Priorities please

[Gob]

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.

[rubato]

He was working for 12 years and 1 month after losing his job was out on the street? I think a little one on one coaching in life planning with a focus on personal finance would be very helpful.


How could he have zero saved in 12 years?


yrs,
rubato

[BoSoxGal]

Seriously? Most people don't have savings, rubato. Laborers don't make great money, cost of living is high everywhere, and you don't know his other circumstances - does he pay child support? Spousal maintenance?

I don't at all disagree that your basic premise is a sound one - people should have savings for a rainy day.

I'm just surprised that with everything you post about the income/wealth disparity in the US and globally, that you don't realize how thin most folks are living - paycheck to paycheck, most of us, with little if anything in savings.

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

[rubato]

No, I certainly understand how close to the wind a lot of people are sailing but if he was working for 12 years in construction (which pays relatively well in the U.S.) having BOTH zero savings and no alcohol/drug problem is improbable. At even a modest savings rate of 5% he should have well over 6 mos of income at that point even if it was in a zero-interest account.


If he has child support or the like then it makes more sense but if he is a single guy supporting himself then he would benefit from some life coaching.


Actually I just checked and the minimum wage in the UK really sucks; the equivalent of $10.16/hour* (although with paid HC the effective std. of living is higher). But do people in the construction trades make minimum there?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mi ... by_country


yrs,
rubato

*SF minimum is $11.05 now and rises to $15/hr in a few years.

[Joe Guy]

California minimum wage is $9.00 per hour. San Francisco has its own minimum wage that was voted in by residents.

Note our federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

[Gob]

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]

...

[Crackpot]

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

[rubato]

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

That's true. And I have said so here, if you will recall.

But comparatively, construction jobs still pay relatively better. In the US they pay > 2x minimum wage overall.

http://www.indeed.com/salary/q-Construc ... ornia.html

Construction Worker in California
$41,000

yrs,
rubato

[Guinevere]

Construction and the trades pay damn well here in Massachusetts -- at least based on the various estimates for work I've received from contractors for all kinds of jobs. For the last project I had, I'm pretty sure they took in about $75/hour (although some of them also always seem short of cash).

[Crackpot]

Guin you are mixing contractor with laborer.

[Sue U]

The trades do well when there's work and if you're high enough on the call list. Construction tanked after the economic collapse in 2008 and has only recently started a comeback. Construction workers are 6% of the U.S. workforce, but accounted for nearly 25 percent of workers who lost their jobs during the recession -- which you may recall was triggered by the implosion of the housing market.

[Crackpot]

You're confusing trades (skilled) and construction (non-skilled). Heck the skilled bits are even being eroded as they now only require work to be reviewed by a skilled tradesperson not actually done by a skilled trades person (or even an apprentice). Which is especially terrifying if you actually know what goes in to the trade. Things can look like they're done right and even work (for a while) but if they're not done right the can fail spectacularly.

[Guinevere]

Yes, I understand the difference. He is listed as a "kitchen fitter" -- could be contractor, laborer, or tradesman. Contractor here connotes building (and requires a license), but not plumber, electrician, etc, for which you need difference licenses.

BTW, even my handman gets $25/hour. Perhaps I'm just generous.

[kristina]

My ex charges (if he's still doing the work) $25 for handyman services. It's not just the time and the work; one has to have all the tools, and they ain't cheap.

[BoSoxGal]

He was laid off from a job and presumably has had less than regular work in the poor economy, like most laborers - just as Sue and others point out.

Again, I don't disagree with the premise that folks should have emergency funds in savings - but the reality is, most folks don't. There are many reasons, primary among them being the high cost of living and diminishing wages, but also the lack of financial education provided in public schools and/or in the home.

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.

People who struggle with managing money aren't bad people - they just lack knowledge. Additionally, people who struggle to eek out a living are often going to be inclined to treat themselves on the rare occasion that disposable income is available - that's human nature and there are plenty of rich people who overspend, too. Look how many celebrities, athletes, etc. have fallen from abundance to bankrupt - hasn't Nicholas Cage declared bankruptcy multiple times, despite being one of the most well-paid actors of his generation?

I just don't think there is much room for judgment and blame here - it's pretty clear to me that the transgressions of the working poor who don't happen to save any extra penny they ever make are far less significant than the transgressions of the 1% who wallow in wealth and seek tax relief and further reductions of social safety nets for the least among us.

The poor will always be with you.