A Personal View of Our Communities

The combination of soaring cost of living (particularly food and childcare), welfare cuts, and charges for previously free services have put people [families with children, singles, and seniors] in all three groups under immense, and in some cases, almost intolerable pressure.

A disturbing theme for seniors is the prevalence of fear and uncertainty. Many use words such as "isolation," and "loneliness", especially in relation to families with children of school aged and under five years. Seniors and disabled people feel "trapped" at home by cuts.

Residents notice "tensions" and "more arguments" within families. Residents spoke of reaching "their tipping point". Some perceived a related increase in domestic violence. Anxiety levels were high, and there is "an air of panic" and despair when residents spoke about the future.

Amid the despair, there were some optimism and high levels of resilience. Many people are determined to improvise and cope. Grassroots solutions are starting to appear: for example, a support group of parents is how some communities are "taking care of one another"

But austerity measures were already corroding neighbourhoods. Benefit caps and rent increases are forcing people to move far from established family and friend networks, obliterating a core part of their coping strategy.

Residents' political response to the cuts will be interesting. The suggestion that the closer cuts come to home, the more that support for austerity wavers. Young people, feel "angry and victimized". Some interviewees worried about a repeat of last summer's riots. Others just felt helpless.

The reckoning process has only just begun. Many London residents do not yet fully understand the impact of the cuts, or that more austerity awaits. But few expect things to improve.

Prepared By

Robert Sexsmith

April 27,2013