What is poor?

[i-need-a-martini]

There was a really interesting article in todays SMH about how many of us think we are poor which is far from the reality.

I grew up in a migrant household where my dad worked 6 days a week and sometimes 2 jobs to keep us fed and housed. More often than not our food was basic and heating in winter was a luxury. But it never occurred to me that we were poor. I thought we were middle class.

So what is poor? ?:|

The last line of the article sums it up for me: 

Which brings us to the other side effect of our collective crying poor: it makes it easier to look past the struggles of those who are genuinely struggling. When you're declaring social bankruptcy over drinking cleanskin wine instead of $17 cocktails, catching the night bus home instead of a taxi, or having to skip out on your friend's destination wedding – indeed, when this becomes your vision of what “poverty” looks like – there is a little less room in your heart for those for whom poverty means having no choice at all.

http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/dl-opinion/is-there-such-a-thing-as-the-privileged-poor-2...

(And please don't make this a political thread cause it has nothing to do with the freaking carbon tax)

[azureline**]

Just because it may be your own fault you are poor, does not mean you aren't poor........

[cherry*135]

If they are deemed as permanent residents or hold citizenship of Australia they too qualify, otherwise the same laws of this country apply to them too regarding centrelink benefits.

Referring only to NZers that arrived here after 26/2/2001:

They are permanent residents.

Legally able to work in Australia.

They are not entitled to citizenship.

They are not entitled tno Centrelink benefits if unable to work to support themselves (Family Tax benefit they can access) no matter how long they have lived and worked in Australia.

[cherry*135]

The high cost of rentals due to lack of supply in areas due to high demand is making people/families homeless. 3 brm houses (nothing fancy) the rent is around $410- $450 p.w. where I live. 

[*crikey*mate*]

don't you have to have a permanent address to get centrelink benefits?

I always thought that was why homeless people had trouble accessing assistance, because they didn't have an address.

[i-need-a-martini]

The vast majority of those you talk of have made given choices in their lives that saw them sink to their present level, even remain in it, but even those who didn't STILL have the ever present Australian Social Security network to back them up, but they either choose to stay clear of it because they see it as having some kind of control over them, or take what they can and waste it on things that most probably got them into their present predicament in the first place, booze, drugs etc.

The system hasn't failed them, they fail themselves.

So a 13 year old thrown out of home (who BTW does not get any welfare) has failed themselves?  So a mum with 2 kids escaping a violent husband has failed themselves?

These are the people I see every day.

Of course this lack of empathy is not surprising given other comments you've made on these boards. But shows you have no idea about anything.

And actually in regards to your first line, it doesn't matter WHO they are or HOW they got there, these people are still desperate and poor.  

[i-need-a-martini]

manking....making

Lucky you didn't put a 'w' in there.

Although it would have been an apt description for someone on here. 😄

[purple.cow]

don't you have to have a permanent address to get centrelink benefits?

I always thought that was why homeless people had trouble accessing assistance, because they didn't have an address.

Apparently not, they only require a postal address.

It's how all the permanently on the road grey nomads manage it for their pensions. (I just asked one of them)

They use a c/o post office address or a postal box etc. etc.

OK break time over here, I'll get back later to reply to AM3's recent comments later. Back to robbing the tourist for me now :^O

[just_me_karen]

I don't believe 'poor' has anything to do with money. I know people in Indonesia who are surviving on a dollar a day. If the family earner gets sick, they quite simply don't eat that day. However, they're definitely not poor. They're happy, have strong community and don't complain about money. I know Aussies like that too, especially in the bush or in alternative lifestyle areas. They might not have lots of cash, but they have happy, constructive and rich lives.

i believe "poor" is a state of mind. Miserable, needy, insular minds, such as I see ^^^ epitomise what "poor" is.

[cherry*135]

There is more to life than monetary gain outside the home.

[the_bob_delusion]

I don't believe 'poor' has anything to do with money. I know people in Indonesia who are surviving on a dollar a day. If the family earner gets sick, they quite simply don't eat that day. However, they're definitely not poor. They're happy, have strong community and don't complain about money. I know Aussies like that too, especially in the bush or in alternative lifestyle areas. They might not have lots of cash, but they have happy, constructive and rich lives.

i believe "poor" is a state of mind. Miserable, needy, insular minds, such as I see ^^^ epitomise what "poor" is.

that's pretty naieve way of looking at things. Poor is not just a state of mind. Hapiness is a state of mind. There's a minimal amount of food, water and shelter to exist. In our society , that has a lot to do with being poor or not.