Growing Up Poor: Boys (Poverty Documentary) | Real Stories

modern britain in 2012 in the midst of a recession we are all in it together but some are any deeper than others it's a tricky time to become an of age on a council estate this film follows three lads over a summer of trying to make their way in an austere world without money it's a struggle to keep a roof over your head to find a job inspire to a future one fingers up and after another since we lost their job so lost in job lost in our visas chick my mother does bother it's just caught forward to support me anymore so God will do my own thing [Music] my teenage one little bit stuck at times times get hard things get on top of me if you don't act off and stop acting like a kid how am I gonna bring up okay so now I'm here trying to be a man and always been the determined focused person like so you know it's got me into trouble in the past and I'd have to change after do sank about this my aim is to not just to educate myself especially one day be working in a successful industry [Applause] 18 year old Craig has grown up on an estate on the outskirts of town most people on here rooms when they own the other and what most people fight when the younger it's just it's just lucky to grow up around the assistant chef council housing on violin I just don't want to be like restaurant while others overlook I'm a good life Craig still lives at home supported by his mom not a big if its goals or treat well I always drive all over the door and it but I don't like not having a daughter one rule we did a boxing training on the Waller I was posted one thing in an industrial town like Rotherham jobs are scarce the Craig's mom it's a particularly hard sign she recently lost her job and is pregnant she owns the house is not actually a council ass you got 12 years on I'm still there without a job it's increasingly hard to make the mortgage payments and Craig's mom is now being forced to sell his childhood home to other job since she was 16 but that's not first time I mean right 18 years she's being put out of work she doesn't sell out there somewhere that social good with someone in the minute that she's been outlet foul available for Craig is not just leaving this house it will mean leaving home and fending for himself for the first time in Birmingham nineteen-year-old West is also struggling with his home life although he does sometimes say his mum's life is difficult there me and my mom have good and bad days and can be alright for one minute and the next minute it can be completely different I just want to get my own place in it because there's no space in my house anymore it's just overcrowding there's no income coming in 19 years in this country what's his decided his only option is to try and get a place in a young person's hostel I just kind of do things with myself and a little I've done college school and I'm a nut job so getting a hostel is the first step of me really doing anything [Music] come on I've been suffering for cousins for couple of days yeah man I'm just sick of being stuck in all the people's houses and I'm a person it's one step of being a child in it going into the adulthood get my own place although it may gain him independence getting his own room will come a cost financially and to his job prospects [Music] the 19 year old Frankie home is a cramped three-bedroom counterflow where five people are dependent on his mum's benefits - my sister's asleep in this room here one of my sisters sleep in that room there and my mom sleeps a lever in there and obviously this is my room there's not from not two younger sisters to finish a man when someone's in a shower I'm see from universe ones bang on the door come up it's all right I don't know because obviously it's the norm to me so I don't really know where slack to not live with just women yeah I was always in the streets now growing up anyway was never really at home so I was always around meals anyway so this is just where I snip when I was growing up I guess Frankie has just finished his first year at college where are you studying games design and people would create a software and they provided students for free so I don't have to actually pay for the software this project is just a dream home that would be on the beach with the swimming pool and a roofie noises so dream homes the dream lies fantasy is not real this ain't my dream home because if I created dream home that's just appealing to me or probably be in the woods or somewhere secluded like that my dream is always just being independent have my own house being happy somewhere location-wise would probably still be in the hood like there's nothing else wrong with the area it's just the environment you know mentally I can't be here after kind of bringing myself away from that and a gal that bubble Franky's hope is to be the very first person from his family to get to university cuz obviously living around him my whole life I've seen people grow up but they haven't really moved on I knew I've just seen them grow up and be in the same place one day I kind of said to myself like I have to change you know I thought nobody ain't gonna change for me I do need that determination you know I'm not focused because about that then how am I gonna get where I want to be but we fees now hitting 9 grand a year and no access to the bank of mom and dad the odds are stacked against him education is the way out you know rich people who don't need to really care about education because it's given to them on a plane