Are other full-time working families finding there is nothing left?

Just saw your thread and popped in to say that I feel the same way.

Got paid today- bills paid-nothing left wtf 😩

You thought adding a further tax to something that’s already taxed would be a good answer and would be popular?

No, I disagree with this. If a responsible person has been working full time their whole life and has saved hard for emergencies like white goods breakdowns, emergency roof repairs, car repairs, I wouldn't begrudge anyone a few thousand of their OWN money being kept for such eventuality while they look for a new job. They still need day to day costs met during that period, and that's what the benefits would be for.

The odds are that they'd have to dip into it anyway to cover things temporarily for things like wraparound care if their children are already in that (you'd usually be required to pay during any notice period), any loans which they had which still need paying for like car finance - to enable them to get them to job interviews, and most importantly their mortgage.

With any luck that person would manage to find a new job within a few months, but I fail to see why they should be punished by not being entitled to any benefits for day to day costs during that period, simply for being responsible and saving to cover those costs. While someone else in the same position of having lost their job gets benefits from day 1 just because they splurged all their earnings every month and hadn't bothered to save a penny.

The long and short of it is that we shouldn't be punishing people who act responsibly, when they need a bit of a support for a few months. It could happen to anyone of us in a job. Be careful what you wish for.

They are privatised. Thats why they're so expensive.

£200 may be a typical hair price for women if you want a fancy salon with regular blow dries or expensive highlights.

I get mine done in a very local salon. I get it washed, cut and coloured every 8 weeks. It comes to just over 50 quid. I choose not to get it blow dried because it's naturally curly and I tend to let it air dry, but I fail to see how a blow dry could cost £150 (the difference in price up to what you are saying it costs).

The salon isn't fancy but do you know what, when I was in my 20s and going to fancy salons, the prices were going up and up and the cut was taking less and less time, and I eventually realised it just wasn't worth the cost. I think people are cottoning on, the Toni and Guy by mine (city suburb on high street) just closed down. I don't know how the fancier salons are doing in the city centre, they are even more expensive.

@Summerhut2025

While I agree with you about helping working people, in particular the tax thresholds, as I dont earn much but pay tax and I think its totally unfair, I dont look at the people I am helping and think geeezus take the money off them the robbing bast*rds....i look upwards!

Plus people on UC are working people most of the time too...they are also paying tax

People would just spend their money on things very quickly to get it under the 16K threshold or perhaps gift it to a family member temporarily. I also think you may not have factored in many people on UC were working full time for years. So they may have built up savings through that. Rather than wiping out all their savings within a few months it makes sense to claim benefits and then supplement their benefits with savings. Otherwise you remove an incentive for people to save when their employed.

Also someone could’ve been saving for a house. You wipe out their deposit and when they do find a job they’re back to square one.

There’s other ways to get more money for example. We should be making more men pay up for maintenance and consider factoring that into what benefits the custodial parent receives.

We can also be more importantly getting rid of all the corruption that goes on with government contracts.

Council money is being wasted by companies who for example take weeks to fill up a small pothole when it’s a one day job. There are people laughing all the way to the bank and have been since 2010. I know because I’ve met some of them. Also making sure this cash in hand and not declaring it all to HMRC stops. Also putting a greater emphasis on taxing wealth not just income.

Stop selling of all the social housing stock which puts people into private rent which is so unregulated and the rent are a big reason why welfare is so high.

Someone with 10K in the bank and receiving UC isn’t the enemy here.

As I said if a single mum with two kids is entitled to £1200 UC (which is a lot more than I see up north, its average £800) if she has £15k in the bank the deduction would be £652, so shes only getting £547 UC on top of a meagre wage. Is she still up on you?

Yes I’m up on that single mam if she has no savings. But if she has savings stretching into the thousands then she is up on me. I’m not complaining about people being on benefits I’m complaining about the ones that have thousands in the bank up to an eye watering £15,999.99 who collect benefits!! I mean I know they don’t write the rules so I’m not complaining about them directly, it’s the government and their unfair policies. The threshold needs lowering then the government can help the nhs, or raise tax thresholds or have some spare cash to help working people with COL which was ultimately what this initial post was all about. It isn’t about those not on benefits complaining about those that are, it’s about fairness in the system to help everyone with COL.

@Americasfavouritefightingfrenchman I think it’s so hated because so many “need” it to get their own housing security. Subsequent policies have inflated house prices and so much of our wealth is tied up in housing. It’s not productive

This is us but we have a smaller house and old car. We spend a lot on holidays as that’s a passion of ours. We also save a lot.

We live in a working class town. Our house cost under £90k in 2016 and it’s almost paid off. We could have lived closer to my family down south or in a richer part of the north west city that my partner comes from near his parents but we would have been skint. The same house in their town cost £100k more. Down south where I’m from they wanted £125,000 for a 1 bed flat above a shop in 2016.

Since 2016, our salaries have both doubled or more and we’ve stayed in our house.

Our nursery fees were also cheaper due to our area being quite a low income area.

I find it abhorrent than people who have never financially contributed, are willing to drain every last penny out of those families who do. You need to understand this can not continue.

I have always thought more inheritance tax, paid by many, many more estates feels like a good answer to raise significant funds but it seems to be generally hated as a concept.

