Is receiving £30k pa on benefits “living in poverty”?!

But it would be just as tight for someone earning 40k, and having to pay tax, NI and pension. They would take home less than 30k per year (at my pension contribution rate anyway). Would anyone claim a working person earning 40k is living in poverty?

£2500 per month isn't a huge amount in the South. Bear in mind that £30000 per year is likely to be a large family. The only 4 bedroom house available to rent in my area is £2000 per month and the LHA rate is £1695 per month. That means that they would have £500 per month as disposable income, of which £305 would be needed to top up rent.

My take home from working is almost exactly that. I manage okay as a single person but if you added a few children to the mix, I don't think I'd be surviving very well if I'm honest.

People who are on State Pension who rent are likely to receive housing cost help.

My (very small, lower level PIP) disability benefit goes towards things like petrol for the car as I can't use public transport, getting my shopping delivered as carrying it even from the car to the house causes too much pain, getting things done that I used to be able to do but can't any more.

How would you organise vouchers for that kind of thing? X amount towards petrol hoping that the nearby petrol stations will accept them, paying handymen for bits & pieces (they won't accept vouchers except the bigger & more expensive companies) etc. My car costs a bit more to run as I need to drive an automatic, and don't even think of suggesting I get an EV as every year I pray my clapped out car survives it's MoT as I can't afford to replace it (cost me around 2.5k 2 years ago).

And everyone's needs are slightly different especially when it comes to disabilities; think of the cost of having people who's entire job is to work out what every individual needs according to their unique issues. That's why it's so hard to manage some benefits on need rather than the blunt instrument of things like age - the cost of administering that would be too high.

They do it for every single meal. Even McDonald's breakfast. Get it on Uber eats and deliveroo as well. Spending more of OUR money.

DD is 32. She's lived in house shares for a number of years. both during and after Uni. House share is coming to an end, as they do and she was talking about her budget so we looked at it together on a spreadsheet.
She's coming to live at mine for a bit and we'll see where that goes. Hopefully it will help her pay off her credit card and put some serious savings aside.
Of her group of similarly aged friends, the ones looking to buy houses have had a hefty inheritance from somewhere, she has not.

What came winging through the spreadsheet was that take home of £2000 didn't get you very far unless you were sharing or a couple. T'was ever thus, I know but £2000 a month or thereabouts somehow feels it should buy one more than it actually does.

I know a family of 3 adults who take in £3000 per month on benefits. They take a taxi to M&S to do their weekly shop as they “don’t do buses”. They’ve told me so before anyone questions. Equally I know 3 single disabled pensioners who can’t afford to feed themselves properly and another working age single lady who works full time but can’t afford to heat her flat and has been denied any benefits.

The benefit system is ridiculous and unfair as are most things in this country these days.

Then you do that for all benefits

It's also going to cost far more than giving out money as many of us find that out disability benefits don't cover anything

What happens if you pay family for care? In my case they earn too much for carers allowance and care from sn agency will cost more

Reducing benefits so people have to get a job instead. If you’re affording takeaways on benefits then they’re clearly too high.

What happens if your local supermarket doesn't accept vouchers? Not everyone lives near the big chains

What do you suggest? Reducing benefits so that more people end up on the street?

It wouldn’t be my idea of living in poverty. 😳. But, voucher systems, in the past cost a fortune to administer, were open to fraud (shopkeepers buying them for under market value), and too complicated.

I don’t think disability benefits should be a thing. The goods and services required should be provided by the government rather than cash handouts being given.

You aren't being denied it though. There is so much learned helplessness.

There could be some actual cash built into a voucher system. I don't care how much it would cost to administer it would be worth every penny if it meant that children of parents on benefits got fed proper nutritious foods, clothed in a proper school uniform and good quality coat.

No Xboxs, chocolate cereal, cans of pop, vapes or Netflix. But loads of fruit and veg, the right items for school

Also I'm sorry to say it, if it was less comfortable then fewer people would see it as a lifestyle choice.

I presume there’s a reason why she moved out of home? Those just starting out who move away from the parental home (as many have to for their jobs) are going to be skint. Those who can afford to save for a deposit are those fortunate enough to be able to live at the family home while working.

See we get a takeaway about once every two months due to the expense. It’s such a waste of money.

In the age of technology surely they could be issued through an app with a code or something?

We can't carry on just handing out tens of thousands of pounds to people with tenuous reasons for not working.

No one will be having fun on that money. I helped DD sort a budget quite recently, take home less then £2000 pm. Rent, Council Tax, essential car, food. She's not got much left over. Lives in a house share.
Our perception of what £30 000 buys is way out of date.

I probably clear £30k on benefits each year or close to it. I have two disabled children under 18, and one is over 18. I didn't choose to have disabled children though or have chronic health issues myself. Unfortunately life is often complicated. And most people on benefits are restricted to what they can do with their lives.

Many don't have a clue how to cook, that's often why.

I have the misfortune of knowing people on benefits who order every meal as takeaway and don't cook.

Even those on disability benefits?

If you want to eat out get a job. There are millions of people working who cannot afford to eat out. Why should their taxes go towards the social life of someone not working? Benefits need to be seen as a temporary hardship, not a lifestyle.

You'd have to take the jobs of too, then you have a big gap and they will reject you for that.