whereas people at me or whoever else is in my state that you're born into nothing so you have to make something of yourself [Music] [Music] in Rotherham a town dominated by steelworks Creager trained as a welder I'm not a trained mechanic I'm an engineering world I don't know basically politics but he knows more about bikes but these days there's not much call for welders being something like quite heavy machinery in that there's just no jobs out there for young people no one's taking young kids on from school despite their skills Craig in his old schoolmate Cinque have never had jobs although cheap stuff has his paper round the lad scratch a bit of money by fixing bikes there are there's loads of people who've got bike parts what little swap on trip number by part engines or brakes or rather which I only got this because I swap school for it there's three mechanics on the street at one weld on the street where I work so rather empty job trade so picking out their life Peverley do they welded don't know that from to himself although he has no future in the industry he trained for craigers refused to sign on and claim benefits instead he enrolled in a local sports course which gets him 10 pound a week and a free bus pass but ten pound won't support him when he has to stand on his own two feet where's didn't manage to get a place in the hostel and he's back on his old circuit when people places all the time always traveling always going round around but there is one constant in his life a year ago West became a dad look I don't when I found out I was 17 I was in my college class and I was just sitting just sitting there and just ping me on my blackberry and she said guess what he's gonna get bad he's a good feeling what a scary feeling thinking okay I've got a step or now god be at that a god who or what not knowing who that my real dad is he left my mom when she felt for me so for I can't do that turn on I need to be there for amazing let me see it was Robin he's good I'm not gonna fall him on that it does do the popper dad job but it's still only boy in saw it I don't accept it to me as hard as it is one it's their child as well I helped make it so they shall pay the way as well it's not easy you know it's in a milk look even of trial round now don't get you nowhere but on fifty three pound a week Jobseeker's Allowance it's a struggle to contribute financially it was hard cuz the stuff that you just can't do what a trial the main arguments are about he's not support you know somewhere else you know I'm struggling I'm Wendy Wally's so I have to buy everything for Rowan and it's not that easy I've been doing a bit of volunteer work but I don't know I don't wanna be doing voluntary where he wants to work for free if he got a job it'd be so much easier the Craig events at home were moving faster than he'd expected unable to sell the house and going further under with the mortgage Craig's mom is moving out desperate to sell she's planning to have it redecorated reluctant to leave the place he grew up with his relationship with his mum strained Craig is staying on temporarily grab some money I'll phone you the couple days when I get the phone we've nothing left in the house Craig looks at retrieving sulfur's his mother lent a neighbor walks so everything was ruined I tell this stupid [ __ ] [Applause] [ __ ] [Music] I said to my mom - we cool keep dome cities I remember when I was young when I first ever come here at all 4 year old I remember this is a last time I seen this room empty everything I know was around there but now I'm on the old so it's not a little bit music [Music] what isn't the only team dad on the estate almost all his mates are dad's and out of work yeah man his clothes may aaron has asked him to come round with no money and a hungry baby he's desperate I'm saying no but I'm saying if you put in five and he's still use the emergency ask someone to lend you some money to sing for those simple money in it can't go to no family member and there's not many people out there that'll borrow my things but that's just the way swim just low if you come back here tomorrow though this shot of electric field and he's got some what note does it take and for home real babies SME town gate hungry baby one so what if I got him some s of any ones they both know what the options for making money on an estate can involve if I got a bit of change I can go out there grab little certain a gold flip it and make a little bit of money in it I know you don't even want to get yourself sorted knows it could be you know me you need stuff but this is Jensen son close please press was hate this automation system you where's this decided to trial and Aaron the money himself but his Jobseeker's Allowance payment hasn't come through and the Jobcentre are much help okay thanks she said get across this loan for now she said it ain't being processed then the last time I offered me a crisis loan for empowerment pay the piece with us I'm gonna get mad about it McCall now I'll just have to see where our second Easter for now he's just skin as Aaron yes Emily 59 pounds week I don't know how they expect adults people that have kids to live off 59 pound a week the streets is a safety level the streets is always there for you there's always opportunity with Finnish streets that you know make money by it's easy it's like the easy route out whereas going to get a job in it that's kind of the hard route and you need that determination and ambition to get you there and if you're coming from the state like