Homeless in Glasgow Blog.

[ayrmad]

7 hours ago, Homelessglasgow said:

My last blog dealt with this a wee bit. Council actually profit from the homeless and it is a bloody disgrace! Whole system is corrupt. I too spent about three weeks under the stars until I found out you need to get a lawyer to make Glasgow City Council fulfil their legal obligations.  

2002 in Ayr, over £400 a week for a room in Landsburgh House, temp accommodation in a £20k flat in the pits of Ayr £250 p/w, the same same sort of sums for a room in a "B&B".

In Landsburgh I was on £55 p/w minus £6 towards rent, do 16 hours a week at a fiver an hour and you end up with £50, £1 extra for 16 hours work, incentivisation in action.

There were people in the know with multiple lets who signed long term contracts guaranteeing them £100 p/w with no future outlay for damages,furnishings etc.

 

[ayrmad]

5 hours ago, Homelessglasgow said:

Thanks for all the encouragement. You are all very kind and this type of thing really helps boost my moral and know I am doing the right thing. 

I haven't looked back since then so there's no reason why you won't do the same, good luck.

[Homelessglasgow]

1 hour ago, ayrmad said:

2002 in Ayr, over £400 a week for a room in Landsburgh House, temp accommodation in a £20k flat in the pits of Ayr £250 p/w, the same same sort of sums for a room in a "B&B".

In Landsburgh I was on £55 p/w minus £6 towards rent, do 16 hours a week at a fiver an hour and you end up with £50, £1 extra for 16 hours work, incentivisation in action.

There were people in the know with multiple lets who signed long term contracts guaranteeing them £100 p/w with no future outlay for damages,furnishings etc.

 

So you know the struggle as well as I do then mate!!

Someone said to me the other day I should be able to work 16 hours and it not affect my benefit. The DWP told me otherwise and that anything I work will be taken off to cover this horrendous rent. 

Going to blog more about it next time but because they are now taking money for my benefit I am down to about £180 a month. Surviving on that in this day and age really is impossible. Might cover food but I also have electric, gas and travel to consider. 

[Adam]

I really enjoyed reading that, OP. Well, enjoyed maybe not the correct word, but very interesting. I hope everything works out for you mate.

[ayrmad]

16 hours ago, Homelessglasgow said:

So you know the struggle as well as I do then mate!!

Someone said to me the other day I should be able to work 16 hours and it not affect my benefit. The DWP told me otherwise and that anything I work will be taken off to cover this horrendous rent. 

Going to blog more about it next time but because they are now taking money for my benefit I am down to about £180 a month. Surviving on that in this day and age really is impossible. Might cover food but I also have electric, gas and travel to consider. 

I have to be honest, when I was in Landsburgh I managed to give my wife about £20 a week(more than I managed some weeks when I was the main mad gambling breadwinner in the house) towards the kids, bought myself coffee and milk and only bought food on the days the kids were coming, starved the rest of the week, nowadays I could probably buy a wee bit more food due to Aldi & Lidl being on the go.

I did manage to get back with the wife after 2 and a half years of doing the right things and deliberately not pushing my case or acting petty and pathetic,quite easy to fall into those traps when your heads up your arse and desperation appears to be all you've got left.

For those who are fortunate/unfortunate enough to get binned for being useless, never ever play the sympathy card, never make a big deal if they're going on a night out, always offer to babysit when they're going on said night out with no huffing and puffing or guidelines, never beg beg beg for them to take you back, these are all turn offs for strong women and you really don't want them to be downtrodden doormats after they've found the strength to take control of their destiny.

[St. Jude]

That was a brilliant read. Really eye opening for me, I knew the system was failing the people who need it the most but had no idea about the scale of it. Profiting from people who just want a bed and a roof over their head is just disgusting.

I hope you can keep writing about your experiences and things work out for you mate.

[Homelessglasgow]

Afternoon, troops! 

 

Another blog post just up today if anyone would like a gander? https://homelessnessinglasgow.wordpress.com/2017/05/20/the-lost-months/

 

Would appreciate it if anyone would share on any other forums or social media too. 

 

Cheers! 

[NorthernJambo]

Brilliant writing mate, obviously hard to read and nothing but sympathy, for the situation you were in, and respect, for dealing with it. Again, the way you write is terrific. Hope the blog is getting good coverage.

[Homelessglasgow]

2 hours ago, NorthernJambo said:

Brilliant writing mate, obviously hard to read and nothing but sympathy, for the situation you were in, and respect, for dealing with it. Again, the way you write is terrific. Hope the blog is getting good coverage.

Thanks buddy. All encouragement appreciated. 

[Allan Jacobsen]

Afternoon, troops! 
 
Another blog post just up today if anyone would like a gander? https://homelessnessinglasgow.wordpress.com/2017/05/20/the-lost-months/
 
Would appreciate it if anyone would share on any other forums or social media too. 
 
