What do you consider "low income?"

[SistemaAddict]

People often talk about low income but I wonder if there is a set figure or if it's relative?
I would probably class as low income as I'm on UC but I don't consider myself poor like many might see me.
Just asking out of curiosity.

Id say under £25k is a low income.

@Gwenhwyfar you’re entitled to disagree but £1800 a mont take home pay, left £900 a month for bills, transport, food etc. It took a while

Chrissie - yes, but is it a big deal that you couldn't buy all your furniture in one go? That's not something I'd consider a hardship at all.

I don't think it depends on factors at all. A low income is just that, irrespective of your outgoings, they are separate.
A low income is that which attracts a supplement of UC or tax credits.
After this it's average wage and then above average.
We are low income, have tc, with a household income of less than 20k per year.

I think the official definition of poverty is a household income below 60% of the average income. This threshold is currently around £195 a week for a lone parent with two children. That's the metric official bodies use, AFAIK.

I would consider a low household income the level at which you qualify to receive benefits.

I don’t think there is a set figure as it varies due to circumstance. I was on 15k as a graduate 20 years ago and lived pretty well. I couldn’t have done so if I had a family to feed, or if I lived an central London.

Low income, to me, is where you can’t meet your financial obligations on the money you bring in. My salary is a good one. It wouldn’t go far in paying the outgoings if we were a family of 5 on one salary, even if we did cut out all non essentials.

Whatever you earn, if it's enough and you are happy, that's good enough.

I've known of people earning over £60k a year and haven't got a pot to piss in.

I'm going to get called out for this here.... but having come from a modest background but now earning a lot and married to someone from a more affluent background...

If you are calling it a "wage" or are paid weekly, or know your pay based on an hourly rate, it's likely to be relatively low.

If you call it your "salary" and think of the amount as an annual amount, paid in monthly instalments, it's likely to be relatively higher.

I'm a TA I earn £9 an hour and don't get paid in the holidays
I don't earn enough to pay Tax

I'm 10 miles from North London living on a state pension, no mortgage, some savings so no top up. That could be seen as poverty but I do ok.

• If you are calling it a "wage" or are paid weekly, or know your pay based on an hourly rate, it's likely to be relatively low.

If you call it your "salary" and think of the amount as an annual amount, paid in monthly instalments, it's likely to be relatively higher.*

Really? I call it a wage and earn bloody good money with some very nice benefits to go with it.

I said "likely" I didnt say always.

Depends where you live, but I'd say low income means you're entitled to benefits

The dictionary definition of wage refers to payment weekly or daily etc. Most of the better paid jobs I know are permanent roles with annual salaries.

Most of the better paid jobs I know are permanent roles with annual salaries.

Yep, just like mine. It's just a word really.

About £40k a year. Poor sods must really struggle on that.

Part time is a complicating factor too. You can be on low wages because your hourly rate is low, or because you don't work that much. Or both. I dont earn a massive amount, but nor do I work a massive amount either, and I'd feel cheeky calling myself low income because the hourly rate is pretty decent.

There's no fixed amount is there. I'm a single mum with 2 kids. Earn less that 900 a month, i get a top up of about 350 so around £1250 a month coming in.
As I own my house outright and have no debts I can manage well with that. I run a car, go away a fair bit and have animals.
If I had to find 5-600£ a month it woukd be to rent around here or had debts to pay I would be absolutely on my arse

In RL under about 20k (like me, nhs £19737 per year, DP earns quite a bit more, so not low income as a house hold).

On MN though, I’d say you’re a pauper if you earn under about 70k a year.

Well I think it depends on a few factors...main one being full time or part time. I only earn 16,800 per year but I only work 12.5 hours a week. I think anything under 25k for full time hours is low.

"If you are calling it a "wage" or are paid weekly, or know your pay based on an hourly rate, it's likely to be relatively low.

If you call it your "salary" and think of the amount as an annual amount, paid in monthly instalments, it's likely to be relatively higher."

This is very old fashioned. I've been on a salary my whole life except for student jobs and stints of temping and have been on under 25k all my life. A salary doesn't necessarily mean a high salary.
Having an hourly wage doesn't necessarily mean low paid either - look at people like IT contractors paid by the hour.

Under 20k for a single adult, and under 30k for a family?

Probably a bit higher than the official definition but I live in the South East.

"A low income is that which attracts a supplement of UC or tax credits."

No single person working full time would get that, but there are definitely single people on a low income.

25k is a super average income. Actually quite decent in many parts of the country. You couldn’t really call below 25k (ie 23 or 24) as low. That’s average. Low would be maybe under 20k.