Struggle Street

[rabbitearbandicoot]

so, who's watching this show tonight at 8:30 on SBS?

if it's not cancelled that is. The people involved have tried to get it wiped because it represents them in an unfavourable light.

[bella_again]

The father said a few times that he only gets $110 a week on disability and it's hard to pay all the bills with that. RUBBISH! He is on disability pension which is $660 a fortnight ($880 if they are not married) -  she is on carer's pension = another $660 a fortnight ($880 if they are not married). They are probably paying no rent (or very little).

They have 10 kids to support - none of whom are employed - I assume they are all on benefits too.

I heard that but I don't think he meant what you think, he was saying he can't spend 3 - 400 on shopping when all he gets is 110 a week.  I thought he meant that he only has 110 left to shop with? Also 7 of his kids I believe were on some kind of payment he mentions that in the first 20 mins. It seemed to me that they were taking advantage of him, between them having 18 grandkids and he mentions stealing his food.

Before sickness he was a truck driver and she had a catering position I think bad luck has hit them and they have become caught up in a cycle I think after losing his job and being sick he lost hope. Having said that I was a bit unsure about the bit where he claims to have smoked grass for medical reasons to relieve back pain and was in prison for 12 months over giving his DD's boyfriend some or some such thing?  Didn't quite get that.  Wondered if there was more to it?

[donnashuggy]

I think it was telling when he got his son to mow the lawn for money and then they said they wouldn't be paying him?

It is a bit like reality television.

[donnashuggy]

In other words two wrongs don't make a right. Children need good guidance and there was not much of that last night.

When the young girl decided she was going to go back to school my husband said instantly she won't last, sure enough she lasted one day. Poor kids.

[bella_again]

One of the problems is that those who face the hardest struggle in life are usually the ones least well equipped either culturally, intellectually, or educationally to cope with it.

Spot on there she ele. While everyone beats them down, points out their failures and continues to tell them they are drop kicks don't expect much else.  I have only watched about 22 mins of it so far but its sad, sad that lives are ruined in a cycle of poverty and abuse, sad that our system fails these people daily.

We are all arm chair experts, we all feel that they can get over it they get 600 a week get everything else free or low cost.  But you know what, that's just a cop out because we don;t know how to deal with the issues that have arisen in pockets of people in poverty. Btw by the time they pay rent, medical expenses I'm not sure they have a whole lot left but that's debatable.

As for the comment about taking kids off them and putting them in foster care, good luck finding carers.  They system there is in crisis and the other issue is it solves nothing longer term.

I think we have to empower them to break the cycle.  I think services need to be better directed, early intervention needs to take place and we need another class of social workers who know how to relate to people not focus on stats alone.  We also have to remember that these are people if you keep kicking them expect them to stay down but if we can give them hope for the future along side empowerment there is chance.  If not then nothing will change.

[bella_again]

Agreed Donna, I haven't seen that bit yet but you are right kids need boundaries, guidance and support. For that to happen families need hope. I don't know the answer as someone involved with at risk kids over the years in my volunteer role the damage done even to young children is often lasts a life time.  Yet if we removed them the out of home care system is so stuffed up (I don't blame carers either) that the outcomes are poor.

However its abundantly clear that we as a society and a nation have to address this issue.

[donnashuggy]

Yes I agree, I could not believe that father was only 52

[rabbitearbandicoot]

" I thought he meant that he only has 110 left to shop with?"

just taking the husband's and wife's pensions at lowest rate = $660 + $660 fortnight - that's $660 per week, so where does the other $550 a week go to? Certainly not on rent. 

"Also 7 of his kids I believe were on some kind of payment he mentions that in the first 20 mins"

- so where does all that money go? 

" having 18 grandkids and he mentions stealing his food."

- what food? He says in one breath he only has $110 a week, so how much food would he buy with that $ to have stolen? He can't have it both ways.

As far as the scrounging for scrap metal - that was obviously just for the show. 

As I mentioned, some have a go no matter what their situation, and get out of there. Some will stay there all their lives and then their children will too. If they are genuinely sick like this man, then fair enough but MOST just make excuse after excuse and will blame everyone for their situation - EXCEPT THEMSELVES.

[donnashuggy]

I don't think starvation is a problem, in Africa it is a sign of wealth being overweight.

I don't think they can get away with saying they cannot afford food, many simply have their priorites wrong.

[rabbitearbandicoot]

"Before sickness he was a truck driver and she had a catering position. I think bad luck has hit them and they have become caught up in a cycle I think after losing his job and being sick he lost hope. Having said that I was a bit unsure about the bit where he claims to have smoked grass for medical reasons to relieve back pain and was in prison for 12 months over giving his DD's boyfriend some or some such thing?  Didn't quite get that.  Wondered if there was more to it?"

 - and where did they live before he got sick? In the same house I'll bet. So nothing changed except that he probably got a rent reduction when he got sick and couldn't work. Of course, his taking and dealing in drugs would only have been a one-off thing, wouldn't it?  you think?

[donnashuggy]

It is unfair on them to speculate though, they may own their home but I didn't catch that