Cheers! 

Excellent blog so far. All I can add to what's already been said is that it's a fucking disgrace what's happened. Both by the council and the ex. I assume that pie kickings were promptly administered all round?

[Homelessglasgow]

39 minutes ago, Allan Jacobsen said:

Excellent blog so far. All I can add to what's already been said is that it's a fucking disgrace what's happened. Both by the council and the ex. I assume that pie kickings were promptly administered all round?

Nah. That's a whole can of worms, mate. Pure Jeremey Kyle stuff that I was best leaving behind and letting them wallow in their own shit! 

[engelbert_humperdink]

if you are working homeless in glasgow I suggest getting in touch with crisis. they can help with paying flat deposits. I've been homeless on and off since 2010, and have only been out of work for about 6 months on that time. these b & b's and hostels want ridiculous money from people working, far more than the rent of an average flat share, it is terrible. I've been in hostels working 40 plus hours a week and I am worse off than the addicts sharing the accomodation who have no intention of working. It makes it difficult to get out of the rut when so much of your wages are going to rent, also throw in that b&b's will only offer you breakfast, which if you are working early doors you will miss, then the cost of feeding yourself can be a nightmare

[Allan Jacobsen]

Nah. That's a whole can of worms, mate. Pure Jeremey Kyle stuff that I was best leaving behind and letting them wallow in their own shit! 

I've seen some quality Jeremy Kyle episodes in fairness... [emoji6]

 

[8MileBU]

Afternoon, troops! 
 
Another blog post just up today if anyone would like a gander? https://homelessnessinglasgow.wordpress.com/2017/05/20/the-lost-months/
 
Would appreciate it if anyone would share on any other forums or social media too. 
 
Cheers! 

Just spent the last hour reading your blogs. Despite your circumstances, a very good, well written and insightful read. Hope everything works out for you [emoji106]

[dogmc]

if you are working homeless in glasgow I suggest getting in touch with crisis. they can help with paying flat deposits. I've been homeless on and off since 2010, and have only been out of work for about 6 months on that time. these b & b's and hostels want ridiculous money from people working, far more than the rent of an average flat share, it is terrible. I've been in hostels working 40 plus hours a week and I am worse off than the addicts sharing the accomodation who have no intention of working. It makes it difficult to get out of the rut when so much of your wages are going to rent, also throw in that b&b's will only offer you breakfast, which if you are working early doors you will miss, then the cost of feeding yourself can be a nightmare

About 7 or 8 years ago was very close to being caught in that cycle...scary how easily it can happen. Would love some of the idiots on the politics forum to have a good hard read of this thread

[Homelessglasgow]

13 hours ago, engelbert_humperdink said:

if you are working homeless in glasgow I suggest getting in touch with crisis. they can help with paying flat deposits. I've been homeless on and off since 2010, and have only been out of work for about 6 months on that time. these b & b's and hostels want ridiculous money from people working, far more than the rent of an average flat share, it is terrible. I've been in hostels working 40 plus hours a week and I am worse off than the addicts sharing the accomodation who have no intention of working. It makes it difficult to get out of the rut when so much of your wages are going to rent, also throw in that b&b's will only offer you breakfast, which if you are working early doors you will miss, then the cost of feeding yourself can be a nightmare

I have only recently heard of Crisis. Going down the route of finding a private let is definitely what I would advise anyone else to do. The homeless system Glasgow City Council run seems to only be suitable for folk just out of the jail, immigrants and those on disability allowance. The sort of person who might not be ready to go into work right away. For anyone just wanting to quickly get back on their feet then going through the council is not the way to go!! 

[Adam]

Another very well written post, have passed your blog info on to some folk in work who were interested when I was talking about it last week. It is scary how vulnerable basically anyone can be. Doesn't matter what sort of background you're from, given the wrong circumstances at the wrong time, you could easily end up falling through the cracks like you have.

[Homelessglasgow]

2 minutes ago, Adam said:

Another very well written post, have passed your blog info on to some folk in work who were interested when I was talking about it last week. It is scary how vulnerable basically anyone can be. Doesn't matter what sort of background you're from, given the wrong circumstances at the wrong time, you could easily end up falling through the cracks like you have.

Thank you, and any sort of sharing of the blog is really appreciated too. 

And it is nice to know folk are picking up on the whole narrative that it could happen to anyone. Or or two bad moves and you are on a world you could never have imagined. 

[NotThePars]

It's horrendous how bureaucracy can essentially tie you into a system that's so blatantly exploitative. Keep writing and keep your chin up, mate. You've done incredibly well to get to where you are without giving up.

[Benjamin_Nevis]

About 7 or 8 years ago was very close to being caught in that cycle...scary how easily it can happen. Would love some of the idiots on the politics forum to have a good hard read of this thread

You're joking! The last thing this excellent thread needs is the cuntish offerings of Oaksoft et al.