Originally Posted by Aardvark

Oddly, I've gone for the top option. I think the issue will revolve around the sudden and rapid rise in inflation that will take virtuallyall of those on benefits or a fixed income to a crisis.

People are losing their savings and investments. There is worse to come. Inflation is now officially rising because of utility bills being reassessed. The massive increases in the costs of basics have yet to trickle through. There has been a 25% rise in petrol costs in the last 12 months, 50-60% rise in bread and flour and 60% rise in rice.

Mortgage rates have been adjusted to take into account the losses made by the banks despite interest rates being relatively stable.

Taxes on the poor have gone up.

In 3 years things cannot get better. People who drop onto housing benefit and income support will stop buying and Messrs Tescos and Sainsburys might even feel the pinch.

I have enough to live on, but my future is not guaranteed and I've already made cutbacks. My friends in business are making major economies. We're not the sort to trash the joint, but there are people who will have to steal to survive. That will translate into localised civil unrest as shops and petrol stations are 'looted'.

I'm not being pessimistic - honest.