'two Or Three Payslips From A Brick Wall': Once Well-Off Workers Now Using Food Banks As Oil Slump Hits Aberdeen

[richc]

This is an abuse of Food Banks.

What the heck has happened to the notion of personal responsibilty and saving for a rainy day ?

It's OK to say they have paid into the system (even though many will have been setup as contractors and have managed to avoid paying their fair share of taxes) , but jings, crivvens ! Looks like the biggest earners in society have proved that they are not very good with money or running their own affairs. Like the City folks before them.

In "industry speak" - the UK needs a root and branch review to get rid of this nonsense. And pronto.

I think the whole food bank phenomenon in the UK is completely bogus. I think some people in Britain looked over at American and thought, wouldn't it be cool if we could do the same thing here and show how amazing we are by "fighting injustice" by giving away free stuff (even to people who already have plenty of benefits from the state). It struck me this year around Christmas how every street corner had someone collecting money or items for food banks, but you couldn't find a toy drive for love or money. In the US, where ever you see a collection for the food bank, you also see someone collecting for the toy drive at Christmas time. If people can't afford food, then surely they can't afford to buy toys for their kids. As there are hardly any toy drives in the UK, and the Guardian hasn't been reporting on the Great British Toy Famine of 2015, how is it that people in the UK have money to buy toys, but not food?

[Eddie_George]

These could be people whose jobs rely on the oil sector, but aren't directly employed in it.

[cashinmattress]

It's very easy to read those sort of sentences and they just seem to slip by.

But, really, can it really be justified to throw £500 Million at it? What will is actually boost? If there is a good return, why aren't we doing it for every city/town/village?

The 'boost' will be for infrastructure apparently.

Mostly handouts for private interests & ventures and not social welfare/retraining which is much needed.

Also not much for needed infrastructure maintenance which is lacking significantly.

There will be a lot of disinvestment in the region as just about everybody is getting their collars felt.

And a lot of bankruptcies.

Aberdeen City/Shire is in the midst of a housing construction boom coupled with a massive job crash.

There is a massive oversupply of all types of housing and rentals and its getting worse every month.

[reverand_cat]

If I volunteered at one of these food banks I'd be telling them to flog their cars and their houses before I'd hand them so much as a tin of Value beans.

Maybe I'm just a miserable get.

Most of it is on credit. So they don't have much to actually sell, the bank owns it and they are just finding out that they've actually been renting from the bank.

Up here in Aberdeen instead of people using their bigger wages to buy lower value things outright they've been getting bigger loans on expensive things.

It's no surprise that their illusion of wealth slipped so quickly.

[Agentimmo]

I think the whole food bank phenomenon in the UK is completely bogus. I think some people in Britain looked over at American and thought, wouldn't it be cool if we could do the same thing here and show how amazing we are by "fighting injustice" by giving away free stuff (even to people who already have plenty of benefits from the state). It struck me this year around Christmas how every street corner had someone collecting money or items for food banks, but you couldn't find a toy drive for love or money. In the US, where ever you see a collection for the food bank, you also see someone collecting for the toy drive at Christmas time. If people can't afford food, then surely they can't afford to buy toys for their kids. As there are hardly any toy drives in the UK, and the Guardian hasn't been reporting on the Great British Toy Famine of 2015, how is it that people in the UK have money to buy toys, but not food?

Good point.

Maybe they buy the toys on tick and get deeper into debt ?

More difficult to do for daily food.

I gues it all comes down to a question of priorities in this case? Anecdote. When I see these collects at supermarkets for food banks, I'm always curious as to why people put branded goods into the box? Surely basic / unbranded goods would be the best option so that you could offer more food for the same price ?

The starving won't mind if the spaghetti is "Jamie Olivers Special Tuscany" or from a factory in Southport, surely ?

Not being cynical here. Genuinely curious. Maybe the collectors should refuse branded goods and ask for basics only. Would make more sense?

[LiveinHope]

It's become un-PC to say anything even remotely derogatory about people who put their palms out at foodbanks or benefit offices - on the basis that, yes, there are a few instances where the need and the cause of need are entirely genuine. But, in reality, most cases are down to people failing to provide for themselves and their family.

I was having familial discussion lately after a niece needed bailing out in a minor way. She's young, at university, and her phone broke and needed replacing. Despite being a real worker - holding down multiple jobs while at school and university - she didn't even have £150 to buy a new phone. She's a really good girl and in many ways a real example of hard work - but she had no reservations about asking for help and expecting it.

