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.

And how do you suggest she afforded to buy a hairdressers kit Kath? They cost hundreds of pounds

And yes. A decent pair of scissors costs £££ and that's without product, styling tools etc. I'm buying things in bit by bit but am only able to do that because I am currently employed. If I lose that employment, my chances of working in the hair industry are nil, no matter how good I happen to be.

You don't need the 'full kit' if you are just starting out and only have a basic qualification.

But that's the difference between us - you think you need money upfront for the full kit, to train and become professional, hell you'll be wanting a car too. I think you need the basics, then use your noggins and just cut the fringes of local school kids for a few pounds to get your self started.

And the moment she starts doing that it must be declared, and the money earned will be deducted from her benefits. Plus I don't know about you, but I don't get my hair cut by anyone who isn't insured in case they screw up, and you won't get insurance without being qualified.

I’d be like KathArtic just build it up from small.

I agree the system needs looking at uc isn't working & job centers are being closed right across the country, but I don't agree people on benefits should be entitled to any luxuries its to cover living expenses & that's how I think it should be, but each persons living expenses can be extremely different & different parts of the country, where I am WiFi isn't a essential to the job center, I haven't a clue what the answer is whatever you do it taking money from somewhere else where its badly needed too, area I am there are a lot of people fraudulently claiming IS they get reported or called in have a interview & nothing ever comes of it but then you have people on the sick who have these big interviews where they get numbers added up & if your too high a score you arnt entitled to it anymore, really needs to go back to the individual, I could go on & on about the system as a lone parent though & my circumstances I think they got it about right with the benefit's I receive no luxuries but we can afford the living expenses, ( I spend a lot of time online shopping for deals to make it work once kids have gone to bed & holidays are every couple of years nothing big next year we going to a caravan park & shared costs with sister & her family who's coming too, last year my sister took my eldest with her abroad so I only had to pay my DC expenses & I stayed home there are little things you can do to make sure your kids still have if you go without which is how its suppose to be even working parents have to do this, suppose it should be done by individual claiming not put in a box my sister has worked for DWP for 21 years & we often pick it apart

there are a lot of people fraudulently claiming IS they get reported or called in have a interview & nothing ever comes of it but then you have people on the sick who have these big interviews where they get numbers added up & if your too high a score you arnt entitled to it anymore,

1. The evidence doesn't show that there are that many fraudulent claims. However, would you rather a few slip through so that no child goes without?
2. If you have too few points you will lose your PiP. The points system is unfair and has been proven time and again to be not fit for purpose. 3)but I don't agree people on benefits should be entitled to any luxuries its to cover living expenses & that's how I think it should be Does that include people with disabilities? What do you class as a luxury? Specific foodstuffs, the odd glass of wine, extra heating?

But that's the difference between us

I think the difference is your views are way too simplistic and rosetinted, though I understand why. It's easy to have all the answers when you have none of the problems.

You cannot gain viable employment with 1/3rd of a three part qualification 14 years after you undertook that 1/3rd of a qualification. It's just not possible in any trade including hairdressing.

The assumption you appear to have made is that I'm either too dim or not motivated enough to help myself when the answers to all my problems have been there all along. I can promise you that's not true of me or anyone else on this thread.

People fall on hard times for a variety of reasons - relationships falling apart, bereavement, redundancy, lack of opportunities or guidance during youth and more. Rarely do people face poverty because they just can't be bothered.

What about people who fall on hard times after having a good run. Why don't people save these days? Not everyone is the same but I have managed to have a good life and can afford to retire at 31. I prioritise money buy first living costs. Once there paid it's savings a set amount each month then treats. Some months we have more treats then others but mainly because if lack of time.

"What do you class as a luxury? Specific foodstuffs, the odd glass of wine, extra heating?"
Unless you specifically need the foodstuff - yes
Odd glass of wine - yes
Unless you need the extra heating for health reasons- yes.
I have lived in poverty. Poverty is not a glass of wine, plenty of heating and non-basics food.

