benefits

[DEV389]

Hi to all

Can any one tell me what RO means.  My mum (87) talks of people being on the RO, same kind of thing as our unemployment benefit but she can't remember what it means.

Does anyone know?

Thanks

[poppy show]

Hi
I think it might mean Relief Office or Officer

Regards Poppy

[Bert]

Relieving Officer.

[DougT]

I remember that in 1955 my mother was advised to contact whatever the equivalent of Social Security was then( Was it called National Assistance?) to see if she qualified for any additional benefit  My father who had served in the Royal Horse Artillery duirng the 2nd World War had contracted Rheumatic Fever as a result of being taken as Prisoner of War and was unable to work for over a year. (No sick pay in those days!)

My mother had a part time job that allowed her to be at home when I went to and came home from school but the wages were meagre so life was difficult. The National Assistance office or whatever they were called offered her 1 shilling and 7 pence (8 pence in today's money) a week. The average wage at that time probably around £14.00 per week although I suspect there were few in Newham who earned that amount. My mother politely told the National Assistance Office where they could stick their offer!

I think many of us are grateful for the sacrifices our parents made during those post war days


Doug 

[DEV389]

Thanks to all for your replies.

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

Doug - I came on asking the same question must be about 3/4 months ago, re the RO.
Explaining that my Mother had a serious Scalded arm at work after lifting a lid the wrong way on a Boiler.
Dad was away at Sea and with no wages from Mum we were desperate. She was advised to go to this
place at the Top of Freemasons Road (I think it was the Unemplyment Offices) to ask for help.
We lined up outside for some reason and it was bitter cold, and then we were allowed in a small office,I was told to sit and be very quiet in the corner. I think there was 2 Woman and one Man.
Mum was interviewed,and  what they put that dear innocent soul through was no one's business.
(I swore that day and many times after that I would never be treated like that bye anyone without fighting back). My dear Mum was no scholar and when it come to filling in Forms she was lost, she cried and I went
to get up and was told to sit back down and behave my-self.
We only got a pittance but not sure how much, but those words the RO sends shivers down me to this day.
There was also a curfew where you could not go out before 8am and not be home after 8pm.
They actualy had inspectors to come and check that you were home when you should be. Talk about fear!!!
Louise

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

Reply to Devs Mum,

Bye now you know what the RO means.
I am 83 and wish I had never experienced having to go there with my poor Mum who they terrified.

It was bad being poor in those days, but we got here diden't we?


Regards Louise.

[DEV389]

Hi Louise,

Things are a lot different now with the benefits.

Is it right that some one use to come round to see if you had anything that could be sold before you got any help with money.

Regard Dev

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

Dev & Mum

It would not have been any good them coming to our house, we had "Sweet Fanny Adams", and the
3 pieces of Bedroom furniture we did have was still being paid for at 6d a week to a furniture store at the
bottom of Freemasons Road.  (This would be about 1937/8 time)

If my dear Mum could not pay it, I would be sent in and I can see that Ladies face to-day when she saw me
trying to reach the small counter of her cash desk which had the Electronic sending money device
knowing what was to come?? may-be next week or the week after?

I have heard of people losing posessions to these BULLIES, in later years.

Regards Louise

[Bert]

I remember those days, Louise. So far as I can recall the only items they could not commandeer were beds, cooking utensils and the tools of one's trade.

Many families then bought furniture by hire purchase. Fall behind with payments and their beloved new furniture would be recovered by the supplier. I can remember, back in the 1930s, people's furniture being loaded into a van and back to the "never never" store that sold it.

It's no wonder that in those days there was no rush of foreign immigrants to join us. Despite all the trials and tribulations, though, we were then a very happy and united community.

Bert.

[EX CUSTOM HOUSE]

Thank you Bert for the Post.

There was no surplus in those days was there,   And what we did have was  shared with our own and neighbours if necessary.
My highlight was when Dad came home on shore leave, Grandma came in and took over bringing
even her own utensils, food etc., for us to all have a slap up Dinner and the favourite was her Steak
& Kidney Pie.  Having cooked more vegetables than was needed it was left for my Mum to make a
"Bubble and Squeak" dinner the next day with Faggots from the local cooked meat shop.
Gran made sure her Boy never went hungry for at least 2 days of his leave (usualy about 5/6)
When he signed on for his next trip there was an advance ?? and that gave another square meal for thatday.
and I remember him leaving 2/- for my Mum on the Mantlepiece, for when she came home from work

Bert last week whilst in the Town a small 2/3 year old little girl was screaming Mummy Mummy please dont go I don't want you to leave me and was tearing her way from the person who was going to have her.
I had so many times been in the same position at the same age and remember screaming for my Mum like that and holding the Penny in my hand to give to the neighbour.She would take me home about T Time
and I would spend the rest of the time in the house on my own until Mum finished her shift and that varied
with all her different places of work.( Neither of my parents were to blame it was the way of things then)
I have never had a memory as vivid as this one in  all my life and it took me an hour or more to overcome my upset, and it still keeps coming back hearing that child screaming for her Mummy.

Louise
.

[Will.B]

Yes I also can remember those times in the 1930s ,I don’t think we were any poorer than most people living in West Ham at that time but it does amuse me when I read of some poor people having breakfast in the morning, for me it was up in the morning a cup of tea and going out of the door to school with a bit of toast and Marge in my hand, we never had any cereals then and I remember on one occasion I went to stay with a newly married Aunt who wanted to put on a bit of a show and we had porridge for breakfast, such luxury ,at home we never had any Cow’s milk delivered only sterilized milk for tea, but in saying that Mum always made sure that we did not go hungry with her many Stews, pies and puddings, when I tell some of my Grandchildren now of some of the offal meals we use to eat then they look at me amazed and run off to McDonalds.
As a baby I use to have bread and sugar and I am now in my eighties and still have most of my teeth and those I have lost was down to my own neglect for I never went to the Dentist until after I got Married.

[ALANF]

In the late 40's, I remember a luxury that we had once, and that was a duck's egg. Much bigger than the usual hen's egg, of which we were allowed just one every week. I remember that there was some sort of health scare about these eggs, and they were taken off the market. Does anyone remember what the problem was?

Alan

[Bill Sharpe]

Even in this day and age Bert is entitled to his opinion. You or I might disagree with him but that doesn't give you the right to use gutter language in response. There are many senior citizens of both sexes who will be offended by your comments.

[MickG]

I think Bert is making a valid point. Benefit tourism has become a real problem as anyone European citizen is entitled to come to live in this country and claim benefits, which is quite a attractive proposition for many from European countries where the standard of living and benefits, if any, are markedly lower than in this country.

Large uncontrolled influxes of people put unparalleled pressures on society in terms of housing, school provision and health services to name but a few. It is the very reason the UK Government sought and got temporary exemptions for a few years when a number of old Eastern Bloc countries originally joined the EU. The point Bert was making is that if the nowdays generous benefits system only applied to UK citizens, we would not have had either the influx of other EU nationals in such numbers or the real additional problems such a sudden influx causes.