[user104658]

As for whether or not poverty exists in this country - it definitely does. Is it relative poverty on a global scale? No, probably not, but in terms of having a liveable existence in this country it is. 5 and a half years ago, we had a newborn, I only had a part time minimum wage job, and we were poor. There's no two ways about it. We were "poor people". My personal rock bottom was walking down the street in the pouring rain, feet soaked through because my shoes had massive holes in them, ripped coat, probably holes in my jeans as well and I could not - literally COULD not - afford to replace any of them. Our daughter was first priority, then rent, bills and food. There was nothing left after that. We don't smoke, we don't drink, we weren't wasting a penny but at the end of any week that's what there was: pennies. Was I starving and dying of AIDS in a war-time country? No... But I challenge anyone to live like that and not consider themselves to be struggling. Financially, emotionally, existentially.

Situation has changed immeasurably since. No debts, a respectable sum in various savings account, and I'm almost disgusted to say that we probably (definitely...) waste more money on frivolities now than we used to have for basics.

I won't ever forget what it was like to live like that though and it's why I would never condemn anyone who is stuck in that situation and I definitely wouldn't shame and embarrass them by forcing them to pay for everything with vouchers.

I'll be brutally honest and say that both me and my wife are competent, intelligent and well educated and so weren't stuck for too long. Some people just aren't so lucky and are genuinely stuck, for decades or forever. I actually genuinely understand why so many end up addicts, actually.