To think that bit is impossible to live off of benefits?

[Rolf38]

So Universal Credit rates are £498.89 an adult couple over the age of 25. This is meant to last them one whole month. So £250 per adult which works out at about £60 per week or just £8.57 per day.

How is someone meant to buy food, pay their bills and maintain a jobsearch at these rates?

I understand that some may think that by setting benefits at a low rate, there will be a greater incentive for recipients to return to work. This I understand and agree with to a point.

Surely though that danger of setting benefit rates too low is that it has the opposite effect. Claimants may reun the risk of getting in to debt, depression and lose the desire to maintain an active job search, along with any ambitions and aspirations they ever had.

Is met ting benefit rates too low a precursor to the increase of long term benefit claimants, simply by affording claimants less resources and willpower to maintain their job search?

After all, say if have been unemployed fir or three months. In this time, you have been so cash strapped that you haven't even been able to go to the cinema or meet an old friend, as bills and increasing debts have taken priority.

Without just a bit of enjoyment to boost morale, how less determined would a claimant be to give their job search their all as they would be if they could take their mind off of it for a bit.

For the couples payment too, I wouldn't be surprised if such a low payment to sustain two adults for a month may cause friction in the relationship, adding further restrictions to morale and job search.

Of course taxpayers money should be treated with the utmost respect.

However, is keeping benefit rates at such a low level proving more costly in the long run?

Why not add an incentive for job search for claimants? Increase UC payments by 10% for those who continually do all they can for their job search over a sustained period (say three months).

Such an increase, just form he most committed in their job search, would act as a continued incentive for the most determined to find work quicker (thus reducing long-term burdens on the taxpayers). Restricting an enhanced payment to just the most committed would also ensure that those not committed to athe or jobsearch and envisage a long-term existence on benefits find that this, beyond subsidence level, is not sustainable.

If you are doing everything you can in your jobsearch, why should you be unable to afford very basic enjoyments (even on a very occasional basis)? Why are those who put in the effort, in testing times, not differentiated from those who show no desire to come off benefits.

Perhaps in addition to sanctioning claimants who do not fulfill their commitments, the government should do more to help and reward the positive attitude to do all they can to get back to work.

So because my kids have a disabled brother meaning I can't work they don't deserve nice things?

Am I allowed to buy them Christmas presents? Can I check which shops I can buy their clothes in?

I've budgeted so carefully for this holiday, we've been saving pound coins to spend and saved supermarket points to buy food.

MyWhatICall ignore the ignorant and goady and enjoy your holiday. You deserve it.

And I know we are very lucky to not need food banks. UC hasn't been rolled out round here yet.

And it may be a thread about surviving on benefited but it's turned into judging those who are for having TVs and the internet! As usual.

Gilead what would that be then. Honest, hard working, someone with morals? Maybe I do have it wrong so therefore invite others to educate me. Please will someone advise me, is the purpose of the benefits system so that the likes of Gilead can afford "glamping" holidays.

Gilead Fri 01-Dec-17 19:16:26
User How does someone manage £35.00 a week on bus fares (job centre expect a 35 logged hours), out of £73.00. Which bit is for food, bills etc.?

Fair points made, so how on earth are you able to afford "glamping" holidays?

*WiFi or data is an absolute ESSENTIAL for the vast majority of people. There are loads of places with no free internet or libraries and you can't apply for the VAST majority of jobs without it.

It's essential according to the job centre.*

They also insist that you have a phone that is capable of receiving voicemail messages, so landline or mobile is essential. It's written into jobseeker's agreements, so you could (theoretically) be sanctioned if you don't have one.

Let's hope the word "glamping" was used ironically and it actually means camping of the less glamorous nature.

Fair points made, so how on earth are you able to afford "glamping" holidays?
I suggest you re-read the thread, I have said nothing about 'glamping holidays. I haven't been on holiday for years apart from a weekend away this year. I'm too disabled to travel significantly and there is absolutely no way I could camp, I need permanent access to a lavatory and shower!

Gilead. Please accept my apologies. You are of course correct. I was referring to MyWhatICallNameChange. However, in my defence, I have made it clear how I feel about genuine claimants.

I'm the one going glamping. It's at a caravan park, so less expensive than a caravan but slightly up from having to set up our own tent (we don't have a car so can't transport camping gear) it cost less than £300.

Because my son is disabled we get extra tax credits as he gets DLA. So if you're really picky the DLA is paying for it as it's for his benefit.

No problem User.

I would ask that you do understand how hard it is for someone when they're caring for a child with a disability, particularly if the child has siblings. The people concerned probably get very little help and very few breaks, a holiday can be really important as a family, ensuring that all the children get some quality time and that resentment doesn't build. Trust me, the parent will not be getting a break, they'll be doing the same things with less help in different surroundings.

