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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this man typifies many in the under 35s generation

34 replies

marryj · 09/12/2014 08:42

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/545217/Man-poor-cannot-feed-himself-redundancy

Listen to the radio call above, was from lbc yesterday.

Man 35, spends all his time looking for work and lives of a tin of pasta hoops some days.

So many here truely believe that the younger generation can't be bothered to work and things are no harder than it was for them. I'm noticing it more and more in my area, the number of young british men that are homless has grown significantly. These seem to be the ones that are really falling through the system.

Anyway please listen to the call if your one of the people here that keeps calling all the young workshy and feckless.

OP posts:
Namechangeyetagaintohide · 09/12/2014 08:49

I wouldn't say all under 35s. Probably not even many. But some yes.

There isn't a lot if information in the article but I assume he also has debts to pay hence being so badly off. Sad

Original poster
marryj · 09/12/2014 08:52

Sorry this link is much better, you really have to listen to the audio.

www.lbc.co.uk/heartbreaking-call-the-man-too-poor-to-eat-101623

Obviously not all under 35s are in this situation. But a significant amount are and many are only a redundancy away from this imo

OP posts:
Namechangeyetagaintohide · 09/12/2014 08:56

Sorry at work mningBlush can't listen right now.

The lower HB for I think under 30's is very unfair. It won't pay for a one bed just a room in a shared house. Is he affected by this too ?

HamishBamish · 09/12/2014 08:59

Just listened, it's completely heartbreaking. I don't know how many under 35's are in the same position, but just one person in this position is one too many.

lampygirl · 09/12/2014 09:23

Possibly one for another thread, but what is the problem with a room in a shared house?? I bought my own home last year, but until then I always lived in flat shares. Sometimes with friends and sometimes by just renting the room. Both my brothers work full time too and both actively looked for shares as they were moving to new areas and it gives them a guaranteed friend.

All of us worked full time well above minimum wage. HB covers a flat share and that should be fine, it provides accommodation, not a view of 'only' covering a flat share. It could also help with the whole under occupancy thing if the rooms were rented individually.

Namechangeyetagaintohide · 09/12/2014 09:34

Well generally the problem with that is many people over a certain age might already live in a one bed flat or maybe share a flat rather than cram 4/6 people into a house share which is the cheapest option.

Ofcourse if after working for many years you are made redundant or whatever you essentially either are crippled by paying the extra (in my case) or lose the home you have lived in for years.

Where I live HB would not cover a flat share as these tend to be more expensive. If I remember correctly the HB for my city is 65 a week maximum. I was down 35 pounds a week.

Namechangeyetagaintohide · 09/12/2014 09:35

Really where I live HB would only cover a shared house with 4 or more living there. If you find a cheap one.

Namechangeyetagaintohide · 09/12/2014 09:36

Not to mention most rooms are not rented individually the house has to be rented as a while and rent split. The contract is usually joint but a lot of tenants are not always aware of this.

Original poster
marryj · 09/12/2014 13:25

I do think there are many like this guy, and its increasing. Although this guy is particularly bad as he doesn't have anyone.

Its a result of the constant demonization of JSA, when in fact this is a tiny tiny percentage of welfare and unless your being supported with some other help from friends / family / cash in hand it is a miserable, soul destroying exisitance.

OP posts:
CheeseBuster · 09/12/2014 13:28

I though hb was to help not completely cover housing costs?

Original poster
marryj · 09/12/2014 13:29

There isn't much left over from 72 a week for everything to pay rent shortfalls

OP posts:
exmrs · 09/12/2014 14:06

Absolutely heartbreaking Cameron should hang his head in shame , there are people on Twitter saying food banks aren't needed and if you give free food away then obviously people are going to take it, some people just don't get what people are going through and believe all people on benefits are lazy scum.
If anyone fancies a read on Twitter read 'The left is wrong ' views on food banks and it isn't a spoof account , someone genuinely thinks food banks are wrong

exmrs · 09/12/2014 14:35

Bumping this as I think everyone should hear this mans story on life on benefits

TimelyNameChangey · 09/12/2014 14:42

Young men are at real risk. Often marginalised due to being male they're forgotten about by the system and often there is less help out there for them if they've come from abusive backgrounds.

My DH works with young men leaving the care system...as a mentor he helps them to adjust to life on their own. And they really are on their own.

zeezeek · 09/12/2014 14:54

I agree with everyone on here. This is a real issue and yet it doesn't get so much coverage as families who are living in poverty (and yes, I do think that child poverty in this country in the 21st century is disgusting). Many young, and not so young, single, childless people are struggling - living in shit accomodation, or with parents, or sofa surfing; on NMW or just above - with no access to tax credits or anything and they are living in poverty because when you are single and, unless you have parents who can support you, you are responsible for paying everything.

