Are there any unwealthy autistic persons here?

Debbie said:

But the premise of the thread is that you are wealthy if you own a home and/or don't get additional benefits when you work

Not so much 'wealthy' as comparatively less unwealthy. Yes on a individual basis there are those  who are home owners and workers who are struggling to make ends meet. Taken as a block though it would be wrong to deny that they are better off than those disabled people who live in social housing and are not in work.

Mark (formerly Spikey) said:

I don't think they meant anything bad. Struggling to find things in common

Thank you Mark.

I agree.

I think a few of us were triggered by this post (I notice one member's post disappeared).

There are actually a lot of members here who can't work and/or are on benefits and/or live in rented accommodation or with parents firemonkey

I don't think they meant anything bad. Struggling to find things in common.

The thing with purchasing property is that you need a deposit and the deposit for me came from the traffic accident.

The actual cost of a mortgage can be commensurate with renting and renting can be more expensive.

The low interest rates of recent years have benefitted purchasers.

The only thing we are guaranteed to have in common is identification with autism. It's good to see the diversity of opinions and lifestyles. I personally try to reach out over differences to try and find things in common. (This is what I want NTs to do with us)

I would say that I am lucky, but not wealthy. I started off in a very poor working class area of the North West. My situation has improved since then. My mental health has got a lot worse since then,

Fiona said:

My thinking was that wealth opens up choices and possibilities which if you are, or feel, poor or unwealthy, will not be available to you, in buying a home. 

If you are wealthy, yes.

But the premise of the thread is that you are wealthy if you own a home and/or don't get additional benefits when you work.

My rent was cheaper than my mortgage when I bought my flat, and I was considerably poorer afterwards.

I was far from wealthy in Western terms.

Fiona said:

I'm more interested in why the person who posted this wants to identify a particular (and potentially vulnerable) group of people based on money.

Me too.

My thinking was that wealth opens up choices and possibilities which if you are, or feel, poor or unwealthy, will not be available to you, in buying a home. 

I'm more interested in why the person who posted this wants to identify a particular (and potentially vulnerable) group of people based on money.

Hi, not a problem and thank you for replying.

Roy said:

So, do you see a different picture now?

Thank you for taking the time to explain. I apologise for jumping to  a wrong conclusion.

I think I’m the person you are referring to buying a cottage in Cornwall. I had to sell my own house as I couldn’t pay the mortgage, I had been struggling with trying to work.  The cottage is derelict and all I could afford after paying my mortgage off. I worked for my father for most of my adult life, he ensured all bills were paid. He started work at the age of 10 and never stopped working until he died exhausted. since his death 10 years ago I have struggled. I now have inherited his business premises as I worked for 25 years without a pension and received an industrial accident in the workplace that I couldn’t be compensated for as I would be suing my own father. All I have is because of my fathers hard work, my wife is a District Nurse and has been keeping money coming in as my mental health hasn’t been good. So, do you see a different picture now?

firemonkey said:

I struggle to identify with the kind of people here who can talk about buying 200 year old homes in Cornwall, fitting new kitchens, able to live well abroad.

The thing is, you don't actually know the histories of these people.

I've picked up a lot since my time here, and drawn a picture in my head of how some people have travelled this rocky road to where they are now.

Sometimes getting to the point above has involved a great deal of pain.

firemonkey said:

Basically a marked decline, due to disability, in occupational/social status compared to  your parents.

No.

My father worked very hard long hours, 1 week days, 1 week nights, as a manual worker in a factory all his working life.

My mother did some cleaning.

Its their death that helped me financially (and meeting my now husband late in life).

I understand why you want to identify with others here but we've all suffered in different ways I think.

This is pretty much the same as me. I tried various jobs but never lasted a year before walking out. Signing on, finding the entire process terrifying then having to find another job when I’d exhausted anyway to survive outside of that. This country doesn’t really care about people like us though. I’m sorry you went through it too. Hugs back at you. 

Debbie said:

I'm surprised that you think that those who work without benefits are wealthy.

It was clumsily put, for which I apologise. I struggle to identify with the kind of people here who can talk about buying 200 year old homes in Cornwall, fitting new kitchens, able to live well abroad.I don't know whether anyone else here has experienced 'social drift'. Basically a marked decline, due to disability, in occupational/social status compared to  your parents.

I'm on incapacity due to multiple health problems, but I live with my Mum and we have a nice house and we can afford to be warm and eat well.

Thank you re the accident.

It was a long time ago.

Briar said:

I imagine a lot of people think you have it together if you work and presume you don’t have severe issues, not the case for me. 

Yep.

I broke down in several jobs and just walked out + had long periods off sick, often unpaid, with no savings.

I found working incredibly hard and as a single person, without another salary to depend on, it's precarious.

Virtual hug.

Thanks Debbie. Sorry to hear about your accident too. 

Im also self employed so set wages are never guaranteed, and issues with complete burnout make it difficult too. I don’t have it in me to go through a benefit process though so it is what it is. I imagine a lot of people think you have it together if you work and presume you don’t have severe issues, not the case for me. 

Briar said:

I’m very poor financially which only contributes to my mental health problems. 

I'm sorry to read this.

Constant anxiety about money is very debilitating.

This. I work and claim no benefits, I’m in social housing, I can barely afford my rent let alone all other bills and food. I’m very poor financially which only contributes to my mental health problems. 

I’m working on minimum wage and renting a flat. My situation is stable which I am grateful for but I’m not wealthy. And I don’t need it actually. Although my salary is low I like my job 

Fiona said:

if they were wealthy workers they would buy private.

Buying private doesn't mean you are wealthy though.

I agree that if you are 'wealthy' you might but then if you were wealthy you probably wouldn't need to work at all.

I think a definition of 'wealthy' is required in this thread and it will differ with each person's concept of it.