@RedRock41

Because 'down size ' is so easy isn't it. Like can't you retrain, or get more shifts, or a promotion
I'm 60, have incurable cancer, lost my income overnight in February. Do not qualify for benefits.

Thank God I have paid my mortgage off or I'd be looking at losing everything.
There is no where for me to downsize to. I can't move 'to a cheaper area' because this is where my life is and I need the support of my friends now.
These phrases are all too easy to say until you are faced with the reality if doing it

Unpopular perhaps but in my view it is not at all right someone can keep capital in housing sometimes worth £1m or more. That can’t continue. Either downsize or put a charge on the property as quid pro quo. How can taking from a poor working household be right in current climate when said home owner is richer than most renters can ever dream to be? What about the inheritance for our kids?

I agree this isn’t right but it’s a function of our distorted housing market.

But data could be skewed because if there is a top up of that much, their housing element must be super high, meaning they live somewhere with very high rents like down south. Up north rents are much lower so therefore the amount of top up is lower.

I can only speak as I find. And id rather go off someone's actual experience rather than stats on the Internet, as weve found before stats and information from the government are not always reliable. And a bit mad to say that you don't want a random stranger on the Internets experience when were on an Internet forum 😂

I just find it wholly abhorrent that people who have never needed to rely on a benefit look down on those who do and berate them or think they have it better. The absolute majority of people on benefits did not set out to be on them. There are there through some horrible misfortune that can occur to anyone in life.

It’s true but it’s only a matter of time before everyone gets sucked into the same issues I think.
While we have no complaints about our lifestyle we did recently realise that with promotions & payrises our income has gone up by over 50% in the past 5 years yet we don’t really have a lot more disposable income as mortgage, food, transport & energy costs have gone up so significantly in the same period. The headline inflation rate feels lower than the real increases (mortgage rates going up in particular really eats up a lot of money)
It doesn’t surprise me at all people across the board are feeling less well off when we’ve had above average pay rises and don’t feel much better off.

Exactly the same here OP. The soundbites are BS. Complete BS. Cameron told us we ‘are all in it together’, May claimed ‘there’s no magic money tree’ - only for a forest to be found during covid and Keir now telling us the broadest shoulders are bearing the most. Not a single one GAF about ordinary working households.

There’s no help for working families who are often cash poor. Reality is economy has never recovered since 2008 for ordinary folk. If wages had risen as they should have average earner according to resolution foundation be £14k better off today.

I for one greatly resent those who have a house full paid off but are deemed to still be ‘the most vulnerable’ and get to claim full means tested benefits. Renters knocking their pan in can only have £16k (I wish) in savings though if they are (and often aren’t) to be entitled to help.

Unpopular perhaps but in my view it is not at all right someone can keep capital in housing sometimes worth £1m or more. That can’t continue. Either downsize or put a charge on the property as quid pro quo. How can taking from a poor working household be right in current climate when said home owner is richer than most renters can ever dream to be? What about the inheritance for our kids?

Hard work no longer pays and the social contract is completely broken. Unless you are lucky enough to have inheritance or head start most can forget getting far and more month than pay only going to get worse. We need a national strike as it’s clear without collective action we can’t rely on even a labour government to look after the suffering many.

We are long passed the point of just cut back. What to do when there is nothing left to cut!?

£145k in 2014. We did it up and worth about £210k which is still cheap. 3 double bedrooms, 2 reception rooms, big kitchen, front and back gardens, driveway. We also got a 5 year fixed term mortgage when the rates were 1.4%. I feel very lucky but not everyone would want what I have. It's an ex council house, on a street with some people on benefits and the rest of us working class backgrounds. It isn't a posh area but I didn't grow up posh so I feel at home and very happy here. I could buy a house in a posher street and end up with no money because of a crippling mortgage. It's all give and take, no matter where you live.

I think you’ve nailed it. How much did you pay for your house?

my concern was more that 44% of the tax we pay collectively (I pay in the example as I am using my figures but others will be the same - you can see on HMRC) goes to pay for benefits/pensions/interest debt.

That is a huge chunk of public finances going to keep fund those who can't (or won't) work, disabled, pensions & servicing debt.

I was simply shocked at 44% - I don't think as a country, this % can be sustainable.

I was raised on benefits & I'm very thankful for them - never claimed myself as I've always been willing & able to work. that could change at any time as others are pointing out.

Yep - my son realised this while ago , flat just outside zones and around 45 mins travel was £400 a month less rent , but £400 a month more in travel costs, so pointless moving - and earnings being London based were around £250 more net a month being based in London and far more choice in his career of roles if anything goes tits up

If at first you don’t succeed, etc..

Couldn’t agree more Katy - I’ve banged on on here before about someone I know getting very nice maintenance indeed , doing no more than about 20 hours a week work ( and no she doesn’t get hassled)and getting next to full UC including virtually all her rent covered too - she’s getting far more net a month than many a full time single mum nurse with £2700 net plus maybe £10k in bank , no maintainance and paying a small mortgage.

people say well just move, but lots don’t want to, work in careers/industrys that still have large elements of London centrism, have family and friends and networks etc etc - we all need homes but not everyone is prepared to go where they know no one or not have any networks/support - even if you work from home it’s not nice beyond a certain age to live in such isolation and not even have school /work chums to make friends with

Commuting is also really expensive now