AIBU to be affected so much by it

Get a lodger. You can advertise and meet the person and ask for references. Coventry has an airport and students so it should be fairly easy to find someone. You can set the parameters for the kind of person you want ie; only female etc. you could even advertise for just a Monday to Friday let.

Once some of your mortgage is paid off and you get a higher paying job by promotion or switching careers then things will get better.

OP, strongly recommend you look into a lodger.
Ask for advice on here as to how best to protect yourself with exactly how to do it.
Those that think about it and have rules about visitors, kitchen use, shared spaces, heating, have greatest success.
Also some lodgers only stay during the week which can be very successful.
Make your home work for you.

Depends on the job. I love chatting to people and working behind a bar or doing big events etc
Can be done just at the weekend

Your tax and NI on your wages wouldnt fund what you take from the system, let alone fund anyone else's child benefit.
My two DS earned more than you still living at home aged twenty. It's not a good wage, especially to fund the buying of a house. DS1 who bought (much further North than you) with his then partner after saving a 20% whilst living at home. They bought in 2019 with a combined salary of £60,000. Our other DS is still saving at home and wouldn't even think of looking earning £27,000 a year, although he's only twenty, so no rush.
I don't know anyone who owns with a mortgate on such a low income that is under 60. The average house price here is now £240,000. It was £200,000 (which DS1 paid for his house) in 2019 when DS1 bought.
I'm not surprised you're struggling on such a low single income household.

That's just your interpretation though, I had a second job in my early 20s and did it for 5 yrs. Why? Because it stopped me spending money and more importantly I really enjoyed it.

I met some great people and it was a total contrast to my day job. Minimum wage but it bridged the gap that I needed/wanted.

Im so glad its just me i live alone no pets or kids i get by very well and lucky to be living comfortable.
But can only imagine what its like for family`s at the moment with school payments uniforms bills food cost runing the car and everything still going up etc it sounds so hard.
Only hope it gets better in the long run.

Surely you get top up benefits if you have a child?

My DH is on just above minimum wage and gets 27,500 pa. His is the only wage coming in so thats 2 adults and a toddler getting by on that. Surely you can save money somewhere?

There was no need to drag people on a low wage into it though and insinuate they don't have basic English or grammar

Does the disgusting posting style, and insulting manner of the OP, make you imagine they have a degree. I am also educated, and as such I don't speak to people like this and can face an opposing opinion without wishing cancer on anyone.

I’m in my fifties and I still have a “Saturday job” along with my full time job. I’ve been doing this particular “Saturday job” for 13 years!

@ForTwinklyMintSeal Personally I prefer a zero hours contract for my second job as I found many jobs wanted you to do more hours than you would want to do when you already have a full time job. Eg I couldn’t commit to doing 16 hours a week on top of my full time job, so I have a zero hours, NMW receptionist job at my local leisure centre. They always have shifts they can’t cover, so sometimes I might do a shift after work as well as at the weekend.

So... You are bashing people on benefits whilst trying to see if you're entitled to benefits yourself..........

I pay x5 the tax/NI than you do @ForTwinklyMintSeal receive no child benefit and I don’t begrudge a penny of it because we all need to contribute to society. End of.

What is hilarious though is you have been looking to get benefits yourself?! Would you begrudge the child benefit less if you were awarded something or the same I wonder - ‘BeCausE i WoRK GoDamMIt ! !’ Should those of us that pay more than you then start a thread how we’re supporting you for your choices?

Nope, that’s what’s known as a race to the bottom…

At the moment I'm trying to get a job and would be delighted with 27k. Minimum wage is less than 24k (for 40 hrs - in reality jobs don't pay for lunch break so more like 22k).

I know it's not a race to the bottom, and absolutely agree (and feel!) the expense of being single - particularly the unfairness of council tax.

However, there is an element of cutting ypur cloth according to your means. I live in a flat, not a house, for example. I'd be saving on 27k. Wondering what property prices are in OPs area, as I know that's the killer expense. But perhaps it would be helpful to comb through outgoings and see if anything can be reduced.

Well done for just insulting everyone on min wage
Some of us even have degrees you know

You sound like you have a chip on your shoulder
Your salary is pretty low not that much higher than min wage but its clear you'd rather moan than look at increasing it.
You pay less than £250 a month in tax so you needn't worry too much about where its going. Lots of people pay a lot more and don't benefit from it
The solution to all your problems is to have a child. You'll then not have to worry about paying your hard earn taxes to those with children. You'll get the child benefit you've been paying. It's loads! You'll be literally rolling in it

@dovetail22uk WHY IS IT ACCEPTED THAT IF YOU DON'T EARN ENOUGH TO LIVE IN YOU ARE LAZY OR IT'S YOUR FAULT OR YOU SHOULD JUST WORK UNTIL YOU DROP. WHY CAN'T JOBS PAY YOU ENOUGH TO LIVE?

First of all, what's with the caps. No need. Secondly, I like to think I'm a pragmatic person and if there is something I don't like, I'll try my best to find a solution. I didn't think there was anything wrong with working more to help myself. That helped my situation far more than feeling sorry for myself about how unfair life is.

This is true but on an individual level, you can't change the economy or the fundamental basis of capitalism

but see people on child benefit with more money than me taking my taxes as they post on here

Excuse me?

WHY IS IT ACCEPTED THAT IF YOU DON'T EARN ENOUGH TO LIVE IN YOU ARE LAZY OR IT'S YOUR FAULT OR YOU SHOULD JUST WORK UNTIL YOU DROP. WHY CAN'T JOBS PAY YOU ENOUGH TO LIVE?

Dear god. Did you come on here to moan about people with kids taking your taxes? Did it not occur to you that they might have more money than you, but that kids aren’t free to run? So, they don’t pocket it, they spend it on food and clothes for their kids, which is what it’s for.

Anyway. No, you’re not being unreasonable that it’s shit out there at the moment.

It's tough being single and paying all bills alone and also not being entitled to any support from the government on top of it. It's understandable you are worried about it. (Also, at least let us have 50% off council tax FFS)

Moneysavingexpert is a great place.

I had a Monday to Friday lodger for a while which worked well as it meant I still had weekends to myself but I understand if you don't fancy this.

You can’t be paying that much taxes on such a low wage. Horrible attitude.

I think it is quite apparent what is stopping the OP from doing further study.

What's stopping you doing further studying in the evenings, open university or night classes to improve your earning potential? My taxes are also paying for you. That child benefit is paying towards children who will one day be your doctor, dentist, carer etc.