Facing unemployment - just over £1100 in benefits

[BringBackCatsEyes]

I've just put my figures in a calculator and think I will receive just over £1100

UC £ 362.73 per month
(standard + child, then take away JSA )

117.22 per month child benefit

Council Tax Support
£ 71.07 per month

Support for Mortgage Interest loan
£ 152.49 per month

New-style Jobseekers Allowance
£ 414.05 per month

Are people actually living on this or do they end up selling their home to move into rented?

I am trying my hardest to find work. My contract ends at the end of this year.
I am not asking for advice on finding work, I want to hear from those who have experienced moving to UC and how they manage?

OP, I saw your thread when you first posted it and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I knew some people would give you a hard time (and they didn’t disappoint). The usual crowd: “It’s plenty, you just need to budget better”, “I feed my family of five for a week on one chicken”, etc. I’m almost surprised nobody suggested taking in ironing – apparently that’s the answer to everything on Mumsnet and a great income booster.
On a more serious note, I honestly don’t know anyone who could pay a £500+ mortgage and survive on £1,100 a month in the current climate, even with very careful budgeting.
For comparison, we live in a small three-bed semi and pay around £580 a month just on the essentials: council tax, gas, electricity, water, internet and the cheapest SIM-only mobile plans. My best friend lives in a two-up, two-down Victorian terrace and actually pays even more.
Of course people are expected to have savings to cover periods of unemployment or ill health. The general advice is to have 3–6 months’ worth of essential expenses put aside (I'm sure you know this). The problem is that you’re then supposed to be able to find another job within that timeframe, and I’m not convinced that’s a realistic expectation for many people in the current economic climate.
The “just get a job at Tesco” myth has already been debunked upthread, quite rightly.
For what it’s worth, here’s what happened to a few friends and former colleagues of mine who were made redundant over the last year. One eventually found a job by working her way through every contact she had. Another is living off a probate windfall after a family property was finally sold (she’s been redundant since last October). A third managed to get a six-month maternity cover contract.
You come across as highly intelligent. Your posts are thoughtful, well-structured and organised. I remember your original question was how people are expected to survive on £1,100 a month, not a request for career advice.

I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do think you’ll either find another fixed-term contract in your field or something permanent will come along.

Best of luck.

Yes I am sure.
I find your post a bit patronising actually. Do you really think I might suddenly think "oh that's a good idea....I could talk to the decision makers"?
If you're read my posts you will see that I am mature and have been working for very many years, not a new graduate unsure of how to navigate the work place.

Anyway, when I signed the 12 month fixed-term contract I said that if they were unable to renew my contract I would need to start looking for a new role end of June. We had a discussion end of May where I was told. I am fully aware of other opportunities within the company (none).

@Onegingerhead
Thank you for your thoughtful post.
Most people have been kind on this thread.
I've applied for a job today. I now have 4 I am waiting to hear from.

I had an annoying call with a "Talent Acquisition Partner" (really?!) earlier this week. They hadn't put the salary on the ad. There was a mismatch between the role requirements and the skills they were asking for, which led me to think it was an entry-level position. I don't want to spend my time applying for an entry-level role, which 1) I am unlikely to get and 2) the pay won't be enough.
She told me the salary and that it wasn't negotiable. She blathered some explanation as to why they thought this was OK and then encouraged me to apply.

It's hard but definitely possible. We manage with 2 adults and 5 teenagers on just over double that.

You can use the mortgage charger to stretch the mortgage term or go interest only to bring down payment

Perhaps start to think of any self employed work you can do, think about your skill set etc. you can claim benefits for a year whilst setting up your business (and potentially applying for other work too) the job centre suggested this to me and they covered the cost of some courses though I actually got a salaried job before that funding ran out. It may not be ideal but thinking through what your expertise is and if there’s a niche you could do is “doing something”.

in case it’s helpful to you or others I was looking at managing care packages and being a guardian essentially for people who don’t live close to their elderly loved one and need someone local for oversight eg visiting weekly to ensure the carers are doing their job, dropping in groceries, arranging transport to hospital and so on, I was getting clients interested but the timing was wrong as Covid hit!

@hahabahbagall very well but the OP can’t afford to live off benefits, that’s what this thread is about. Even if in the long term she earns more, in that interim, she wouldn’t be able to make it work.

I'm curious to know how.
Housing and associated bills (water, gas, elec) are the biggest bills.
Do you have a small mortgage?
My mortgage and utilities are nearly £1000. That leaves not a lot for food never mind anything else. Ever.

Indeed. Retraining or moving to an entirely new field is the privilege of those who have £ to support their family while they do so.

So you can cover mortgage, food and utilities

Thats what you need to take from this. While you are job searching you have the basics covered. No it wont be nice, you are limited to just those things and you'll need to scrimp and save foodwise to really go as cheap as you can, but you can live, you're ok.

I won't be able to job search if cannot run my car or use public transport.
£100 for food for me and a 17 yo. That's not OK. Not for me.

I misunderstood your post then where you said your mortgage, food and utilities was nearly 1100, indicating that those 3 items can be managed for that amount

You can job search though, lots of people dont have cars and public transport is expensive unless you're lucky enough to live in London

I said having £100 left for food (never mind anything else at all) was not enough for me and a 17yo for a month.

OK I can search for a job from home yes, but I won't be able to attend interviews if I don't have a car and no money for the very poor public transport. You've just said it's expensive, so what do you mean? How will that also come out of the wonderful £100 I have left?
I would also struggle to get to work w/o a car.
I get it...you think I can manage. I don't believe I can. I wanted to hear from people who actually have managed. I don't think it's possible and that the understanding is that if you have a home you need to sell it.

I was simply going on the first post I replied to where you said that your mortgage, utilities and food is 'nearly' all of the 1100 you'll get. This implied it was enough to cover what you already spend on those with a touch left over

I was trying to reassure you. I wont reply again, hope it all works out.

Got it - it's a quoting issue then, but yes I have said previously it's enough. I apologise.
Thank you

The fact I can earn another £700 or so before UC deductions is very encouraging. It would mean I could (hopefully) find a p/t or low paying role while looking for work in my field and not go completely under.

Have you checked with your employer as to the 1 year contract ending/extending? If not please do.

Yes I have. I've mentioned this twice in this thread.

Hi OP, I've been following your thread and a month has passed with no more updates. I hope you are ok and that the future doesn't seem as bleak 💐

Hoping one of these jobs worked out for you

Thanks for that insight.
My question is about what happens if you can't find a job. Do you think all the unemployed people are all just not bothering to find work? Do you acknowledge that many, many jobs do not pay enough for living expenses?

I have worked for over 30 years. I am "those of us", yet like many am facing a bleak future.

Thank you.
I've been applying for everything suitable for 3 months.
Nothing. I have another 3 1/2 months of employment.
I have 3 applications in the pipeline, but the more time passes w/o any sort of communication from them my hope diminishes. These are well renowned publishing/science companies - they need to treat applicants like people.
I have a freelance op in the pipeline as well, but again, despite me emailing them (as suggested on the ad), no reply at all.
So the future is not looking good and my feelings of self worth are very, very low.