By Ripon Ray, founder of the Debt Talk Podcast
Let me share my story.
My sister lives in Bromley by Bow in the heart of the East End. She is a carer. Her husband had a car accident. He has not recovered since. She said: “I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford to pay”. She wept in front of me.
Being a brother, I said I will pay if you want. I tried to make a direct debit payment. She refused to accept my help because she wants to stand on her own feet. I know she weeps in a dark corner of her dark home.
My niece is a trained nurse. She lives in Stepney Green. During the pandemic she looked after children who are at risk of Covid because they were born premature. We clapped for her when she saved lives not so long ago, whilst many of us worked from home. Due to her work stress, she is now working part-time. She is worried about her fuel debt because it is too much for her.
None of them care about their credit rating. They are worried about their survival. And they need answers now. They can’t pay. Full stop. They can’t pay because there is no other option. Advice charities throughout the country will tell you, deficit budget of their clients are a norm.
This is not my sister’s making. This is not my niece’s making. This is made by greed. This is made by war. This is made by neglect.
Consecutive governments allowed that to happen by privatising our fuel supplies. Once they sold our supplies, they then did not bother to supervise their greed and their shareholders.
Let me say what the regulator, Ofgem said about fuel companies:
CEO of Ofgem said, “When you look back at the history of Ofgem’s decision-making…without a doubt there was a perspective at the time that we need to diversify the market and challenge the dominance of the big incumbent companies. That was what dominated thinking at the time. It’s my view that we should have combined that with greater financial resilience”.
In others words: Ofgem promoted corporate greed, yet it did not ask whether many of these companies can stand on their feet, whilst my sister and my niece can’t get cheaper fuel to stand on their feet.
We need fuel to feed our kids, feed our existence and to make sure nurses have heating to do their job. On behalf of my sister, niece and the community in the East End, I say enough is enough.
Let me speak about credit rating. I am proud to say that after graduating with huge debts with credit card companies, my credit rating was ruined. But, if I had to choose between credit rating and eating as a I stand in front of you, any sane mind will tell you what to choose.
This is a battle for survival and when the survival instinct kicks in, I don’t care about my credit rating, I don’t care about greed and I certainly care about paying for greed. There was life before and after credit reference agencies.
I care for my sisters and nieces in the community who have been so far weeping in the darkness on their own. I don’t want them to be on their own. I want them to be part of a movement where they are free from shame for not being able to pay.
Let’s change the narrative from ‘can’t pay’ to ‘won’t pay’. This is not my sister’s failure. This is not my niece’s failure. This is this government’s failure, this regulators failure. This is the failure of greed. It is time to act now for the sake of my sister who weeps silently. For my niece who worked tireless during the pandemic.
We shall not pay and we shall join the movement of Don’t Payers.
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