Here is my total income as a lone parent on benefits.

[HereBeHubbubs]

Inspired by a thread which is glorifying us lone parents as 'rolling in it', I'm prepared to declare my benefits income. It's not gauche to do so, because it's your money after all (looks at taxpayers), and you should probably know that I am also grateful for this support, prepad to pay back into the pool when working again, and am not extravagant nor consider this a 'lifestyle choice'.

I don't have Sky, a plasma tele, holidays, credit or catalogue accounts, smoke, drink and rarely socialise due to childcare issues. I buy all our clothes from charity shops. I do however have a concession rate council leisure centre swim membership of £18 a month and a £10 rolling contract mobile phone, with a phone somebody gave me.

I am terrible at budgeting and have been living on a £500 overdraft for at least the last couple of years - I never have enough income to return the account into the black, so I'm generally always at least £400 overdrawn.

My utilities are on prepayment meters currently eating up old debt weekly and a not competitive tariff.

I'm currently looking for work and can't understand how people sit at home without good reason, because since my youngest started school, I have been going stir crazy and begun to feel quite down and despondent about not working.

Fortunes will change in the near future as doubtless I will find work, but meanwhile, when you break down the cost of my outgoings, hopefully you can see that lone parents really are not 'rolling in it'.
Especially the ones who receive little or no maintencance from their absent children's father.
Unimagined outgoings include things like termly Brownies subs, school snacks at £8 a month, school shoes every new term, birthday and Christmas presents, rent shortfall £75 a month, winter utilities alone are £40 a week each gas and electric.

Lone parent age 45, two children 5 and 7, private rented three bed (officially two as one leads off the bathroom) terrace Anglia region.'Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit don't enter my bank account, they're paid direct to recipients.

Weekly Income
5.00 CSA
72.40 JobSeekers Allowance
34.05 Child Benefit
114.08 Child Tax Credit

£225.53 week
£902.12 every month

Arsenic, I don't think it is a lazy path - but nor do I think most people would just choose to work, when benefits and work are roughly the same.

I have 2 jobs and one is minimum wage. I do it because it is so hugely rewarding but I could never do it full time. Working conditions are dire and believe me we work very very hard indeed.

No way can I imagine someone choosing to do this over a life at home; I wouldn't.

but you do inabranston. you do choose that over a life at home.

and someone on 13k would be entitled to ctc, wtc and cb and possibly a bit of housing benefit too - they wouldn't end up on 13k.

why does no one bother to read stuff. that 13k would be plus ctc, plus wtc and plus cb at minimum.

Then with respect honey why is the company I work for desperately trYing to recruit staff?

Obviously I know why: shocking working conditions, anti social hours and crap pay - but nonetheless people could choose that, or a life at home. And they choose the latter.

I get why but it doesn't change the fact that they do.

No way can I imagine someone choosing to do this over a life at home; I wouldn't.

But you do.

Oops X post

Why do you work pickle?

Arsenic I don't have children. To be totally honest if I did and if hypothetically my minimum wage job was my main job - my only job / I wouldn't do it. I could not do so many hours never see my child for so little financial reward.

I would probably do it part time to top up benefits but as my sole source of income - no, not a chance.

And I can understand others not wanting to either. So I do acknowledge the problem is two way. I should not do such a vital job as my second one for such a ridiculously low wage. But by the same token if it really was my life (my main job) I'll be honest - I would be tempted to have a child.

Oh sorry, I'm muddling posters up.

What shocks me most about this thread is that work is so unrewarding for so many TBH.

That really does need addressing.

This is a joke, right? I have a lot of sympathy for single mums, ESPECIALLY a those without childcare support from family.

But I earn what I and others consider to be a good wage in my area, just under £26500 per year. I do pay into a pension and have a student loan so those come out of course, but after rent (and my rent is very cheap - I'm lucky) and bills (this includes ctax and electric, water is included in the rent) I have just over £1k. Which I think is great as I'm happy with my salary, but it's only £100 more than you and I work full time!

You are entitled to your benefits and to not work if circumstances don't allow. But you need to realise that you're not really any worse off than the average person, and you're probably better off than some!

Do you mean financially or generally?

I think one of the big problems I've noted in my 'poorly paid' job is it's not just crap pay but crap working conditions and these from the people who can least afford it. Sick pay, travel time and uniform costs - I had to pay for my own DBS for example and this for a job paying less than minimum wage.

It isn't right. But then I can only imagine how hard/impossible I would find it getting out of my cozy bed in the morning leaving my child - knowing if I stayed in said bed it would 'pay' about the same.

I'm not judging. I would do the same. But the system stinks!

but it's not - you're counting after utilities and loans - the op is counting before utilities and any loans she might have and before the £75 she pays towards her rent (so 825 before bills.

so 1k after utilities and loans is actually very different to 825 BEFORE any bills. op is paying £40pw on gas and electric and still has to pay for her water so probably ending up at £625 to your 1k if you compare like for like.

AND you are saving towards your future (pension) and have potential for your earnings to rise and your outgoings to lessen (student loans being paid off).

in a branston but it wouldn't pay about the same! you'd get ctc and wtc on top of that wage.

Yes you would - IF you had children.

I haven't done any counting - not sure if you've muddled me with someone else. :)

Part time (16 hours) I take home about £70 p/w from my minimum wage job. It's worth doing but I wouldn't do it full time. I couldn't.

Don't see what the problem is OP, you are better off than a lot of working people also paying travel and childcare costs. Beginning to wonder why I bother going to work.

I think one of the big problems I've noted in my 'poorly paid' job is it's not just crap pay but crap working conditions and these from the people who can least afford it. Sick pay, travel time and uniform costs - I had to pay for my own DBS for example and this for a job paying less than minimum wage.

Dreadful state of affairs. I'm surprised it's legal. It probably isn't,but who's going to challenge?

i was answering two people at once branston

oh and you must be paying a lot of tax on that job to come out with £70 pw from 16hrs.

I really don't think £900 a month after rent and council tax is a lot. That's for everything - gas, electric, water, TV Licence,food/toiletries, travel costs, clothing, haircuts. That's before you factor birthdays, Christmas, kids trips or any sort of actual life.

Hardly rolling in it.

I'm a teacher - after my rent and council tax is paid I have £200 more than the OP.

shebird, do what the OP did, find a man who turns out to be abusive and flee with your children to safeguard them. Voila...you too can have the luxury of benefits.

Not tempted? Now I wonder why that is.....oh...what...you hadn't read the thread before posting....there's a surprise!

The honey can you really not comprehended how a child can cost £45 a week. Have you considered school uniforms, trips , birthdays, Christmas, extra water, extra electricity costs for washing, bus fares etc etc. children have more costs than food and clothes.

THE OP WAS IN AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP....for anyone else who wants to post disapproving responses. It'll save you reading the thread....not that you were going to bother before snorting in indignation and posting your sniffy remarks.

So would it be worth c 36k student loan for 200 extra per month.
As a teacher?

I dont think you can take off the hB and CT as that is still being given and a single person would pay about 90 ct.
Also earners pay tax before paying more tax on CT etc and for housing.
Maybe we could get the benefits cap amount of earning tax free. Though i suspect min wage is well below this.
Raise min wage well above benefits cap.

I don't pay a lot of tax, no. But there's a lot of unpaid time due to travel between people.

But that's beside the point. And I also think to be honest it's beside the point that the OP left an abusive relationship - good on her, BUT the money wasn't awarded because of previous suffering was it?