Very much the latter. I was shuttled from incompatible job (skills and geography) to incompatible job, treated with utter contempt, and had to essentially beg for financial support to pay the rent.
I'm a top 10% earner in the country, paid more than my fair share of social security for many years before that.
It was a jarring experience seeing just how fine the line was between being on the right and wrong side of the system.
I went through something similar here in America very suddenly due to illness. Were it not for family, we would have been homeless.
It’s hard to go from Hero to Zero. Now that you’ve made it, all I can say is “never forget how that experience made you feel” - that way when you vote and you pay your taxes you’ll know why you do it. Ideally so that it’s not even worse for the next guy.
I'm a top 10% earner in the country, paid more than my fair share of social security for many years before that.
It was a jarring experience seeing just how fine the line was between being on the right and wrong side of the system.