Can´t survive on salary without benefits. Doesn´t seem right.

[Fashionesta]

Just wondered if anyone else was in the same boat as feeling a bit miserable. Recently started new job, 31K a year, felt happy with that, potential to grow. Having done all my calculations and bills, if it were not for getting some money towards housing, I would be 300 pounds a month short :(

After pension I get around 1800 per month. Rent is 950 and I have one of the cheaper properties in my area so no ability to find anything cheaper - its me and DD in a 2 bed. No luxuries at all. Basic mobile phone on giff gaff 8 per month, no SKY etc, old car although paying off car loan of 150 month which bumps outgoings up. By the time I have paid all my bills, council tax, loan, after school club for DD and swimming lessons for her which I feel is essential, if it weren´t for the fact that I get some help towards rent, I would be -300 per month.

I generally feel like I earn a decent wage and panicking a bit about the situation. Not asking for a solution really as I think I am quite frugal, also sensible so pay for life insurance, car insurance, pet insurance and house insurance. Pay TV licence and so on. Shop at Tesco.

Anyone else don´t feel like they are getting by on what I actually consider a decent wage (although I realise in MN terms I am probably not earning much at all).'

Argh I just hate feeling poor all the time and I shouldn´t have to rely on benefits when on 31K surely!

@GreenWillow

Can you grasp that OP would still be entitled to the £300 of benefits if the dog died tonight and her DD stopped swimming tomorrow?

She isn’t living beyond her means. She is being awarded benefits she is entitled to based on a national formula

@molojoko how does she move to a cheap area & ensures she keeps the same salary?

@doomonic It's really tough, I agree! I found it tough too. That's why I said 'if you can'.

The public purse having to support OP’s lifestyle choices.

As I said upthread as a higher rate tax payer I have no problem with my taxes going towards the OP.

Who is deserving of the public purse in y

Who is deserving of the public purse in your opinion @GreenWillow?

@Fashionesta do you have a cat? I like cats

It's really tough, I agree! I found it tough too. That's why I said 'if you can'.

At least with this job & access to a bigger job market the OP hopefully has the opportunity to progress & earn more so in future will be better off.

I dont think the question should be whether the OP is entitled to UC and what she should spend it on (it's not as if shes saying shes eating out 3 times a week, and belongs to the chelsea harbour club) the fact that it should be necessary on a decent ish (in RL, not MN life) wage to live a fairly modest existence.

I would question all the "cheeky/pisstaking employer" comments though. My DH has his own small business.(less than 5 employees) One of the biggest expenses is commercial rent. The last time he had a rent review it went up by 40%.After that and work place pensions it's hard to generate enough extra income to give work colleagues a payrise, even if they deserve it, when customers want the same prices they paid 5 years ago!

I’m a nurse, single parent, I work 2 days. 3 kids. I get tax cred and housing benefit top up. So I’m part time there’s staff at work who get childcare and rent contributions on full time - however junior nurse so earn much less than me per hour. I can only get childcare for 2 days or I’d work more but until my kids are old enough to sort themselves for school. Youngest has special needs so depends how he is by secondary school age. I also have a dog, we had the dog pre break up.
I get maintenance but it’s not counted within my income for benefits. Oh and we live in homeless temporary accommodation as my landlord wanted to sell the house - 4 bed semi that was £825 pcm 3 years ago which was when we ended up here with 3 kids in one bedroom. Miles from school and friends. I have a car too because public transport doesn’t operate to where I work at 6am or 8pm when I finish. It’s expensive to run. Temp accommodation is expensive too, I pay £600 a month £30 per week hb. We don’t have any luxuries really never go on holiday or days out no tv packages. Boys do have an iPad though. It’s not the life I envisioned for my kids tbh, o don’t think any single parents want to plough on on one wage being topped up by the government. My wage is fine until you pay rent, food, car, bills, etc it all adds up and it doesn’t go very far at the moment.

I really hope some of you smug posters (like @GreenWillow) don't end up in a situation where they end up a single parent with no support from the other parent/sadly widowed

So much judging for the OPs 'life choices' pets and living in the South East are only preserved for smug married types. Anyone claiming any sort of benefit must give up all simple pleasures like pet ownership and immediately move to the north

@GreenWillow how is the state subsidising the OPs lifestyle choices? If she stops paying into her pension, as per your advice, it would certainly end up subsidising her once she's retired, wouldn't it?

