Having a Work and Struggling to Survive: Who Are the New Poor

A third of British people in work have less than £100 in savings. What is life like for those struggling to make ends meet, despite having a job? This is the real story behind working Britain today.

Shot all over the UK, we follow nine families for a year as their financial futures hang in the balance. What does “just about managing” really mean for millions of us from all walks of life and from all over Britain?

From a homeless father and son on the South Coast, to an undertaker specialising in cut price funerals in Scotland, and a family working in the steel works in Wales, we tell the human stories of the domestic pressure that working all hours and having nothing to show for it brings. But being broke is not the same as being broken. Despite the hardship, grit, resilience, humour, and entrepreneurial spirit shines through… proving that no matter how tough things are, people always try to find a way to keep going and pull on through to a better future.

Broke – Episode 1

[shiys]

It was a great documentary. I am Japanese and my country is in a similar state of poverty. The middle class has collapsed and is divided into a few rich people and many poor people.

[Blisken]

I will never complain about my life again. Thank you for this insightful documentation.

[maniatissa]

I'm Greek, and the situation isn't much better here either...Almost everyone is surviving paycheck to paycheck, with virtually no money saved up...As one lady in the video said "We are merely existing, not living", which is frustrating, since for people who work, you'd expect they lived a somewhat enjoyable life, at least- but no, almost all our money go to taxes and living expenses, ultimately supporting a corrupt sociopolitical system. I am almost 50yrs old, working full time, with a Uni degree and 2 foreign languages under my belt, and for the first time in my life I've had to rely on the meager vouchers the Government gave last year- whereas 5 years ago I would never apply for a voucher, I thought it below me....
I don't know the solution to any of this, but I do know that at least in my country, we rely a lot on our parents, even when we are fully grown and with families of our own. It's not common for a person to end up homeless, because the parents will always welcome the kids back to the house, and support them as much as they can, financially or otherwise. Is this a solution? No- absolutely not.This perpetuates the problem. But, it means that less people end up in the street.
We, the working class people, the backbone of capitalism, have become the new poor, while the rich get ridiculously richer by the minute...This was the plan from the start, it seems....

[gertrudewest]

I am a college educated veteran working 6 days a week and am camping out. Thanks for shutting down the economy.

[verityowens]

Maybe the cigarettes keep them going and give the one pleasure.Surely it's fair to have one enjoyable thing when you have nothing to look forward to.Unless yoh have been in that situation please don't judge

[DavidDoble]

In 2015 me and my family were made homeless by our local council, through no fault of our own, we decided to move abroad were we built our own house in the mountains of Japan, my wife works full time and I struggle to find work every month as being a foreign man. We are warm and have food on the table. I miss all my family and would be happy to have them near me again.. all we can do is keep going and do our best to be happy and enjoy your life the best we can … I feel for everyone and wish it could be better for everybody.

[gordonallen]

This isn't just the UK, or the EU. This has become more commonplace in much of the developed, capitalist world. Especially in the US. This is the culmination of over 40 years of "trickle down economics, " and the outsourcing of living wage jobs, and industries, as well as the stagnation of wages ushered in by servants of the oligarchy like Reagan and Thatcher. This will get worse before it gets better.

[bradj]

2024 and the whole world is going through something similar to the stories portrayed in this movie. In Australia the housing crisis and cost of living crisis are terrible and the government has no clue how to remedy it. The average wage here is around $90K a year and even on that wage, you would have to save for twenty years to put aside enough for a deposit on the average priced house. That’s if you can afford it. The average wage earner at $90K can’t even afford the mortgage on the average priced house in this country. Power’s up, food’s up, housing costs are up, groceries are up. Everything’s up except wages - which haven’t gone up in 20 years. We’re sleep walking our way into the depression we had to have.

[Bekindloveis]

Thanks for this heart wrenching documentary its a reminder that those who think they have it tough complaining about their stressful job whilst living in a condo or house with a pool & nice BBQ pit need to think of those who struggle to have jobs to put food on the table but are honest hardworking people who just want to live a humble but decent life & have a roof over their head.

[pedenmk]

About everyone i know is three to four paychecks away from becoming homeless. I think the majority of people are like this. I've been without and know what its like. I always said to myself never loose hope. Great episode thanks for sharing.

[DanielLy]

I am going through a similar situation but I have parents who are letting me live in their house for a while. I pray for all of the people who are forced to be homeless and I know they will find a way out soon. It's so encouraging to see people still soldiering on no matter what. It's very inspirational to me right now!

[justicewillprevail]

I belong in that group too. Work hard and still struggle to survive. Somethings got to give.. life shouldn't be this hard...

[evilsaddist]

My heart sunk when I saw the date in the dashboard of the car, this was filmed in February 2018. Life for these people almost certainly got way worse during lockdowns and Covid. I’d love to see an update on where they are now and how they faired during Covid. Nobody who works should be homeless, the fact that they are shows capitalism has failed all but the 1% 😢

[brisvegas]

I am from Brisbane, Australia. The suburb my grandmother lived in for 30 years, her local GP doctor was a Ukrainian man. He kept working into his early 90s. He retired and got bored of playing golf, so he came back to work. Work gives us purpose and keeps us busy. Also, there is a man in his 80s who lives in our building, he drives Uber a lot. Such is life.

[doughyanddeanssecondcousin]

Billy is a good boy, making his dad a Sarnie, nice seeing father and son, I hope they do well, nice fellas the pair

[stevenrunyon]

Im in America and we are also in bad shape with the homeless and out of control prices and rents but for some reason our government finds it ok to allow millions of people to cross our boarder illegally. Someone is lying to these people that America is rich.

[jocelynerousseau]

Just s bad here in Canada as well. Affordable housing doesn't exist. Homeless ppl everywhere. And blame all levels of government to cause so much pain for ppl who has nothing. Having a roof over your head is not a commodity. Everyone deserves to have a home!

[ChristianaBonelliSmith-moox]

I'm 63 yrs old and now living in my car with my dog since the pandemic and some other reasons that caused me to want to leave my neighborhood in which I didn't feel safe there. Went to a lot of identity theft and still dealing with the effects of it. I'm in the Pacific Northwest, specifically Vancouver - Portland area and I'm finding there's no help for housing in every county right now unless you are willing to go into a shelter of many homeless individuals from the streets. I don't choose to he anywhere around the drug issues, drug trafficking issues and human trafficking issues you will see in the cities that have shelters. Housing such as programs like rapid rehousing, vouchers, and senior help for housing just is no longer available here in this part of the United States either since the. Soaring rent prices is what we are experiencing.

[uli]

I am in Holland, because of handicap I can work only 24 hours a week. It is just as much as benefits. Some peopleget a good benefit were they can also work and put it to a normal salary. I was punished because for my diagnosis I worked a lot and did not get this. My whole life is a struggle.

[Freya]

goshh I'm crying ( those people who's british natives struggling being homeless in their own country but Britain government gives free pass and all benefits to refugees from mid East and so on gives them card money, free home and other benefits 😢
The same happening here in US, what is this world we are living !??