this and you go apply for a job they get knocked back down in so they kind of lose that determination after they try so then they come back to the streets and the streets provide so that's why you can't blame people for coming back to the streets but Frankie knows from experience or the price of the streets can be every few weeks he makes a two-hour journey across London and gets a stark reminder [Music] [Music] when I visit my friends I don't know what they're thinking that's why it's good to be the person outside at the table because I'm all goes through dead before when I was here I was I was sitting on either side that a visiting table I was the person being visited Frankie was sentenced to two years in prison for the street robbery of a mobile phone that ended in violence I hit one of the boys and suffered a fractured jaw so that's why I've come to prison so yeah he has done two years for you know seriously injuring it however you look at it you know that was in prison for something you know I wasn't in prison for no reason I was in prison for no reason amazing I was thinking I just know what did I do to kill time though you know it's just simple to time that's one kind of time what the plan you're not gonna trash talked about that I've woken up and realized what you know what what my life is lacking you know what everyone else's life is lacking I kinda have to think you know how can I bear this and no I don't regret it because you know allowed me it comes prison you know it gave me it gave me that time to think you know what I wanna do with my life no always keep that negative safety net that makes sense let's say for example you think we're lucky out there you know it just don't work me bucko so drugs or something no so I kinda have to take that negative aspect of my life away so my safety net is my plan you know so I can't let a first in Rotherham Craig has been on his own for a week with no money to feed himself his only option has been to swallow his pride and seek benefits something he's bitterly opposed to inclusive he's just come back from the Job Center this is against everything against what I wanted to do but I've got no choice I never work to do right one job seekers in other words I didn't want to move out yet but it's all come great quick service got him I don't want to do it my dad does it and I want to like it I'm his easiest job these days if you can get him you are they'll look after him if I'm next [Music] craigers toyed with the idea of joining the army since school [Music] swapna bastard machine room so it's all over this bit yeah they feel doll-like in that with the beam back up place for snipers awesome it to I'd pit massive mining pit right because what they were mind not : let the try invading this whole time never liked when soldiers their wages go boom boom boom I mean you're a cage with machine-gun noises not a snipe is a marksman you can do it you can do your marksman training arm anyway Johnny gooks a well-trodden path out of the estate one already taken by jinx older brother you brother obviously it likes being army but I don't want to go back to Afghanistan because it seemed bad for you there soon as he got his first paycheck you were loving it for Craig it's still a schoolboy dream but you may soon be forced to make a decision so evidence isn't really if you do what if you do what I did it very nice she's in a patrol each light walk you now we're going in [Music] in North London Frankie's college is about to break up for the summer and he's already planning on how to fund himself through the holidays once he once finished my course getting a job would be viable now we'll have to get a job I've got work experience with BT conservation work or two cultural work experience all of them are voluntary Frankie has built up a great CV through working for free but getting a paid job is trickier he has to disclose his criminal conviction the plan allowed for Johnny really working so I'm gonna kind of get proactive and go down to wood green go to the stores directly got to a local internet cafe just print off that it was taken the history of the previous person I was using his computer and whoever was using it I was looking for I don't work she was added in her profile Mandy Mandy she's 22 and she's a bicurious female escort which is from pinching [Music] I'm looking for a retail job in the area of games because I know a lot about the product so anything to do with games video I want to work [Music] you know ideally McDonald's ain't where all the plan my tone was is that almost last resort no and the massive you very much that's a family-run business so the only people that would employ is family members or friends can I speak the manager to her [Music] ironically cash converters may hold the most promise of a job surviving on his own Craig has been dealing with more basic problems he's still waiting for its first benefits to come through I think nothing nothing nothing is that sometimes chicks mom cooks maybe the food sometimes you go to me nuns may actually be looking after me so I've had to claim job seekers so because I'm claiming job to you because I might after I'm out after getting kicked out of my college course so leave education she's saying a couple a week and that's what I got but two week left that's two weeks to find a place to live and decide his future Birmingham has one of the highest levels of long-term youth unemployment in the country as the summer wears on where's has fallen into a routine being a dad in the mornings and