To think that 60k is a lot of money to earn a year?!

[MinkSlink]

I think it is a lot of money to earn per year but it seems a lot of people on mumsnet don't think so, am I in the piss poor minority here or what?!

me and DH earn this between us but.... our rent and child care alone come to £30,000 so i think yes its a good salary. its what we earn between 2 of us (before tax!!!)

i have to add that most of this is earned by DH as i am on a junion nurses salary (student bursary).

elenor
No one survives on 12k. At that level of income you get masses of top up benefits, that brink your income up to more like 26k

I don't get ANY benefits, i'm on 13.5k. How do you know that no-one survives on them? I know people who do.

I'm actually terrified for the future. i earn 13.5k. DP earns 20k, but i'm only moving in with him when i start uni. when i start uni i'll only have 400 aprox a month. :(

Well that is not what the thread says or what has been being said on the thread. There has been a lot of judging and assuming about people with gardeners and cleaners and nice houses who need a good kick in the teeth and not one single piece of evidence produced that £60k buys that kind of lifestyle or is "huge" in real terms. If you are arguing it is a high income (although not even relatively huge by distribution) then fair enough because that is just factual but income/wage distribution in a massively unequal society, with low wages, poor welfare and a high cost of living, where wealth and security are largely dependent on the stability of income, inheritance and housing you absolutely cannot say people on £60k are not struggling. You just cannot confer any characteristics on them at all.

Eleanor
You assume that the couple earning that have children : if not, no child benefits
You assume that they are British : if not limited access to ALL benefits
You assume they get HB : many landlords will not allow it - they kick out claimants

PLEASE do not assume that there are no families on less than £26k

I do accounts for builder types : I see their bank statements, utility bills and phone bills. I also know which pubs they drink at and how much cash they have
they are on around £17k - because the low paid self employed cannot access many benefits

in some cases, families with two children GENUINELY live on around £16k
I (almost) feel guilty charging my fee sorting their accounts

^12k take home is £10,693.60

So plus all the top ups is 45k^
What? Please explain

^No one with a family survives on that much.

Am I right in thinking you are single with no DC?

13.5 is a lot more for one person than it is for three or four^

but you assume I have no outgoings, like college, transport, bills. I have nothing left after all these.

I bring home 11.5k a year. £6,600 of that is rent. £913 is council tax. £1,400 is college. Train pass £1200 a year... not to mention phone bills, water gas electric. So nope I'm probably not

What is your point? If i had a child now, I would not be eligible for all those things paid for me, not up to the tune of £34 grand

The italics are what ive said btw, sorry not to make that clear

offred, we might finally agree! . I think that people who who don't earn anywhere near £60k imagine that this is the kind of income level at which one has cleaners, gardners etc so if anyone has that kind of money and has that kind of spending power, then yes it is seen to be offensive to be moaning about being poor. I am not saying that at all. I know that £60k (certainly in London/ South East) doesn't stretch to that kind of lifestyle. However, I know many people on £60k or more who have taken made questionable choices that means that they are now struggling. So, while I agree that one can struggle on £60k there are choices that lead up to that point, and they still have choices, which people on less income don't have. That does not detract from the fact that in absolute terms, at a gross level, it is still more income than 92% of the population!

Look, people like you seem to have no idea how people live. Dont comment unless you truly know

Maybe I should have a child, because as you say, I would have my rent and council tax paid, and some of my uni fees

Such a good message.

and under 25's are not entitled to tax credits.