For the first time in my life I am on receipt of benefits. Following divorce. My solicitor at the time suggested I pop in to local council gateway to identify what benefits I am entitled to.

Two children (4 and 7)
I receive
£469 child tax credit
£138 child benefit
£330 JSA (only until youngest turns 5)
And 90% of council tax paid.
Plus feee school meals and pupil premium (the school use this to give my son 1-2-1s. Not needed but a great added benefit that I’m not going to turn down as he really enjoys the alone time with his teacher)

I’m flabberghasted at the amount. My ex is a very high earner (>£150k) and I’m receiving £2350 a month in CM (nothing spousal).

Why am I receiving so much? Because the current benefit system disregards child maintenance in its calculations.

Whilst I would be on less, i think that the system should include child maintenance payments in its calculations where it is over the CSA level (CSA level is, I think, £1490 a month).

We are spoilt in this country.
So many don’t see that because they travel as far as Spain for their holidays and don’t read beyond the tabloids.

However when you travel and / or read docs such as The Economist, Spectator etc - you see that we have it positively cushy in this country

Wishing you're lucky you are in receipt of it. However the reason it's not included is because so many manage to dip out of the responsibility and were unreliable meaning there were children not eating some weeks.
Bear in mind too that as a disabled person in receipt of benefits, I am still paying off last years heating bill and and scared of over using this year. That doesn't make me bloody spoilt, it makes me ill.

I would accept the job in southern ITALY! It’s cheap, the sun shines and the folks are friendly. What’s stopping you?

oh thank you farfall...

What worries me is not having a permanant address in the UK, if things go tits up in Italy..coming back skint again etc

and my children who have just turned 19 are a bit all over the place atm..daughter is between jobs, son starts a new one on Monday..

ON the other hand, perhaps I should just throw caution to the wind re the address, and children can always follow me there if they want to...

To say some people can't work because they live in rural areas is one of the daftest comments I have read on here!

The statement included being over 50 and having a car.

There are villages within 50 miles of London that have no station and no bus service. There are villages where the bus to the nearest town runs 3 or 4 times a day, with the last one back being at about 3.30 pm.

And don't get me started on how much more it costs to live in a rural area ...

You can’t get tax credits unless you’re working though

You can also claim 70% of your childcare to enable you to work. So anyone saying they can’t work because they can’t afford childcare is rubbish too.

Thebluedog

You can get child tax credits without working.

I do!

How can anyone resent a family with a disabled child having a simple holiday? I'd happily pay towards things like this.

you can get child tax credit if you dont work,i do

i think your getting confused with working tax credit

To return to the OP's question. Yes you CAN live with what you get in benefits but it isn't easy. Even more so when you are a single person with no dependents.

It's doable but it's not a luxury life.

Most younger claimants will need to lay out for things like WiFi as so much time has to be spent job hunting on the job database. That's around £7 a week you need a phone as well to chase up interviews. Then you have gas/electric/water AND you have to eat as well.

My friend who was on UC last year found it left him with very very little for food once all bills were paid. He managed okay because as an older person he could cook a meal out of very little.

It certainly wasn't a luxury lifestyle though,

I stand corrected on the tax credits, I wasn’t aware of that..

LakieLady we have no buses at all. The village three miles away has two buses a day. We’re just an hour bybtrain from London. No bus at weekends and last returning bus is about 4pm. Rural poverty is a serious issue.
I can’t imagine how people manage on benefits. The truth is many don’t cope very well at all. The odds are stacked against the very poor moving upwards. Everything is more expensive as you can’t buy in bulk or transport large amounts to take advantage of offers. You’re often reliant on expensive corner shops. Prepaid electricity is more expensive. Poor quality housing that is damp is more expensive to heat. I can’t see it getting better anytime soon. It’s a disgrace that children are living in poverty in a rich country. It’s a disgrace the frail,elderly get two fifteen minute visits a day. The level of homelessness is disgraceful.

I work closely with the benefits system and support people in the community.

The damage from universal credit is building rapidly. New tenants being turfed out due to the uc delay in paying rent; the change to monthly payments is a difficult transition for people used to weekly or fortnightly, leading to debt and more hardship.

I've worked with a man of 36 who has been sanctioned by uc and is on £5 per month for the next 3 months. They're still paying the rent element but only £5 to live on. If he gives up his tenancy he's intentionally homeless even though he cannot heat it or eat. So no access to homeless services. He goes back to drug dealing, back to prison and so the cycle starts again.

Landlords are refusing uc claimants, not understanding that uc is going to be their bread and butter shortly so they need to get used to long waits for payment and make contingencies for their businesses and their own livelihoods. UC claimants are going to up the homeless crisis as housing is in shorter supply.

And so on, butterfly effect of the worst kind.