then drifting down to the corner with his mates in the afternoon never sleep everybody space repeat trust me nothing's ever free that the party has achieved but a favorite ABC I would feel to be able to make it reality and the hope that's me I'm never gonna sleep until you know I'd say the community is everyone's life no jobs day today see the same faces so you just know the anger it's council estate don't get twisted chillin with the mandem the good life as it's good times not necessarily your closest friends in car drops when you're gonna drop in short folk has been around my piece of elastic that's why I'm moving jesting I don't remember the rest universe where some of that very well just stupid in it sucker Circle Circle where you to stock [Music] good after see this case is way far it gets potato [Music] oh man I see I'm ready I'm ready rather a moment in on capital murder [Music] [Applause] [Music] good morning yeah Craig's mates had been rallying him round [ __ ] has been buying him food with his paper round money I'm waking him up for his course but this is the very last time Craig's two weeks are up his mama's got to gather enough money for the redecorating and she needs the house clear great we're waiting for you it has been 15 minutes she tell me how to move on with the farm for a dish that you just got a basalt well be ready for Friday so will I'm not doing it his mom has found him a room he might be able to rent so he's not homeless but he'll have to claim Housing Benefit to pay for it so that one else for the Romanians and it's got two bedrooms our son Brooke yeah I know it does you know I know it stop I'm going to join our deal we say what are we doing last time well I'm 18 year old if I wanna shoot the Taliban would do it okay well some with some folks Nobles reporting all right got three quick just watched all that quick safe on well with all you know sobs I'll never sleep again if it goes it on my tan phik read-a-thon pop don't kill a little time and then everything trick coming for it [Music] or is it remember that strings are the eyes Frankie CV didn't get him any office but you may have another chance out of the blue of voluntary work contact has recommended him for an interview in the West End where is it we're sharing across central don't cancel coke cost maybe your honor I don't go in central London because no there's never really been reasons for me to go there you know I know you file the square that's it it's not exactly a poor see you know there's loads of businesses and that's all it's not that I'm in the middle of nowhere as much as there is going on there's a lot of competition you know the odds are stacked against you really Frankie has never been to a nightclub before and doesn't know the area but you might have some of the right skills it's street work handing out flyers it's kind of said have you been to a club before and I was like no like I do you know it's kind of oh wow are you gonna work are you gonna work in a kind of nightclub environment club before she never said that but maybe I saw a future for so it's really important for me to get to that interview stage when it comes to getting a job because because I have a criminal record so so when you do apply online life Wednesday from some when you apply online as soon as you enter you have a criminal record your application out kind of automatically gets turned down I almost feel like I'm blacklisted like I feel like I can't get jobs because of what I've done when I'm when I was a kid like you know obviously I regret every day ever again but there's nothing I could do I can't turn back time Craig is finally accepted yes to move he's come to clearish tougher yes is my old me folks for eternity looks more evil all's I remember to be greed I remember being blue before that it gone look you can only get that I hope anyway don't black just whack one things up and that's been ever since mom lost her job lost and I could be dues parts of recession but everyday it's nothing stuffing into me on the mom stopping in to everybody in country I am bothered by it but I just don't show show that I'm bothered so I just keep all inside I was thinking like when I'm laid at Bethany I think of my problems so we'll see what it's all about last few years is being fought three or four Lots on that wolf coming home [Music] they give a place to live to feed you they give all stuff you need do you get a lot of money out of it Craig hasn't sorted anywhere to stay so he's using chinks shed as a base to stash his gear and he's gonna crash and mates floors [Music] [Music] for where's one of the problems have been a team dad is that he's 53 pound a week JSA makes no allowance free song as the mum the extra benefits go to Laura today she's going to the market with am a soldier [Music] with my benefits my monies every fortnight so therefore good we can have a shoot me absolutely do you want you can't just pre-mixed bowls of beige for two pounds young girl think yeah I'm gonna have a baby I get at least more near don't have to work and whatever it's not like that it's why hard up where's often hangs out with his mate Anton's that's next door Anton's neighbor and he cooks for more than just her four children and looks out for many of the local kids at the moment how things are going there's not a lot of jobs going so even if there could do something it's limited really so by the time he gets about 18 19 or is it gonna be like is it just gonna get worse in the future I'm doing I mean I think the boys around us need