Are other full-time working families finding there is nothing left?

[fatface001]

Alarm went off at 5:30 this morning, then an hour stood on a packed train into London for the commute. We are a normal family: one child and two full-time jobs. I’ve always enjoyed working and have always worked hard, and I don’t mind that at all — but I do expect that full-time work should still mean there’s something left at the end of the month for a normal life.

But that really doesn’t feel like the case anymore.

There’s nothing left at the end of the month. Everything has been stripped back, all non-essentials have gone, and even basic things around the house are being put off or done ourselves because there isn’t spare money for trades. It’s just constant cutting back.

What’s hard is that we’re both working really long hours and doing everything we’re “supposed” to do, but it still feels like we’re going backwards rather than getting ahead.

When I hear talk about “those with the broadest shoulders” contributing more, I honestly don’t recognise it anymore in real life. It doesn’t feel like anyone in our position has anything left to give — it feels like the pressure is entirely on ordinary working households just to stand still.

I’m not looking for luxuries — just the sense that working still gives you a bit of breathing room. Right now it doesn’t feel like that at all.

Is anyone else feeling the same?

There are 2.6 jobseekers to every vacancy.
There are not enough jobs for people who are looking for work. And a vacancy does not necessarily mean a job that is going to have enough hours and pay to get someone off benefits either.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/jobsandvacanciesintheuk/march2026

Quoting myself to add:

After the last massive benefits overhaul - coalition government, post 2010 - long term sickness/disability claims shot up. Prior to this it appeared people had been moving into and out of work as their conditions (or perhaps wider supportive circumstances) fluctuted. But unemployment had soared in that time, so finding work was much harder. Plus disability benefits became harder to claim and thus more precarious, so apparently people didn't want to stop them in case they couldn't get them back when they needed them.

Just as an example of what I meant about the wider economic climate meaning more disabled people (and others with more difficult circumstances) are unemployed. Essentially they're the first to go.

That is all very true but none of it accounts for people who haven’t worked in decades . AI is a relatively new phenomenon on the jobs market . I think one of the biggest problems was the loss of manufacturing industries and no alternative for those people to go to . The industrial north is just a wasteland now and needs huge investment.

You keep ignoring the fact that evidence is required and far more than just the GP stating ''mum says the impact on Johnny is severe''.

Benefits have changed significantly in recent years you can't just sit on benefits without a good reason anymore. It isn't like years ago when people didn't have to start looking for work until their child was 16

Yes its infuriating that.posters seem to think a quick mum says letter from the GP is enough
I had to go to Tribunal to get HRC and,HRM under SMi results initially for my son despite lots of very clear professional evidence

We were lucky enough to get HRC and HRM at the first time of asking but I believe that is only because my son was in hospital at the time and the hospital social workers who deal with DLA forms daily helped me fill it in. I feel like your experience is far too uncommon, unfortunately which shouldn't be the case with clear evidence.

@hattie43 I think your way of looking at things is very simplistic. And definitely shows what you’ve said - ie you’ve never lived any of the life you are so quick to dismiss as if it’s easy to solve/escape from.
Truth is for most it’s very hard to escape from but for all us…. It’s potentially very easy to end up in such circumstances.

Id love to know how your friend is doing this. You have to earn a minimum amount to claim UC, £980 approx as a single person, £1600 if in a couple. You are only work exempt if u have a child under 3 or you are caring for someone, have a classed disability or very poorly. You cant just choose to sit at home and do nothing for no reason and get 24k.
Your friend either has needs you dont know about or is committing fraud.

She isn’t work exempt. She just isn’t looking for a job. She tells the people at the job center that she is though.

Well they aren't doing their job very well either! I read above that you are in Scotland, must be different there as people in England are hounded until they work and have to prove they are looking, sent on training courses etc

Yep.

I was even hounded when waiting for my son's DLA to go through including when he was in hospital.

@TracyLords

Council tax over £300 a month gives me the rage: so many people don’t pay it at all, or pay a lot less, yet we still get a really shitty service.

Council tax gives me the rage in general! It's the only tax not strictly tied to ability to pay. There are so many unfairnesses in it. Should be got rid of altogether and centrally funded via income tax! Problem is all those who would have to pay more would kick off!

I'm on benefits and pay full council tax its completely area dependant. You don't automatically get cheap council tax for being on benefits

Yeah council tax is ridiculously unfair for many reasons. The fact it’s not linked to financial ability to pay and also as someone who lives alone I only get a 25% discount and not a 50% discount.

Yes I'm (unfortunately) well aware of that.

It's aside from benefits that it annoys me. People in larger properties rated as low band as a small flat. Several adults sharing the cost vs single person having to pay 75% of it themselves. Cheaper council tax in wealthier areas. Any kind of benefits to help pay it/be exempt differing by area rather than fair across country. Wildly different rates by area rather than income of people living there.

It's another thread really!

Yep, I pay 20% of CT as I am on UC and don't work.
But if I did a bit of work... about £100pm, I would have have to pay the full rate... which would eat up what I earnt and more. It is silly.

I didn’t say you did! I live in a council where there are 2 major universities so lots of students (who don’t pay council tax)

most households are on lower bands (70% are bands A-C, we’re on band E. Therefore we pay a lot more than they do: but we don’t use additional services.

people who have low income are able to apply for a council tax reduction: some get 100% (I’m not saying everyone who gets
benefits does)

That would piss me off no end!

The CT system is weird.

A person living alone in a Band E house will not be using more services than 4 adults living in a Band B house, yet they will be paying a hell of a lot more.

Maybe the fairest way would be to tax individuals, but that was tried (poll tax), and people rioted over it.

It really does!

I don’t know exactly what the answer is to make CT more equitable, but I don’t think the current system is fair.

Quite a lot of countries have local income tax instead ( often around 4%) which is individual and related to ability to pay and yes you pay some if on low incomes too - but it’s factored in below a certain amount - and yes it disregards size of your house- so some end up paying more, some less, but if you have 3 or more working adults within a house would probably pay more but individually as part of general taxation - or are very high earners both working.

You can challenge your council tax band if their are similar properties in your area to yours in a different bracket the details are online

My remortgage this year is looking like it might go up by £1,000.
£1000 increase a month?! . That’s terrifying @MidnightPatrol