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

Whilst it's great cutting your own hair (3 out of 4 people in this house do it) if everyone does it, that's a lot of small businesses going bust and a lot less tax to the taxman.

Anyway, agree with others that say it's mad that people working full-time jobs need UC, employers should pay more. The state should not be stepping in to prop up crappy wages. Something is fundamentally broken when that is the case.

We have family in the US - in the last 20 years there's been a HUGE divergence in quality of life in people on the exact same jobs (e.g nurse). Pay is massively higher in the US for the same job.

The fact that middle earners are now feeling the pinch is a pivotal moment. Some may have been looking down as they were told to, blaming those on benefits etc. Now they are experiencing it first hand and they won’t accept it as they know it shouldn’t be the case. Things are going to change.

Have you not read a newspaper recently?

You seriously don't think that people with billions to their name have got to where they are through work ethic? That they don't exploit the masses? Don't make me laugh! 😭

And I'm sure your well thought out proposal will be the one that works. It's not as if multiple governments and economists across many geographies have tried and failed to do this previously.

The OECD in 2018: "Net wealth taxes have frequently failed to meet their redistributive goals. The revenues collected from net wealth taxes have also, with a few exceptions, been very low. "

They won’t all leave. That line keeps getting repeated to crush the idea. Some might, not many. Let’s face it you can up and leave as an individual it’s harder to take your assets with you.

And anyone with half decent hair maintenance will agree it is not comparatively expensive.

Why don't billionaires pay a SINGLE PENNY in tax? Are people barely scraping by to blame? Or is it filthy rich, ruthless and morally bankrupt oligarchs? Where does the blame lie @Lameelephant ?

Is it them forinners? It is, innit!

If you're a two full-time professional income household that needs to "do it yourself" the economy is screwed, though.

Well you'd better hope "the billionaires" don't all leave the UK, cos then your tax bills will certainly go up.

Jealousy is not a virtue. @angelos02

Why? Because quite obviously we need people to work. Taxes on work and every other little thing Labour attempt to slip in need to come down dramatically and immediately, funded by reductions in benefits.

£150 is expensive for hair. If you’re skint you get a basic chop or do it yourself.

It's a lot cheaper than a standard cut and colour in any city salon. Mine is c. £200 (not in the south East). I would be miserable with ugly hair.

I don't really care what you think is reasonable and nor will anyone else. Some people get a thrill from self denial but most do not.

Last month is cost me £85 to fill up my car - yesterday it cost £105!!!
We both work full time - DH on a pretty good wage and me on average, 3 teenagers and an mortgage on an ex-council house (extended but still nothing fancy and nowhere near as expensive as the new build rabbit hutches popping up everywhere) yet I feel we have less disposable income than when we were renting and the kids were small.

I am really worried about the economy - if we all have to stop buying 'luxuries' and I don't mean designer handbags, I mean a cup of coffee or cinema ticket, then a lot of businesses will fold due to a mix of increased costs from 'fuel increases' and decline in customers. Less jobs available and more people needing to claim benefits - where is this money going to come from?

We are all beholden to whichever government comes in though. They’re the ones who decide if tax or NI go up plus a myriad of other decisions which affect interest rates, food prices and everything else.

It’s quite scary to think that if DH or I lost our job, we wouldn’t be able to afford our mortgage and bills on one income.

Don’t you all get free hours? People who aren’t working don’t need childcare so I’m struggling to see what you mean.

£150 is two weeks food for my household. So it IS a lot.

Small nice things are a fiver or under. Not a 5K holiday or a 25K new car. Those are luxuries. As are hair dos that cost more than £150!

And the police are going to be happily bought off so THEY can afford some nice things too.

£150 is not expensive for hair, as an aside.

More importantly, if people can't afford to buy even small nice things then the safe environment you've enjoyed your whole life is going to deteriorate as they start to take them by force or fraud instead. Most people are not content with sitting looking at their mortgaged up walls all month.

That 'part-time' as you call it for school staff is still 37 hours per week during term time, hardly 'part-time'. Quite a derogatory 'point' you're trying to score there. Our school couldn't cope without our dedicated support staff. Seriously.

And the ability to not have to find paid childcare during the half and term breaks also needs to be weighed into that 'averaging out' as you call it.

Don't get free school meals, don't get free prescriptions although I should as I have a serious eye condition in one eye, don't get council tax reduction.

There needs to be a new wealth tax. 1-2% on those with over 10 million in assets

I earn £80k, solo mum, one child in nursery. Mortgage is £1500 a month for a VERY ordinary home which needs new windows, a new kitchen and new bathroom. It is crippling right now. I am hoping it gets better when I remortgage and have no childcare but I’m not sure. I haven’t had a haircut in over 3 years. I get my eyebrows threaded in Superdrug and that’s my luxury. I hate how I look but everything is so expensive I’ve lost weight at least as I don’t have an evening meal in the week.

Another one in the what is your income and outgoings camp? There can be such a big difference depending on childcare costs etc which hopefully are temporary.

It used to be you could have extra money by sacrificing time, or choose to not have 2 FT working parents, meaning you effectively got more free time, as the one who didn't work FT got the housework done, so weekends and evenings could be more relaxing.
Now, only a lucky few get to choose. Most people have little time or money.