Is the middle class basically poor?

if middle class is labeled poor, then the new word for poor is called ULTRA POOR!, im poor

Man, if I had a nickel for every dollar I made...well i'd have a few nickels is all. Oooohh shiny!!! :D

In my area the middle class are often the worst off, I know many people who have a lower house income but get help for various things but the middle class dont. Don't get me wrong i'm glad these things are in place to help people worse off but two people I have met are in spacious council houses and are perfectly capable of working full time but refuse to as they will loose benefits, I know it's only a select few but people like that really get to me as I don't think I will ever be able to afford my own house

The purchasing power of a currency unit like the American dollar has decreased.

This has affected the middle class in particular, many are struggling and unfortunately you would see middle class people lining outside welfare/foodbank centres. The middle class normally inherit larger debt to asset ratios ie. Mortgages so they do struggle.

The irony is, they are normally above the government threshold to receive assistance yet struggle on what they get on their own.

I wouldn't say poor because it's not like they can't afford to take care of their basic needs, but considering that they usually have loans on their houses and cars and but a lot of stuff on credit, they don't really own anything for themselves.

So, not necessarily 'poor', but uncomfortably close.

Lower class and Middle class basically merged into one class. There are essentially 2 classes now. Lower and Upper. Either you're bank rollin or your barely surviving it seems. Im not an economist though. I could be wrong. That's just what I see

Yeah.
Truth be told, I'm worried. I'm worried that I won't be able to make enough money to be comfortable with having kids. The price of food, clothing, gas and so on has risen so much just in the past 3 years alone. I would have to live significantly below my means unless I'm able to make better than middle class income. I don't think it will get better anytime soon.

This has created a new economic class of people, the working poor.

I used to be homeless. I'll miss those days.

Well you can not answer yes or no to this. It is a bit more complicated. The middle class makes just a bit more money. So its like if poor is making 300$ and middle class is making 450$.

However its very easy for a middle class person to become poor which most people don't understand since they don't make that much more. So people act like middle class has all this extra money to spare when in reality if they make 200$ less they would be in the same spot.

People who are poor usually don't have to pay for as much stuff and are offered a bunch of things free. Which a middle class person will never get since according to the government they are rich.

Since this poor person is getting everything free save all that money they can do whatever they want with. While the middle class is pulled down to the same level as the 300$ earner or lower then the poor person without benefits.

In the UK, the middle classes (by that I mean the middle middle classes - so the average middle class) might be 'struggling' a bit but they're not poor. Some of them will say they're poor but they still run two cars, spend £80-100 a week on food and go on holiday every year and can always pay their bills. That does not equal poor. What they mean is, they're struggling compared to how it used to be for them. They might not have as much disposable income as they once did and can't save as much as they did, but heck, they can still save! At the end of the month all my money is gone on food, bills and rent. Great!

Lower middle class is probably struggling but upper middle class people are still doing well (very well compared to other countries).

Poverty is relative, and class is subjective.

Just to elaborate, poverty isn't an objective measurement. One can have barely any food on their plate and barely any money in their pocket, but FEEL rich, next to 'the other guy' with nothing. One can then look at the house over the road, see a guy with more food and money, and suddenly FEEL poor.

The class distinctions are pretty grey and fuzzy in most countries these days. When you say middle class, do you mean literally the average, the median? Do you mean socially? Economically? Materially? Is someone with one less penny, one less shoe, one less qualification lower down this ladder than you? Where's the line? Who draws the line? Who decides where it should be drawn?

People don't seem to question the legitimacy of categorising us in 3 tiers, but I think that's no longer appropriate. Our society is far too complex, multifaceted. We hear these phrases thrown around "I'm working class", "I'm middle class", what does that really mean? Are these self-imposed distinctions useful, or do they do more harm than good?

The middle class are constantly fucked over by the Government. I would know. Too rich to receive any handouts but to poor to be unaffected. FML, I NEED MOAR MONEHHH

Many people who work have a lower standard of living than those on govenment assistance nowadays. Those that make a bit more bear an ever-increasing tax burden to fund the ever-increasing rolls of government assistance.

It's not enough that our political and corporate overlords have ruined the economy with failed policies (on both sides of the aisle) and made themselves wealthy while doing it. It's not enough that they change the policies in their own favor to protect their wealth.

We are witnessing the process of the creation of a neo-feudal system with two classes, royalty and serfs.

Well I think for a lot of people in the world buying a house in the city of their birth is now an unlikely future possibility. Since shelter is a basic need and they can't afford to own it outright they are in reality poor. I consider wealthy or above being able to meet basic human needs and afford some measure of luxury.

At the moment some people can afford some measure of luxury but not meet their basic needs, so they are in fact poor.

Not in my country, but in the US, yes.

If your unable to pay things cash down without assistance you are poor.