How do you fit into breadline Britain? Take the test

[DillyTante]

Add your details here to see how comparatively wealthy you are compared to the rest of the country.

27% of the UK earn less than we do, and we are living on the edge of poverty apparently.

it is about expenditure peatarty. someone welthier spends more and so would feel skint in comparison to what the earn.

proabaly a bit tactless of someonje in the top 5% to be claiming mega skint, though when some people on the thread my self included are on the bottom 5%. Im mega skint but finily enough I dont even class myself as poor when I walk down the street or see some kids in my dds school whos uniform is falling to peices, that is mega skint!!!

We are "well-off", which I knew already. We are extremely lucky.

The results are a bit pointless though, as they don't take into account other costs such as housing, childcare and commuting etc. We are doubly lucky as we have a tiny mortgage, no childcare costs and no commuting costs. I imagine that makes us feel a whole lot better off than people on the same income in the south east, who might have huge childcare bills etc on top of higher living costs.

Similarly, some of those near the bottom of the scale will be better off than those further up, by virtue of where they live. We should really be looking at disposable income for a more accurate picture.

74% have a lower income than me, but yet I am just comfortable - apparently.

Before I take into account my earning from my recently set up Childminding business we were living on the edge of poverty with 19% poorer than us.

My modest earnings of £7200 / year take us to 39% earning less and we are in the squeezed middle.

Although it is a v crude measure it is very interesting.

"We should really be looking at disposable income for a more accurate picture"

that would not be more accurate, v high outgoings usually means more assets and back ups (like income protection/life insurance/pensions, NI contributions.....) - those things count!

3% have a lower income

only just the other day I realised we were in poverty, statistically speaking. i mean i knew things were tough. i can't believe it, and i dont know how it makes me feel. apart from to try living off lentils.

someone on the lower end will no way be better off than someone further up we are talking about an income of probably 10's of thousands difference from the top to the bottom surely if not 100,000. I think what you say jinsei could go for maybe between the bottom and mid range of poor.

14% have a lower income than you You are in poverty,

no shit Sherlock.

40% squeezed middle too.

I have a decent salary but was depressed by the "after-tax income" figure. Apparently 91% of households earn less than me.

That surprises me actually because a household of 2 working adults on average wage would earn more than my one good wage.

oh, are you meant to add the tax credits you receive?
whatever it probably wont make much difference to my situation.

I came out as Super Rich until I realised I added an extra zero

someone on the lower end will no way be better off than someone further up we are talking about an income of probably 10's of thousands difference from the top to the bottom surely if not 100,000. I think what you say jinsei could go for maybe between the bottom and mid range of poor.

I disagree. Our income is in the top fifth, but there is certainly nothing like 100000 difference between us and those further down the scale. And someone with a very average income in my town could live just as comfortably as someone with twice the income in London, especially if they had no childcare costs etc.

I agree that the rich have assets that they could sell etc, and I think "optional" outgoings such as life insurance, pension payments etc should be included in disposable income. But I still think that there are huge regional differences, and that essential cost of working (such as childcare & commuting) should be taken into account.

I come out as "super rich" which is a joke. We are certainly comfortable, but by no means super rich. We live in a 3 bed semi in an "up and coming" (when will it up and come?) area of London. I drive a 7 year old car. We do have savings and are able to afford some luxuries without difficulty, but I think it is laughable to describe us as super rich. Super rich brings to mind images of yachts in the South of France and champagne suppers. We are a very, very long way from that league.

14% earn less, we are in poverty apparently... Oh well, explains why we never go on holiday!

5% and in poverty.

I did wonder why my purse had cobwebs in it.

87% earn less. This doesn't take into account where you live - we live in London where nearly half of our income goes on rent alone. The same money in the North (where I'm from) would mean a very different lifestyle.

(Really not complaining though).

YY, Sastra if we earned the same amount in a tiny village in Wales I would no doubt feel more than comfortable (although I think "super rich" might still be a stretch). But both my husband and I can only do our jobs in London and the living costs here are astronomical.

83% earn less and we are 'well off' - just like catinboots we are skint at the end of every month - due to housing costs and insane travel costs (more than £1k a month for travel, £2k for housing costs including council tax/insurances).

also not complaining, that would be really wanky since I've lived in poverty before (and had malnutrition and been in hospital)

apparently we are squeezed middle. Even more squeezed after First Crapital Fecking Connect have taken 12% of my gross salary to make me late for work/late back home most days.

Yikes, if I was living back in thE UK again, I'd be at 95%. That is an eye opener - and quite surprising as, like DukeHumphrey, i would have thought most 2 parent households were better off than my one parent household.

Monkeymoma, I totally agree that people who are better off have much more of a safety net, so are not genuinely skint.

In my case it's not a big safety net - I've just moved to a cheaper rental (can't afford a deposit to buy), cheaper childcare etc to keep within budget and get my debts paid off - but i do realize how incredibly lucky I am to be able to pay all my bills each month and put food on the table for DS.

42% = squeezed middle. Doesn't feel like it as we're skint but it does put things into perspective I suppose. It doesn't take into account living costs though - about 1/3 of our income is spent on travel costs, but if we didn't commute we would earn less. We have no spare cash for clothes, nights out etc. - don't even have phone contracts. On the other hand we do manage to run an old banger and get a cheapie camping holiday every year so no real complaints.

I don't think it's very helpful at all. Because it all depends on people's circumstances. Some people get quite a lot of financial help from parents, and childcare provided by parents. And have only a small mortgage. I know somebody who never had a mortgage, and kids paid for at private school and through bank of mum and dad. Not sure if I'd have liked to be so financially dependent.

If your children ate over 18 do you still include them?