It's just cruel that these people get forgotten in all the political bullshit about "hard working families" - well they work hard too but get constantly ignored and dismissed even though they have a vote too

bookbag40 · 09/12/2014 14:57

That was awful so sad. I saw on the site that they were asking if anyone could give him a job - I so hope that someone can give him something he sounded desperate.

That is why I give to foodbanks as they are obviously a lifeline for people like him. I really hope there is a happy ending to his story.

BertieBotts · 09/12/2014 15:16

Minimum wage for full time work (assume 37 hrs) is £229.03 a week. Take off tax and NI, you're left with £212.56 or £921.10 a month. And that's assuming you can get full time work. If you don't run a car, a weekly bus pass last time I bought one was about £13 (Outside of London), so £200 a week take home.

If you can't get work JSA is £72.40 a week.

House shares in the area I last lived start at about £100 per week. Small self-contained flats are £600+ per month, and most of them are out of reach of public transport, so unsuitable for someone unable to run a car. In town they start at £650 and are all "No DSS" or 10 month lets (student lets).

If you have children living with you then of course you are eligible for a higher rate, but non resident parents of children don't get any extra allowance for the fact that their children come to see them. Ridiculous to expect an NRP to see their children in a shared house with strangers.

It's just depressing to be living in a single room past about 25. Obviously food is the priority but it's just the tip of the iceberg.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 09/12/2014 15:41

Okay, I do feel very sorry for people who have to rely on food banks, and accomodation costs are crazy. But I left Uni 30 years ago and all of my group lived in shared housing until way over 25. And even though we were working, a lot of it was very grotty. House shares are not a new thing.

Mrsfrumble · 09/12/2014 15:50

Poor chap. I do think that childless adults of working age really fall through the net.

It's true that there's nothing wrong with house shares at a certain stage in your life. I lived in a couple after finishing university; sharing big London townhouses with 5 or 6 other recent graduates, going to the pub and moaning about who's turn it was to wash up. I loved it! But by 25 I'd moved in to a little flat with DH and was ready to move on to the next stage of my life. I can imagine it's very depressing if you can't ever see a way out, and feel as if you have no prospect of ever having a family or living like a "proper grown up".

I really hope someone can offer this man a job and help him get back on his feet. He's obviously desperate to work and support himself.

Mrsfrumble · 09/12/2014 15:51

Cross-posted with Tinkly. Yes, house shares are not new. But they used to be a rite of passage, not a permanent housing solution!

black2cat · 09/12/2014 15:59

House shares are bloody awful once you're over the age of about 24. But obviously they beat sleeping on the street. I think the main concern here isn't the small amount offered by benefits but the fact he can't get a job.

DixieNormas · 09/12/2014 16:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NotYouNaanBread · 09/12/2014 16:07

I don't think living in a shared house is a bad thing in itself. I know lots of people in their late 30's living in shared houses while they save for deposits etc. There is no virtue in spending money on a sole occupancy when you could be saving to buy, particularly in a city where rent is a ridiculously high as here (Oxford), and I don't think that HB needs to cover single occupancy for young single/childless people. Property is crazy expensive where I live and lots of people share lovely houses with comfortable shared facilities - far nicer than they could afford if they struck out on their own.

While I think that this particular young man's situation is grim, and my heart goes out to him, I don't think he typifies young men in this country in the slightest. Young, single white (we don't know his race, but statistically he is likely to be white) men in their mid-thirties are NOT a marginalised group - far from it - what is most striking about this particular situation is how unusual it is, not that he is typical.

It does need to be discussed more before the next election though - it should be a point of deep shame for the Tories that the use of food banks has gone up so dramatically in the last three years and they should be reminded of it at every single turn.

sparklecrates · 09/12/2014 16:20

There is a terrible problem with the filtering process for jobs. There is an illusion that the longer you look for work the more likely you are to get work eventually. Sadly the opposite is true you can be filtered out of every job.. there is no queueing system not even on universal jobmatch so if you are too old.. say 40 and every job prefers someone younger you will always be filtered out. I am educated with a track record of much higher than average performance but have experienced months of unemployment having been rejected in favour of much less competent people.. even missed getting a role where I was filtered for being likely to leave twice when.. would you believe the two graduates used it as a stepping stone. I think men have it worse.. They are told they are young and strong and expected to weather hardship in a way women arent expected to then are marginalised by benefits, housing and even get less protection when on the streets. If we know that people are underutilised but are still recruiting overseas then it had to be employers who are to blame..its terrible Sad

TimelyNameChangey · 09/12/2014 16:22

Living in a houseshare at 25 when you have a degree and probably supportive family is NOT the same as living in one when you are unskilled and unemployed.