[arista]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

I went through a period of living on less than £600pm not too long ago..I managed to survive.

Your a Tough Cookie

[Creggle]

They sound pretty damn entitled to me.

[T*]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

This tbh. Sell the stuff you don't need, as much as it may suck, it's better than sleeping rough.

could be family/passed down stuff

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Tom!

could be family/passed down stuff

perfect to take to an auction and convert it to cash money

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Tom!

could be family/passed down stuff

And? If you are skint you are skint. You dont end up homeless in order to pay stupid amounts of money for storage

[Nedusa]

Strange story..... Doesn't really add up, what financial advice and poor luck put them in this position ?

Where are their families and Friends? Why are they sleeping rough in an Airport.

Would need to hear the full story on this before making any judgements on them.






.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Tom!

could be family/passed down stuff

I highly doubt ALL their furniture is passed down, and in desperate times you have to do what you can. They are acting like spoilt people, they don't need help, especially as they are not helping themselves.

[Livia]

If we're going to make them sell all their stuff, presumably we're going to make everyone sell their stuff when they run into hard times. Pity they can't be temporarily housed, considering all the tax they've probably paid into the system over the years.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Livia

If we're going to make them sell all their stuff, presumably we're going to make everyone sell their stuff when they run into hard times. Pity they can't be temporarily housed, considering all the tax they've probably paid into the system over the years.

No, only those paying £300 per month for storage

[GiRTh]

Sounds like a hustle to me.

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Livia

If we're going to make them sell all their stuff, presumably we're going to make everyone sell their stuff when they run into hard times. Pity they can't be temporarily housed, considering all the tax they've probably paid into the system over the years.

Should this rehousing take priority over a single mum with 6 kids who's house is too small? IF they are to be rehoused then they must wait the appropriate time but personally I don't think they should be rehoused at all. It seems suspicious to me that a couple with this kind of lifestyle don't have any friends who can out them up for a few weeks.

[AnnieK]

Originally Posted by Livia

If we're going to make them sell all their stuff, presumably we're going to make everyone sell their stuff when they run into hard times. Pity they can't be temporarily housed, considering all the tax they've probably paid into the system over the years.

Before funds are set up to get donations from others absolutely yes

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Livia

If we're going to make them sell all their stuff, presumably we're going to make everyone sell their stuff when they run into hard times. Pity they can't be temporarily housed, considering all the tax they've probably paid into the system over the years.

If they are going to spend £300 on storage for their excess stuff which ends up leaving them homeless, then yeah. Makes sense

I don't think anyones after making them sell their stuff...but they cant moan about being homeless when they could nearly afford a months rent for what they are paying for furniture storage...furniture is no good with no house...

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Livia

If we're going to make them sell all their stuff, presumably we're going to make everyone sell their stuff when they run into hard times. Pity they can't be temporarily housed, considering all the tax they've probably paid into the system over the years.

Also, when I went thru hard times I sold some of my stuff. I don't think its that big a deal. It amazing how much sh*t you acquire over the years that you don't need. I have absolutely no sympathy for these two in fact I think Heathrow should throw them out of the airport and they should be arrested for vagrancy. Treat them like tramps if they're homeless.

[Livia]

I'm not saying I don't have suspicions about this couple but it seems to me that if they were a working class couple the attitude toward them would be a little softer. It seems like the consensus of opinion is, don't set up a business, don't buy a big house and don't be middle class because if you are and you hit hard times you deserve no help from the state you've paid into, maybe paid substantially more than many others. It's fine to be unemployed for years and still pop out loads of kids, because the state will look after you.

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Livia

If we're going to make them sell all their stuff, presumably we're going to make everyone sell their stuff when they run into hard times. Pity they can't be temporarily housed, considering all the tax they've probably paid into the system over the years.

Hello Livia, where have you been,

I agree actually, we don't know their real cicumstances,okay they could sell their furniture, likely having to make a great loss on it however.
Then when they eventually got somewhere else, need to buy more.

I see the sense of trying to hold onto what you've got for as long as you can,hopefully this is a temporary situation they find themselves in and as you point out, they have likely contributed strongly to the tax system in their lives too.

[AnnieK]

I tend to disagree liv....If this a young lower class couple struggling it wouldn't be news at all....and people certainly wouldn't be putting their hands in their own pockets to provide a fund as I can almost hear the "they'd use it for fags and drink". They are entitled to state benefits and should have claimed them before it got to this point

[smudgie]

I reckon it is a scam.
No need for them to sell their furniture, just get it out of storage and into a flat
They could have a nice little flat for what they are paying for storage and B&B.
Looks to me like they are just waiting for a big payout, wonder who set up the online fund for them.
I don't get the fuss about benfits, they probably get their pensions.
£1.600 isn't too bad to manage on without setting up home in an airport.

[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by AnnieK

I tend to disagree liv....If this a young lower class couple struggling it wouldn't be news at all....and people certainly wouldn't be putting their hands in their own pockets to provide a fund as I can almost hear the "they'd use it for fags and drink". They are entitled to state benefits and should have claimed them before it got to this point

Indeed.

I'm sorry but I seriously doubt anyone would have sympathy for anyone (no matter what class) who put on the sob story when they were wasting £300 per month on storage space...

Also, as girth said earlier, when skint you sell stuff. We sold Gavs playstation when we were broke to pay the rent. You don't decide to sleep in an airport and get a 'fund' set up.

[Livia]

They didn't set up the fund.

[Vicky.]

No...of course not. This is not planned at all from selling the sob story.

Story appears in papers, a 'friend' sets up a fund for them

[Cherie]

What happened their house he is 71 they must have paid off their mortgage, for debt there is equity release are the saying they didn't have 20,000 equity to pay back the loan? Why not apply for benefits, have they got any children, nieces, nephews, siblings, friends, they are happy to take money and help from strangers, too many unanswered questions here imo

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Vicky.

No...of course not. This is not planned at all from selling the sob story.

Story appears in papers, a 'friend' sets up a fund for them

I like your cynicism Vicky :

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Livia

I'm not saying I don't have suspicions about this couple but it seems to me that if they were a working class couple the attitude toward them would be a little softer. It seems like the consensus of opinion is, don't set up a business, don't buy a big house and don't be middle class because if you are and you hit hard times you deserve no help from the state you've paid into, maybe paid substantially more than many others. It's fine to be unemployed for years and still pop out loads of kids, because the state will look after you.

Disagree. I think the attitude would be harsher if they were working class. I think there is a bit of a 'there for the grace of God go I' attitude toward these scammers from the middle classes and if they were working class I dont think there would be anywhere near as much sympathy and certainly no fund set up. I also think the fund wouldn't have half the amount it currently has. Good luck to them I hope no one finds out their scam but if they are scammers then I want jail time for both of them. I don't care how old they are.

[Vicky.]

The story just doesn't ring true at all. Entitled to benefits but choses not to claim them, but willingly sleep rough in an airport...cannot afford to eat yet can afford to spend nights in a b&b...its all just bollocks.