Amy Rose’s Story
Poverty can happen to anyone. Irrespective of your level of education or how much you plan for financial sustainability, it can affect you in an instant. Poverty doesn’t discriminate.
I was not raised in poverty. I have a PhD and before I found myself in my current situation, was part of a two-income family, confident we could manage the costs of being parents. That changed when a situation outside of my control meant that I became a single mum of four.
When poverty does happen to you, it’s a difficult trap to escape from.
The system is not built to be supportive and can discriminate against some people. Dictating things like the minimum income you have to earn in employment or self-employment is discriminatory, it means people on higher salaries have to work less hours to meet the threshold than people on minimum wage. Single parents often work harder than other people to support their families, carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. The system, delivered through organisations such as the DWP add more stress and pressure to people in my situation; telling us we aren’t working hard enough and that we have to increase our hours which isn’t financially or practically viable but we have no choice. It feels like there is no respect or understanding for the pressures already upon us or our individual circumstances such as the number of children we have or our children’s commitments, they deserve the same opportunity to grow and thrive as any other family.
One solution would be a Universal Basic Income, which would mean people can live comfortably and safely irrespective of what’s going on in the world.
I want to work, to thrive; I had to take some time out when they were young but the same day my youngest started school I went back to work. I sadly found that roles in the Science sector, where I had previously worked with my background in Molecular Biology, were only offering full time roles that I couldn’t make work around my caring responsibilities as a single parent. If I had been in employment throughout, I may have had a statutory right to apply for flexible working but again this was out of my hands.
The only roles I found available to me were minimum wage which I was overqualified for and therefore unable to provide enough income to cover childcare costs or were during hours when childcare wasn’t available. This is one of the ways poverty traps you and is the case for so many single parents.
With my change in my situation, I found many people also treated me differently. I saw a different side of many past friends, colleagues and new people I met. They saw the ‘single mum, no job’ label. It felt like I lost my identity. Had I taken time out as a stay at home mum to care for my children when still in a relationship I’m sure this would have been seen very differently.
On the other side, people often praise how strong and resilient I am for dealing with my situation and taking the hits life had given me. But I don’t want to be praised for taking a hit. I want to supported, for my caring and nurturing role towards my family valued and be able to make the right choices for my children as a single parent without judgement or discrimination – I truly want all vulnerable single parents to be properly supported by society and not labelled, caring is a valuable role too and should be seen in that way .
Being autistic has also had a massive influence on my life; it’s part of who I am. I didn’t get a proper diagnosis until adulthood, but when I finally did, it helped me understand myself and the many challenges I had faced over the years.
Another barrier I have faced is that after my diagnosis it was suggested I could have a work capability assessment and access Personal Independence Payments to support me to have a better quality of life. I struggled to cope with full time work even before I had kids and before my diagnosis. Despite my intense lifelong struggles I have been told I am not eligible for any support and I am fully capable for work. The DWP will not acknowledge this, I have been able to ask for a reasonable adjustment but even though my condition is lifelong they continue to ask me to seek full time work. Why can’t I advocate for own needs? I am the expert on my own condition and I know my capabilities and limits better than anyone else, why am I not listened to? This is sadly the case for a lot of neurodivergent people as we don’t fit into a box. Its a constant fight to be understood. A Universal Basic Income would also be life-changing for neurodivergent people, supporting them to manage their lives more easily and work flexibly so that they can meet their own sensory needs more effectively and have a better quality of life.
The Poverty Truth Commission has raised awareness and bridged the gap between the Business and Community Commissioners. We have realised we are all the same, with similar challenges and stories in our lives. The process meant a lot of Business Commissioners could really put themselves in our shoes, with each Community Commissioner’s bringing different perspectives and experiences to share.
The Business Commissioners were very understanding, supportive and caring. Maybe they didn’t initially realise how similar we all were – that the only differences were our opportunities and challenges.
Some of the meetings were extremely emotional. During the project, I was transferred to Universal credit and experienced the failings to the new system first-hand, the contrast was stark in comparison to legacy benefits, where I felt largely supported, I was under so much stress and pressure that I wasn’t sure I would be able to see the project thorough. I persevered and managed to complete the process. I’m glad I did as it’s helped me and been a pillar to help me get back on my feet and gain confidence again. Sadly the challenges with the system remain but I hope our work can bring insight and clarity to the reality of this system which is not working for us.
I hope the legacy of the PTC will be a catalyst for bigger change. We realised through the project that some of the issues are just so big it they feel difficult to tackle, but I hope that the work we have done we’ll be the beginnings of a bigger ripple effect which ultimately results in policies being changed to create a fairer society for all with less discrimination.