It was a minor thing but really made us think and got us on to how having savings isn't just sensible from a personal level - it's actually a duty to your wider family. You need reserves so you don't have to call on help - and you need reserves so that, in dire need, you can offer help.

But you also don't need £150.00 for a phone. The phone I currently use I bought from E-bay two months ago for £8.99 including postage. OK, it doesn't do e-mail or surf the net, but I could save up for one that does that.

Edited January 29, 2016 by LiveinHope

[LC1]

[Gigantic Purple Slug]

Reminds me of the coal situation in the 1980s.

Bascially north sea oil is uneconomic. It's expensive to extract and requires huge upfront investment that makes it very risky. There's been quite a major investment in north sea infrastructure over the past five years or so, and that investment has happened into a price downturn.

I don't see North Sea production going away anytime soon, but it will dwindle over time and probably eventually vanish, unless a political shock comes along that bumps the price up (ie war in the middle east). New investment will be severely curtailed, and most of the money will go on decommissioning and maintaining existing infrastructure.

When I think of Thatcher and the miners confrontation, ultimately the position Thatcher took was right. But where she went wrong was the fact that many people were made unemployed that had absolutely zero alternative in terms of jobs. If the governments has one job IMO its to smooth out transistions like this and help regions get back on their feet after massive changes. Government is about social protection if anything to me.

Sadly my guess is that any investment made will be spunked on leaflets, blokes in shiny suits and mates of the goverment. Lots of money on catapults. People talking about innovation but not actually doing any.

[Up the spout]

[cashinmattress]

Lol. Nick Cage.

Now this is ACTING:

[fluteroop]

Good gifs lol

I was having a drink waiting on my train the other evening and an oil worker was chatting at the bar. The guy was, to put it mildly, no MENSA candidate...

Biting my tongue I was. He said he does "next to f all, it's great". Someone asked his trade. "Not got one, I just help out with stuff that's needing done, it's a piece of p***. I go on holiday here for two weeks then fly out on holiday for two weeks".

Unfortunately for the non-offshore workers, these guys have been larging it round the pubs for a long, long time splashing the cash and attracting women along with it, non-relatively to their looks or charisma. There were a few other gems from this guy which I forget, but his general state was one of privilege and ignorance.

He said he bet £100 on a football team to win when they were losing the match, won £400. Some guys get all the luck, eh. It'll be a very sore bump for these types.

[Automotive Engineer]

Anyone who has worked in O+G for years and has to go to a foodbank within months of losing their job needs to be dumped in the north sea for the benefit of mankind.

It beggars belief that people this stupid can earn such huge money in the first place.

THIS!

WHY DIDN'T THEY SAVE THE SURPLUS????

[PopGun]

Good gifs lol

I was having a drink waiting on my train the other evening and an oil worker was chatting at the bar. The guy was, to put it mildly, no MENSA candidate...

Biting my tongue I was. He said he does "next to f all, it's great". Someone asked his trade. "Not got one, I just help out with stuff that's needing done, it's a piece of p***. I go on holiday here for two weeks then fly out on holiday for two weeks".

Unfortunately for the non-offshore workers, these guys have been larging it round the pubs for a long, long time splashing the cash and attracting women along with it, non-relatively to their looks or charisma. There were a few other gems from this guy which I forget, but his general state was one of privilege and ignorance.

He said he bet £100 on a football team to win when they were losing the match, won £400. Some guys get all the luck, eh. It'll be a very sore bump for these types.

People like this don't exist in the private sector, HPC told me so.

[fluteroop]

THIS!

WHY DIDN'T THEY SAVE THE SURPLUS????

See my above post. "It's not what you know it's who you know" The problem comes when the loyalties to money outstrip the loyalties to people you know.

In my experience many of the more working class non-grad type boys not used to money have been pissing it well and truly up the wall.

[fluteroop]

People like this don't exist in the private sector, HPC told me so.

I don't understand your point, can you elaborate? I'm not a hardcore poster.

[cashinmattress]

THIS!

WHY DIDN'T THEY SAVE THE SURPLUS????

Because Bob sees Joe down the corner having:

sleeve tattoos

tag watch

his jaguar

her mercedes

superdry

3 sunnies a year

'investment' properties

iphone 6

fancy wife + all her stuff

footy membership

golf membership

sky sports

etc...

And Bob won't be shown up by Joe.

FYI: the average oil worker is a knuckle dragging fvckwit, thick as two short planks.

