I believe that the minimum wage should be enough to enable a working couple to feed and clothe a family of four and keep a roof over their heads.

[Mamarsupial]

I don’t think I am BU for a moment, interested to see how many agree with me.

1 person on mw? Full time?

No.

I think mw should mostly be starting level positions.

I think you’re right. I don’t object to Uc top ups though. Childcare can be shockingly expensive. It should be better subsidised at source but working parents should be able to get help.

Surely it would depend on what sort of house, where it is and how many children they decide to have?

I agree OP. 2 people on minimum wage with 2 kids should be able to live a comfortable lifestyle.

I thought working couple they both worked, no?

OP says working couple, so presumably 2 people on mw.

Totally agree, someone working a FT job should earn enough to cover bills and not be dependent on top ups.
Affordable housing should be that, Affordable for someone described above.
Companies not paying a proper wage should be taxed heavily.

There literally arent enough jobs for everyone in the work force to move up the line.

It is a pyramid. There will always be a huge number of the workface on the bottom, being paid minimum wage. Those positions will never pay more than NMW and there are not enough higher level jobs for everyone.

Even someone who works in a supermarket without going uo through management should be able to work full time and support themselves without government help.

You're not BU at all. Even the most basic jobs should pay enough to sustain you. They shouldn't just be regarded as for teenagers or others who don't really need the money.

Yeah it would be much better for society. Many would have the genuine option to be a SAHM. Better child rearing, better educational outcomes, better society

I agree with you ❤️

Absolutely agree. It’s shocking that people need to go to food banks or claim benefits even though they are working. Partly the problem is lack of affordable housing and that people have to rent privately at extortionate rates because they can’t get a council house or a mortgage

So what are we talking then?

And what do we do about actual entry level jobs?

But then the employers would have to put up prices for their goods or services - hitting smaller businesses (not the likes of Tesco, etc) and no one would be any better off.

It should be but there would also need to be cheap social housing available and there isn't. I don't think minimum wage could cover childcare either.

Yeah you say that but already we've got comments saying just 1 person to all more women to be sahms to raise kids properly

Well yes it should be. The question should be is the current MW enough to do so or should it be raised?

Seriously?

🤣

Well technically yeah

minimum wage= the minimum needed to live

Meant to also during the pandemic,the government and society generally saw how important so called “menial” jobs were but it all seems to have been forgotten now.

Yes minimum wage should be high enough that benefit top ups aren't required. It's just the taxpayer subsidising companies.

The point is that someone working full time should be able to support themselves, be able to afford housing, put food on the table and pay their bills. And as long as they don't have an unusually high number of children, the same for them. It's a disgrace that people working full time are so often unable to afford the basics.

Yanbu. Either that, or there is more affordable housing and proper subsidised childcare. If they have 2 kids close together they would be paying £2k a month childcare at some points. You have to be earning much much more for this not to eat up a huge proportion of income

Yes, working couple = they both work
(and can afford associated childcare)

I agree. People in full time minimum wage roles should be able to afford an acceptable standard of living. A house with sufficient room, heating, food, clothing, transport, pension and replacement of electrical appliances.

It is wrong that we are subsidising large companies with significant profits by providing benefits to their employees. It’s even more galling that we do so for companies like Weatherspoons that were very pro-Brexit, who took millions in furlough payments and have thrown our economy under a bus.