To think having £211/week each after housing costs isn't poverty?

[PianoThirty]

It is according to the Social Metrics Commission.

They say the poverty line is £203/week for a single parent with one child, £422/week for a couple with two children. All figures are after** housing costs and childcare costs (if applicable).

I'd be over the moon if we had £422/week to spend, and I don't think we're anywhere near poor.

All those people who were lazy and reckless by becoming ill or disabled. Or by having a child who became ill or disabled. Or who care for an elderly or disabled parent so can't hold down a high flying job. Or who just aren't academic enough to become a well paid professional, but have plenty of work ethic and want to earn their own money. Lazy feckless wasters the lot of them.

From the guardian article:

"In cash terms this means a couple with two children would have an income of less than £211 a week after housing costs, and a single parent with one child would be on less than £101.50 a week.*

Where are OPs figures from as they are more than double?

It looks as if I was right then and OP’s figures include housing and childcare costs.

Boggle, because it’s easier to blame the state than take responsibility for ones own actions.

Circumstances can change but it takes minutes to work out what you can afford should they do so before you commit to any life choices.

Ok I've read the report and, yes, I do think the OPs figures include housing costs. The £422 figure for a couple with 2 children is described as their total available resources which includes income from work, benefits and other assets. I think the table on page 99 shows the figures before inescapable outgoings as described in the report.

What are housing costs classed as? Is that money AFTER rent/mortgage, council tax, all bills and food?

@SweetMelodies

No I think it mean only mortgage/rent.

no that's not poverty.

I'm a single parent and I live on less than that. We still have a nice life

I'm unemployed get £60 a week DD's are £75 no money left for food lucky my daughter buys it for me

If that's supposed to be poverty I think we' must have been classed as destitute :') £600 a month income of which 365 was rent and 150 were bills so were left with £85 a month for food, clothes etc for myself and 2 kids. Much easier now I'm self employed and have a small income along with extra credits. Am half expecting to be back in the same position in a years time but we survived for years like that so sure we will continue to manage and trying to put some savings aside for when my income drops again. I really genuinely don't understand why people think it's not possible to live well on £211 a week after rent.

Well said almosthuman 👏 I'm fed up with this demonetisation of people who are struggling to survive on much less than the stated amount.

If I had £50 after ALL bills were paid including food I'd be over the moon, anything less I'd say is poverty.

@vampirethriller £98 per week before housing costs, bills, phone credit and food. After, there's nothing.

@BogglesGoggles how much do you pay your childminder/cleaner/care worker who cares for your elderly relative. Enough so they dont have to claim in work benefits.

Do you put your money where your mouth is?

I'm a single Mum with one child, and have almost exactly that income. I wouldn't call myself living in poverty, but at the same time I couldn't live without tax credits, haven't had a holiday (including camping etc) for two years, and unusual bills throw me (new uniform for DD next school year, cost was nearly £60 all up, that's pretty much all my 'days out' budget for this summer). So I very much see myself as walking a line between okay and struggling. But we don't go hungry, and DD has all school trips along with (optional,and therefore extra) music lessons. I worry a lot.

“But we don’t go hungry”. That makes me so sad. Have we really sunk so low that the best people can aspire to is having enough to eat? Heartbreaking. It makes me ashamed.

I guess a couple with one child would fall somewhere between, about £300 per week by this measure. Out of that we would have to pay water, gas, electric, food, insurance, running costs for two cars (to get to work, no public transport option from rural village). Clothes, school costs (uniform, dinner money, a few pounds here and there for activities ). We could just about do it but I would have to consider things like swimming lessons or piano lessons for dd as luxuries which we couldn’t always manage, also clothes, holidays (family in another country so we would become quite isolated), birthday/ Xmas gifts, leisure activities etc. I think that is where the definition of poverty starts from - if you would struggle to buy a birthday present for your child, or would be unable to replace your boiler if it broke, or have to make a choice between new school shoes or having the MOT done a couple of weeks late. Obviously many people are in far worse situations, but that doesn’t mean people with the stated amounts are not poor.

422pw to pay all bills (except rent or mortgage), food, all other incidentals.

That's not all that much.

Gas and Electric would be about 30pw.
Water 10pw.
2x mobile phones 20pw.
Landline and internet and tv package 20pw.
Food 100pw.
Car costs for one car (m.o.t petrol and insurance) 80pw.
Home insurances 5pw.
Council tax 30pw.
Public transport/rail cards 25pw.
Clothes (uniforms, basics, shoes) 20pw.
"Rainy day" or emergency fund 30pw.

That's 370 and I've just tried to think of my own costs and work out a weekly average.

Doesn't include pets/I've assumed the kids are small so no mobiles or pocket money.

The rest soon gets eaten up.

Have we really sunk so low that the best people can aspire to is having enough to eat?

Shocking isn't it?
And then you read BS that poor people are o ly.poor through choice. Or Tory supporters that don't believe it's happening. Or people denying that women are turning to prostituting themselves etc.
He poor are vilified in this country by the media, the government and the people that support them..

It's from the Guardian. What does the Guardian know about poor people?

Nothing.

They just make stuff up to soothe their and other rich people's consciences.

It’s based on a report with a link to it. Do you think The Guardian just made it up?

So many posters on here who don't understand our welfare state or how 'un generous' it actually is. Plus the bloody hoops you have to jump through. Add mental health issues in there and if you haven't got support you're screwed.

As for believing poverty is having no house or food that's the bar you want to set? Some people are so jealous they see people who they believe are getting somthing for nothing.

I don't receive any benefits at all but do I look down on those who do, no i spend my job (getting paid barely over min wage) helping people access those services and appeal the god awful decision the Dwp make.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

ceCreamAndCandyfloss

Poverty is having no home, hear or food. We have a generous welfare state in the UK to provide people basics and then some

Wow.

We have a generous welfare state in the UK to provide people basics and then some

As someone reliant on EESA, I'm baffled and astounded by your ignorance. Could you please detail the "then some" you describe. £220/week for everything. Wait. I have internet

Definite poverty imo