Edited January 29, 2016 by cashinmattress

[interestrateripoff]

And steel workers get no £500m boost.

[fluteroop]

Because Bob sees Joe down the corner having:

sleeve tattoos

tag watch

his jaguar

her mercedes

superdry

3 sunnies a year

'investment' properties

iphone 6

fancy wife + all her stuff

footy membership

golf membership

sky sports

etc...

And Bob won't be shown up by Joe.

FYI: the average oil worker is a knuckle dragging fvckwit, thick as two short planks.

This is unfortunately true to a large extent. £50-70k a year to young guys with little or no qualifications. In the middle of a credit splurge and materialism overload. Your example above is frighteningly accurate. The social cost of a drop in the industry will be seen in marriage breakups etc as the wife with expensive tastes generally will not accept a drop in standards. Sad state society is in thesedays that's for sure. Walking dead.

[Bloo Loo]

borrowing to the hilt is hardly what I'd call a splurge.

Its what 40,000 people do every month,nationwide...borrow to the hilt to buy a refuge.

[cashinmattress]

This is unfortunately true to a large extent. £50-70k a year to young guys with little or no qualifications. In the middle of a credit splurge and materialism overload. Your example above is frighteningly accurate. The social cost of a drop in the industry will be seen in marriage breakups etc as the wife with expensive tastes generally will not accept a drop in standards. Sad state society is in thesedays that's for sure. Walking dead.

Yeah, should have added also:

sham marriage

into overdraft 1 week into every pay

5 minimum bank issued credit cards

10 minimum store issued credit cards

spends £100 minimum on booze at local / week

frequents the roulette / card table

has a douchebag haircut

magnificent white trainers

[Bloo Loo]

People like this don't exist in the private sector, HPC told me so.

500m subsidy says these are living off the public teat too.

[PopGun]

I don't understand your point, can you elaborate? I'm not a hardcore poster.

Not to worry it was a flippant comment and in no way aimed at you.

Keep an eye out for the next public sector bashing thread.

[PopGun]

500m subsidy says these are living off the public teat too.

1.2 trillion says the banks are too.

[quine]

As well as trying to off-load their houses in Aberdeen, people are trying to get rid of their cars. Someone in the motor industry there was telling me about all the cars on hire purchase / lease (can't remember the exact terms he used). Lots of the contracts cannot be broken apparently - and (stupid) people are getting very upset about this.

[Alba]

For decades I have resented the negative effects the oil industry has had on Aberdeen as a city, and the non oil workers.

We have not all been earning high oil salaries.

House prices have been elevated as have rents, thus consuming a disproportionate amount of earned income.

Aberdeen council tax is about the highest in the country.

The various trades have all wanted a piece of the cake, so charge more than in other cities.

Even those with crap skills have started up in business because of local spending power, and have provided inferior services.

Eating out in restaurants has been more expensive, and not always high quality.

The city has been inundated with weird klondykers, which have added to the indigenous weirdos.

Foreign nationals have come from the four corners, so it is often difficult to hear your native tongue.

Health and other facilities have been impacted by the influx, so school places and hospital/g.p. waiting times have been lengthened.

Schools and hospitals etc are trying to cope with staff shortages because of the high cost of rents and housing.

The big increase in money to morons who can't handle it leads to noisy, anti-social drunken neighbours.

Despite all the negative talk in the media etc. It is still difficult to get a tradesman for work around the house, and at a decent rate.

I did a check on hotel rates and they are still far too high.

Union Square eateries and others are still packed.

I feel I am still having to compete with high paid morons.

On the rare occasion I have been on a flight from London to Aberdeen it sickens me to hear the foul language coming from oil workers in the surrounding seats. They are still tanking up in the airport lounges before departure.

Generally Aberdeen has changed environmentally and socially for the worse. It is no longer the attractive and clean city it once was. The oil money has been p...ed away in so many ways. We don't have good roads, infrastructure or social facilities.

I remember the downturn in 1986 and things didn't improve during the 10 years it took the oil industry to pick up.

I am a native, but I often wonder why I stay here. My parents have departed and I have a small circle of family and friends. I am in a position that I could live virtually anywhere, and did briefly live abroad, but for some reason, possibly just familiarity with my own patch, I continue to live in Aberdeen.

Even though the current downturn is probably short lived, I honestly feel that Aberdeen is going to continue to deteriorate.

Edited January 29, 2016 by Alba