[quote balloonsandboobies]@GreenWillow how is the state subsidising the OPs lifestyle choices? If she stops paying into her pension, as per your advice, it would certainly end up subsidising her once she's retired, wouldn't it?[/quote]
Is the old age pension means tested? I don't think so.

Maybe it's not a viable business then? If he can't afford to pay decent wages.

Seriously, my entry level piss easy £18k job from 20 years ago is the equivalent of £32k now when adjusted for inflation. That's £1k more than OP is getting after years of education, experience and promotion. Entry level jobs themselves now pay the same or less than I was getting twenty years ago. There is something very wrong here.

@GreenWillow

If I moved to another area where rent was £300 less and I didn't get top up I would have roughly the same each month

You’d be supporting yourself though, not living on handouts.

You are living beyond your means, so you need to tighten your belt.

People always have choices in situations like this, it’s just that the choice you need to make is quite an unpalatable one.

@GreenWillow you sound vile.

I hope you're never down on your luck. No, actually, I hope you are because then you might get a clue.

Don't care if this gets deleted, it needs saying.

@GreyhoundG1rl no the basic state pension isn't. It's based on what an individual has paid in whilst working. It also isn't enough to live on so someone would continue to get top-up benefits for housing, living expenses etc if they don't also have savings / a private pension. So I don't really get your point.

@Benelovencd I think perhaps you are looking at my comments in the wrong way.

I asked a question of the OP. I didn't 'blame' her. Quite the opposite.

I genuinely want to know how and why a father chooses not to contribute to his child's upbringing. It's a disgrace the way some fathers ignore their parental responsibility.

How is that blaming the OP?

OP I can’t RTFT as it’s making me too cross.

But I’m in almost exactly your position, and I find it a struggle too

sorry to hear that @Crappyfridays7

@doomonic

Who is deserving of the public purse in your opinion *@GreenWillow*?

Obviously only grabby landlords and corporations heavily subsidised by the state. Some people seem to think that socialism is fine, as long as it's limited to the already wealthy. Weird thing is they fighting so hard for the 1% that they are not a part of.

Do people realise moving to a cheaper area does not mean OP keeps her job or salary, and might mean a pay cut, which means she will be in the same boat most likely with lower rent and lower wages and still claiming UC. Staying where she is, is probably best without the hassle and ipheaval and expense of a move with no pay off

Seriously, my entry level piss easy £18k job from 20 years ago is the equivalent of £32k now when adjusted for inflation. That's £1k more than OP is getting after years of education, experience and promotion. Entry level jobs themselves now pay the same or less than I was getting twenty years ago. There is something very wrong here.

Yep, I worked in a shop at uni 15 yrs ago & I think the salary is pretty much the same.

Is the old age pension means tested? I don't think so.

The basic pension isn't means tested no. The add ons add up though. For someone with absolutely no private pension they are:

Pension credit
Housing benefit (full rent)
Council tax support (full council tax)
Winter fuel payment (depends on provider - £140ish?)

Others according to circumstances

And has TV licence payment been scrapped now? If not that too.

[quote balloonsandboobies]@GreyhoundG1rl no the basic state pension isn't. It's based on what an individual has paid in whilst working. It also isn't enough to live on so someone would continue to get top-up benefits for housing, living expenses etc if they don't also have savings / a private pension. So I don't really get your point. [/quote]
@balloonsandboobies The amount someone pays into the state pension is based on their NI contributions. Women who give up work and are SAHM to when the youngest child is 18, have those years 'accounted for' so they only need- at present- to top up their years to a total of 35. And it's not equivalent to £200 a month into a private pension.

There are millions of pensioners living on just the state pension.
They are very poor, yes. If their state pension falls below the highest level of the state pension, they can get pension credit to top it up. The total amount is around £10K a year.

I genuinely want to know how and why a father chooses not to contribute to his child's upbringing. It's a disgrace the way some fathers ignore their parental responsibility.

It is a disgrace but how can the OP answer for her child's father?

@gappyvalley thank you!

Dog could die tomorrow, ex could start paying maintenance, I would still get the top up. My point is that I shouldn't have to get a top up on my salary.

Those who say they earn a lot less than me, why not check what you are entitled to. You may be surprised.

Also why would anyone complain that the op is getting help or 'handouts' she works full time not like she's sat on her lazy arse claiming benefits, workers are the ones that deserve help the most in my opinion!! Universal credits went up 20pounds a week during the pandemic due to job losses and helping people survive more yet the people who never worked still got the extra 20pounds a week!! Why?! God somebody is trying to support their child and still get shitty comments from @GreenWillow you absolute out of touch witch