You retired at 31

What did you do to retire at 31?

Unless you've a plan to visit Switzerland how are you going to support yourself for 70 YEARS?!?

" I can afford to retire at 31*"

Well jolly good for you.

You DO realise that to save you need spare cash don't you?

Your job pays well enough for you to save. Excellent....would you like a gold star or a medal?

My job pays me enough...but not enough that I could have retired at 31.

Add in a disabled child.

Add in an old car which I needed as my child couldn't cope on public transport.

It has been a crappy few years.

I am now back in work with a newer (not New) car. It's reliable and gets me to work and home again.

I still don't earn enough to save....and nor do many people.

I'm able to retire but not going to as I would be bored. Save money and buy property. I own my house outright, earn a wage from other property. I would have to live on less then now but would be doable. Plus dh doesn't want to retire so his wage would top things up as I would be doing everything at home.

shhh as a child who shivered in substandard unheated housing I will tell you right now that heating is not and never should be a luxury.

I was miserable, cold and didn't sleep well as a result. Going into school tired doesn't help with schoolwork either.

Heating...essential, nobody should go cold in this day and age,
Food ...essential, it needs to be good quality, fresh and adequate for needs. This doesn't mean luxury....just good basic fresh ingredients you can create a nutritious meal from.
Wine....not essential
Cigarettes ...not essential although I know many people addicted and desperate not to be.

What about people who fall on hard times after having a good run. Why don't people save these days?

And just how much money do you think most people earn, to be able to save enough to retire early at all let alone after only about 10 years of working? Current average salary is roughly £27k - that takes into consideration all the people on £4-500k per year as well as those on minimum wage. Most people can't even afford to save up for the deposit for a mortgage let alone a massive pension pot and investments.

I would really like to know how I could get a job that would let me retire at 65 rather than the 70 it's starting to look like!

So, shh a person with a disability, whilst unable to work should not be allowed a glass of wine now and then?

I should not be allowed one, because I'm in receipt of benefits, despite the fact that I save the government a fortune with my caring duties?

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.
FDR.

Clearly did not include people with disabilities in my post. I quoted from a post which also excluded that.
I have MS. Don't need to be told about life with disabilities.

Also made it clear that I meant "extra heating ". Not all heating

What's extra heating?

I'm imaging people in bikinis, wafting palm leaf fans in front of a row of fan heaters.

Heating in evening until about 8. Heating in morning from Just before you get up to before you leave.

If worked since 16 all through my study years and I worked a lot compared to others my age. Back in the day when you were paid double or triple pay for bank hols and double on a Sunday. I saved a lot of wages from then for house and it really gave me a leg up. Then if worked long hours sometimes up to 5 different jobs and 6 days a week. It's not been easy and I am shattered. Also only shop in the charity shops and eBay for clothes and budget for food. Don't really go out more then twice a month and do lots of activity at home for free. Sounds boring to most people but I don't mind being g boring in order to be secure and to provide for my daughter.

Heating all day and night is what I assume is meant by extra heating. Again, if you have no medical reason to have it, you shouldn't have it.

So when is it acceptable to have the heating on shhh ?

I’m not needing to ration it at the moment but I’d still like to know ?

Put the heating on whenever you want as long as you can afford it. If you are ill, as a family member (now deceased) was recently, you seek help.
We have the heat on from late October for when dh gets up for work (5.30) until the rest of us are dressed (about 7.30). Heat comes on for when people start coming in for about 3 hours (5-8). I am in all day - I work from home due to health reasons. I leave heat off because I don't need it. I wear an extra jumper and have a hot water bottle if it gets really cold. I do some exercise to warm up (I have MS so this is limited).
If you can afford it, have it on all day.

I very much doubt there are many benefit fraudsters. I don't know any. I do know lots of people who are entitled to claim in work benefits but choose not to. Nobody ever talks about that statistic? I wonder why?

Cabininthewoods69

Retired at 31? Of course you did love.