath the facade, the biggest struggle happens every day. Sometimes, it feels that life is too hard and hope is lost no matter how hard you try.
While Christmas is a time of celebration, take time to think about those not only visible and insight that need support but those hidden from obvious view, those in work poverty. We are all just one or two steps away from hitting rock bottom.
Lets hope for some miracles this Christmas because this is Dickens in the modern age!
alisoncrossjones 