to wish that people would acknowledge people like me

[sweethoneytruffle]

I work full time, but a combination of rubbish working conditions and poor hourly pay means I take home approximately £270 a week. This varies a bit and it sounds okay until you factor other costs in.

Out of this I obviously have to pay living costs, including council tax. I also have to pay for car insurance and petrol (job is based in the car so I can't sell it) I work anti social hours, starting work at 6:30 and finishing at 11 but not being paid for that as it's split shifts.

I don't know if I am really bad at money management, but I always seem to be skint, even when I have just been paid, I'm broke!

But we are not mentioned much, it's always about benefit cuts and delays and sanctions. I seriously have £5 in my purse, one tin of soup and a packet of biscuits until Friday!

[Samcro]

hmm
"you" are mentioned all the time.
working poor. the government uses this to cut disability benefits and working age benefits.

[sweethoneytruffle]

In what context? I'm not disputing this, have just never seen it myself :)

The government needs to sort out our wages and working conditions then!

[Samcro]

watch the news when scameron and co are saying why they are cutting benefits.

[notagainffffffffs]

I feel your pain! Exactly the same so have my sympathies

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I think people do acknowledge people like you. People who work but are still in poverty.

Are you entitled to any tax credits, is there anything you can do to increase your income?

I really feel for you - I was that skint for a couple of years after university before I eventually found a better paid job. It was a grim existence.

[WooWooOwl]

Do you work in home care?

If so, I agree you are treated appallingly, and while the working poor are talked about, I think the issue of the way carers are treated is a different thing that should be discussed in it's own right.

[sweethoneytruffle]

samcro I'm not sure if you're being a bit - don't know, really - but anyway and very genuinely, it's very unusual for me to be in when the news is on, I'm generally working. I don't want to sound all "oh poor me poor me" but I honestly don't really get a chance to watch TV, I still watch it on my phone but don't have an actual tv.

No, I'm not entitled to anything - no DCs :)

[youareallbonkers]

What has it got to do with the government? Get a better job, get a 2nd job, budget your money better. Of course I'll be flamed for making these suggestions.

[Samcro]

i wasn't being funny, it has been all over the news/papers/mn
about why benefits are being cut, i Was just surprised you hadn't seen it.

[LeftyLoony]

Yep. The "working poor taxpayer" who is hard done by because of people on benefits.

Actually they're hard done by because their wages aren't a proper proportion of the cost of living, and it's appalling that a living wage is no longer paid in this country.

The "working poor taxpayer" actually receives more in the way of benefits than disabled people, by the way.

They're also the highest users of foodbanks.

[sweethoneytruffle]

Yes, I do WooWoo!

Not sure if it's separate though, my friend works in a warehouse of a big shop and has similar problems with regards to weird split shifts and bad pay.

[CLJ52]

So agree with you, Woo Woo. I don't now why people take the job on when the employment conditions are so bad (zero hours, no guaranteed income, not paid for travel time, not paid between calls) but geez - so grateful they do.

(I do know why some do - because they are committed to quality care delivery. I think we as a society abuse that commitment by undervaluing their contribution)

[OverTheHandlebars]

I hear about the working poor all the time. If you haven't heard it on TV what about the radio? Or in newspapers?

[LeftyLoony]

So actually my point is that benefits aren't too generous (argument being that they are because working poor are worse off), wages should be higher.

[Andrewofgg]

If you are private sector and paid >= NMW why and how should the government sort out your wages and working conditions?

[sweethoneytruffle]

Bonkers, getting a better job would be great but haven't been successful so far.

Getting a second job is honestly, literally impossible, unless I managed to get a standard 9-5 job and did this job as a second job if you see what I mean. It's not unusual to be out from 6 until 11, really it isn't. And work 6 days a week.

I do try to budget but it's hard as I never get ahead. Working on it though.

samcro I haven't seen it. So it would be nice if you could tell me.

[LeftyLoony]

Care work isn't brilliantly paid. I used to do it. It's allegedly minimum wage, but as they don't calculate travelling time which is a huge chunk of the working day then the agencies actually get away with paying an awful lot less.

You can bet your arse SS aren't paying the agency min wage either. More like min wage plus £10 per hour (as it was in my day).

It's still more than the hourly rate you're on if you're on carers allowance, though.

[WooWooOwl]

At least in a warehouse you aren't driving yourself around all day without getting paid and having wear and tear on your car. And more importantly, in a warehouse you are looking after stuff, not vulnerable people.

There are lots of employees that are not treated well, but the way carers are treated by this country makes me ashamed to be British.

[sweethoneytruffle]

Over no, I haven't seen it. I won't read the tabloids and am a bit too dim to understand much of what is written about in the broadsheets. I do listen to the radio but certainly haven't heard anything about what you're all talking about!

It would just be nice to feel like you're in the picture, that people acknowledge that low pay just isn't enough.

[HerRoyalNotness]

I don't know why there aren't demonstrations or more mass strikes in the UK to highlight companies paying less than a living wage, and working people having to rely on benefits to top up their income.

[OverTheHandlebars]

If you don't watch the news or read the newspaper then I suppose the only opportunity you'd have to hear about the working poor is on the radio then, I imagine while you're driving between jobs? It's not like you've been looking for the information then (I don't mean that to sound mean, but where else were you expecting to hear about it?).Maybe try turning your radio to Radio 4 and I bet within a week you will have heard discussions about these issues.

[sweethoneytruffle]

To be honest I was thinking with regard to threads on here!

On Mumsnet I have seen plenty of threads about benefit cuts and admin errors but not many about working poor.

Problem with radio 4 is, I'm in and out of my car, I never get to actually listen properly to a discussion. Half the time it's not my car anyway.

[beautyfades]

Yep, Iv got a job it's minimum wage an I'm still poor! It's a joke. I honestly was more comfortable money wise when I was on benefit. After Iv payed bus fares an the rest of what everyone has to pay I have penny's left if I'm lucky.

[MrsTawdry]

OP earning under 300 a week for the hours she describes is absolutely not on. Is there such a thing as a carers union?

[beautyfades]

I thought it was common knowledge. If I could even get £7.50 an hour it would make such a difference to me each month. Hope it goes up soon.