Plan B Forum

A FORCES charity has criticised Bournemouth council for abandoning a homeless Army veteran on the streets.



Matthew Dennis, 39, served for nine years with the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment before moving to Bournemouth and working as a builder and plasterer for 12 years.

Last month Mr Dennis lost his job as a kitchen fitter and was evicted from his flat, but after a week on the streets he was told by the council he was not on the priority list for temporary accommodation.

Charity UK Homes 4 Heroes said the council had failed in its duty to uphold the Armed Forces Covenant.

“I do feel let down,” said Mr Dennis.

“There are a lot of ex-servicemen out on the streets. Many find it difficult to ask for help, others just say ‘that’s life’ and deal with it.

“I went to the council for help. They said since I don’t have any problems with drugs or alcohol, I am not a priority.”

The council has claimed Mr Dennis was provided with advice and offered the option of applying for supported housing and refused, but he has denied this, saying little useful information was provided.

Since the weekend he has been provided with temporary accommodation funded by UK Homes 4 Heroes – which helps rehouse and rehabilitate ex-service personnel who have fallen on hard times.

In 2011 the highest household saving rates, above 11%, were found in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France and Spain (the latter two use the gross measure.) The lowest rates, below 2%, were found in Estonia, New Zealand and Denmark. Denmark is the only country with consistently negative household saving rates from 2006 to 2013 (projected.) Rates in the US reached a high of 5.4% in 2008 as American households were experiencing some of the worst moments of the crisis and trying to pay down their debt, but started declining again in 2011 and are projected to fall back to around 4% by 2013.

from: https://www.gfmag.com/global-data/econo ... ving-rates

MORE than 150 asylum seekers are being put up at two Bournemouth hotels, the Echo can exclusively reveal.

A total of 88 are staying at the Roundhouse Hotel in Meyrick Road and a further 67 are being accommodated at the Heathlands Hotel on Grove Road, East Cliff.

Crackpot wrote:Uhh rube thanks to the decline in unions and cheap undocumented labor construction doesn't pay that well anymore.

Construction Worker in California
$41,000

76% of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck

By Angela Johnson - Bankrate 2013

Consumers feel better about their finances, but savings rates remain stagnant. Roughly three-quarters of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck, with little to no emergency savings, according to a survey released by Bankrate.com Monday.

Fewer than one in four Americans have enough money in their savings account to cover at least six months of expenses, enough to help cushion the blow of a job loss, medical emergency or some other unexpected event, according to the survey of 1,000 adults. Meanwhile, 50% of those surveyed have less than a three-month cushion and 27% had no savings at all.

"It's disappointing," said Greg McBride, Bankrate.com's senior financial analyst. "Nothing helps you sleep better at night than knowing you have money tucked away for unplanned expenses."
Even more disappointing; The savings rates have barely changed over the past three years, even though a larger percentage of consumers report an increase in job security, a higher net worth and an overall better financial situation.

So why aren't Americans saving more?
Last week, online lender CashNetUSA said 22% of the 1,000 people it recently surveyed had less than $100 in savings to cover an emergency, while 46% had less than $800. After paying debts and taking care of housing, car and child care-related expenses, the respondents said there just isn't enough money left over for saving more.