to grow up and they need to understand that becoming a father isn't just being the sperm donor or being the guy that comes around every weekend and spends a few hours with it's charting if you dare for you son you see him a lot you ain't go what about financial stuff until you can't afford it that's how I see it doesn't take a baby to grow up does it which we've learnt that but I think with boys it takes longer to mature doesn't it I mean basically if you used to walk down there roads right about now you'd probably find a mall sitting on the wall doing what smoking yeah back to in with the little kids you know thinking to each other [Music] the boom Amontillado that night they've not had to go out and fend for themselves I don't think they understand how good it feels and to achieve something and that's what they need to fail that's that's the good thing about where's he he he does more than what the other like to do you know where's he's gone out and done courses and it's a slow process but he's trying isn't it he's trying to go out there and do things in London Frankie is waiting for a call he was late for job this is a mom hello oh yeah I'm fine thank you how are you yes fine don't worry about I don't thank you I've got a job I told you man be 16 kyboot on the job cut me go Nando's to celebrate huh it's been weeks since Craig moved out although he's JSA is now coming through he's still so for surfing it mates on the estate the only reminder of his old home life on the cross of him Jake and [ __ ] messing around in his old room to do this story that chili powder he said he couldn't refuse knows my three days our very good for Craig his mates know all he's not well we're moving everything because he's not really got much doing this missile he's just building up and building up and getting more angrier and I can see every day when he's just sucky he's not not doing not he's just suddenly getting angrier and angrier and I can see I can see which they building ups at point where he's just gonna rather go down a path where he's not gonna like or he's gonna do something with his life because he's because of him being angry the Sun was drawing to a close he's still talking about the army but hasn't done anything yet but it was most reason why I want screen armed because he's got like no words that well he has got places your book but it probably does look it as a way out like I landed it first but I want to get a job in that first get a car and I live some of your life never know you can spend like three reeking wall and get kills so I got out some life before going into combat [Music] Frankie though is thinking ahead he's traveled down from London into the south coast so now he's really quiet around here it's very different it's full of crack it crack it's old people and watch me I like surfing [Music] it's come down for an open day to check out a degree course and games design hi I'm Peter come here some one of the professor's here at the National Center for computer animation welcome all the courses we do are both academically challenging so that they're difficult courses but at the same time they prepare you for work Oh animators are crazy they do all sorts of weird things like they dance with hula hoops they're to mana cycles they juggle a lot they play with the Christmas tree well what's the possibility of me earning money or part-time work while I'm here it's probably gonna be difficult because unlike other colleges we have a very full timetable if you wanted work in a shop or at supermarket you can but you'd be exhausted he expects she's fair forty-four hours he yeah yeah I know that's why I said that I said the possibility now you know is you know be too much pressure on you to have a part-time job as also usually insight into Student Finance how much could you supplement your income through Student Finance and support we've and who's gonna pick up the cost is it mum and dad or is it gonna be you yes the cost that you may pay may be more than people on the current system of in this case nine thousand pounds a year you'll pay that annually but there is a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England to cover that full amount and think a bit about it like an investment you were that's your tuition fees okay that you're paid so where the loan goes up the grant goes down and and then below as I went to disadvantage you and the finance system is in the amount that you're paying is more and I'm not going to deny that that is the reality of the situation you will have more of a loan than I so what we're going to do now is move on to your budgeting okay it'll be a three year course so I'll be 27 grand they'll be in there 20 set by now that's not even including living finance or nothing like that that's just 27 grand just to do my course so obviously that we have a costs on top of that as well so be a lot more I'm gonna live in a flat year with certain rich people and then I'll live with them that's the south that's how we do it's my plan live with it I'll be a cool friend like because most of these people have come to this university I kind of like nerds and Geeks and stuff so have me as their friend what do you have to do is feeding don't be that friend you've gotta have your compulsory community that's part of being have the wedding you don't have to know your way your own clothes but if you want to you can get all your merchandise everyone you need to do you know I wouldn't wear them you wouldn't never you'll be surprised when you roll out at five [Music] don't