Why is it harder to get by than it was for our parents?
a walkthrough with stand-ins — a demonstration, not a finding · 18 certified links · outlined boxes are the roots · tap a claim to read it in full
Showing every action the room judged: it acts directly on 4 of the 6 root causes. It does not act directly on 2.
A single wage no longer supports a household → Both of us work and neither of us can be illA single wage no longer supports a household → They think we spend too much and cannot see what things costBeing poor is expensive in ways that do not show in a price index → The system is designed so that trying harder changes littleOne illness turns into an arrears letter → The unexpected thing is expected and we still cannot budget for itYou are means-tested on last year while living in this one → The benefit that would help takes five weeks to arriveEverything is a subscription now, including the car → The things that used to be bought once are now rented foreverEverything is a subscription now, including the car → What used to be a job is now a series of contractsThe things that used to be bought once are now rented forever → There is no chemist, no bank and no bus after sixThere is no month without something unexpected → The unexpected thing is expected and we still cannot budget for itThey think we spend too much and cannot see what things cost → A single wage no longer supports a householdAssets rose faster than wages for four decades → Being poor is expensive in ways that do not show in a price indexBeing told the economy is growing is its own insult → Nobody who writes about this has ever waited for a benefit decisionBeing told the economy is growing is its own insult → The unexpected thing is expected and we still cannot budget for itThe unexpected thing is expected and we still cannot budget for it → Being told the economy is growing is its own insultYou pay more over five years and own nothing at the end → You are means-tested on last year while living in this oneThe system is designed so that trying harder changes little → A single wage no longer supports a householdThe system is designed so that trying harder changes little → Assets rose faster than wages for four decadesBeing poor is expensive in ways that do not show in a price indexBeing poor is expensive inways that do not show in aprice indexpart of a feedback loop⟳what the shown actions do to this root causeNO ACTION ACTS ON ITDIRECTLYOne illness turns into an arrears letterOne illness turns into anarrears letter①②what the shown actions do to this root causeREDUCED BY 2 ACTIONSEverything is a subscription now, including the carEverything is asubscription now, includingthe car③what the shown actions do to this root causeREDUCED BY 1 ACTIONThere is no month without something unexpectedThere is no month withoutsomething unexpected①what the shown actions do to this root causeREDUCED BY 1 ACTIONAssets rose faster than wages for four decadesAssets rose faster thanwages for four decadespart of a feedback loop⟳what the shown actions do to this root causeNO ACTION ACTS ON ITDIRECTLYYou pay more over five years and own nothing at the endYou pay more over fiveyears and own nothing atthe endThe system is designed so that trying harder changes littleThe system is designed sothat trying harder changeslittlepart of a feedback loop⟳①③what the shown actions do to this root causeREDUCED BY 2 ACTIONSYou are means-tested on last year while living in this oneYou are means-tested onlast year while living inthis oneThe things that used to be bought once are now rented foreverThe things that used to bebought once are now rentedforeverWhat used to be a job is now a series of contractsWhat used to be a job isnow a series of contractsThe unexpected thing is expected and we still cannot budget for itThe unexpected thing isexpected and we stillcannot budget for itpart of a feedback loop⟳Being told the economy is growing is its own insultBeing told the economy isgrowing is its own insultpart of a feedback loop⟳A single wage no longer supports a householdA single wage no longersupports a householdpart of a feedback loop⟳They think we spend too much and cannot see what things costThey think we spend toomuch and cannot see whatthings costpart of a feedback loop⟳The benefit that would help takes five weeks to arriveThe benefit that would helptakes five weeks to arriveThere is no chemist, no bank and no bus after sixThere is no chemist, nobank and no bus after sixNobody who writes about this has ever waited for a benefit decisionNobody who writes aboutthis has ever waited for abenefit decisionBoth of us work and neither of us can be illBoth of us work and neitherof us can be ill
WHAT WAS PREDICTED TO FOLLOW
Each number on the map marks a root cause that action reduces.
① Shifts published four weeks ahead
no prediction about this action yet
② Assess support on this month, not last year
no prediction about this action yet
③ Sick pay from the first day
we expect: going to work ill stops being the cheaper option
measured by: % of workers with sick pay from the first day
due 25 Sep 2027
guesses: the room: 50 (median of 15, spread 25 to 80)
A map from True Causes: a group’s judgement, not a measurement.