feel to me I don't know you're kind of people that know not oh there were those in it the older country people listen to what they're talking about they're talking they're talking posh or my Mercedes broke down you know stuff like that oh she's sixteen is gonna say it is that things that uh the day has given Frankie plenty to think about I need some rocks now Rock stick a sweet it's a good I open all the only highlight really is how expensive is gonna be like they don't say it's gonna be cheap or to that it's like the only thing they tell you is it's gonna be so expensive and stuff it's not the only thing your highlight is everything's gonna cost it's like it's more and more it's just the more they got one the more the more just like the more in debt you're gonna get what University ain't really an option is a viola I have to do it so give me doing the kick up competition we'll also do see if anyone to speak with me okay winners of the kick up competition will do a head-to-head with Wesley for where's the summer has finally got a purpose he has landed his dream job it may only be for three weeks but it's paid work signed up jobs and obtained to a teacher that's after I feel like a teacher I don't know you know how I am really had time to speak to them fully just in bed smoking but stuff like that when I was sitting at my house ain't had a job board at my face I just felt like smoking us before now that I'm actually do so I don't want to small when do you send that I enjoy and I'm getting paid for it's about an hour which is all right for kicking around a football teaching kids in it you've started hopefully I'd say so actually I can't say hold for you there's no going back now [Music] thank you tosser does Frankie is also settled into his job and is enjoying the bright lights of the West End someone's just that rounder I mean over temporary contract they kind of look possible that prison finger stuff ladder but everyone flyer the customer brings back to get twenty five he Commission's thank you okay the moment you know I seem to be ahead of everyone else so you know that's a really good look for me because he shows that I'm working hard salsa you know considering that you know they printed up wah I'm twenty five thousand fliers you know twenty five thousand twenty five piece if every what if everyone comes in the potential eternal Commission is a lot Hodgman the like notice I'm not gonna earn them yeah well central London out after getting about ten customers to buy kind of coca so no it's not it's not the Commission's not good [Music] [Applause] [Music] in Rotherham things are also moving Craig's on his way to an interview but I took those TVs up that they said listen this wouldn't be route or working it would have been outside because it says they're heavy for just as weather melt down all the steel make it their electric light labs were the tester metals I have this come to see our army careers advisor after months of putting it off he's finally decided to enlist I'm Sergeant children all right you like to take a seat it's not cool yeah terrific do you know anyone then that's in the army yeah well boys want to do that before me have you actually thought about what you'd like to do within the army our I want to avoid serve [ __ ] do you want a full-time job mr. tooms no it's not easy to get in the army nowadays all right current climate to do things like Afghanistan you'd want operation very a new food because my jolly for a long time in that I just got kind of put off by it for a while it's a proud day other photo top getting it offer the legions and everything and I swear to Queen everybody knows the risks agree arm look so just you have to take it real I'll do it that Butler and then we're gonna start with a Monday to reform right the killer it's called an army interest form okay small as it no I was just lost than that but slow to deal in the group slotted my life up frankly is now back at college for his final year he was offered the club job permanently but reluctantly he had to give it up when the late hours impacted on his studies he still intends to go to university buy houses you know buy cars you know I want to be able to you know just live a comfortable life scholars won't be able to not be the same as everyone else and see Craig's waiting to hear when he'll be called up to the infantry he still sold for surfing and surviving gone benefits understand I'm doing I'm doing anyway I understand of being he doing super bad eventually and the rest of us [Music] after a three-week job where's her to go back onto JSA he still sees his son and he was looking for a permanent job I wouldn't mind getting into academies and coats and academies because I know I got new levels new dagger I know I can do that the song that's on my push for you don't feel it go [Music] go with until it's all good [Music] you

Channel: Real Stories

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Keywords: Real Stories, growing up poor girl uk, growing up poor in britain, growing up poor in britain documentary, growing up poor in britain full documentary, growing up poor in uk full documentary, poverty uk, poverty documentary uk, poverty full documentary, full documentary poverty, poverty in britain documentary, documentary child poverty, poor kids full documentary, child poverty uk, Real Stories documentary, Full length documentary, documentary movies - topic, documentaries

Id: xHyQYdfEdtY

Length: 56min 25sec (3385 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 23 2019