Lone parent benefits income

[HereBeHubbubs]

I just wondered if anyone on this board MIT be interested in contributing to my thread over in AIBU?

I have stated my benefits income as a lone parent and it's making an interesting discussion.

I did want to post it here rather than in Am I Being Unreasonable because it's about lone parents after all, but I thought there might be more traffic on the other board.

I hope you will join. I'm genuinely interested to hear my fellow LP's views
:)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2192825-Here-is-my-total-income-as-a-lone-parent-on-benefits?msgid=49704843#49704843

"Now this is a post about another thread, talking about another thread.
Triple Whammy, do I get a prize?"

Surely two negatives cancel each other out, so this is the first thread??

Oh, have I just posted about a post about a post about a post about another thread?

Here you go morethan :)

I always imagine theres a group of women with there fingers at the ready, ready to pounce and bitch to anyone that dare posts on there

Honest answer LadySybil - not sure . Sometimes folk start a thread in one topic, then change their mind, and rather than asking for it to be moved, they just start if off all over again somewhere else. Then they ask to get the first one deleted, IFYSWM.

And yep Meglet, discussing this on the Lone Parents board is going to be 'safer than AIBU'. But the OP did post
'I just wondered if anyone on this board MIT be interested in contributing to my thread over in AIBU?' so it's not really asking anything new...

But if you guys are starting a stand-alone discussion about benefits then I guess it can stay up... Does that sound fair?

Oh, Ellen. That must be an absolute pain in the rear end!

It's all peaceful over here, you know

Yes ellen and we wont get nasty !:)

ellen we're nice here, honest!

Thanks Ellen

I would have hated to have been partly responsible, as my post above.
Well I can't say what I wanted to now as wasn't going to talk about benefits but offer my support to the OP
Good luck my love, you are amongst friends here.

It's hard, even with 1k. Gas and electricity is so expensive, and I remember my first water bill being £50 for a year, now it's hundreds! Food is more expensive, clothes are expensive. TV's and electricals are cheaper, but how many times a year do you need a new TV? Bus tickets cost an absolute fortune too. It's the basics which are expensive, so it costs more to live.

Im lucky that my rents cheap its housing ascosiation, but yes to clothes and food going up.

Im going to just read the other threadotoo aren't I.

lady the basics have gone up by 30% I reckon in the last 7 years (basically since I had dc's and had to really budget). Benefits won't go up that much, if at all. I got a whopping 1% payrise this year.

I did look at the price of TV's a few months ago, I was surprised at how cheap a big telly is . But I'm a snob so I'll stick with my second hand chunky tv .

It's employers / investors / share holders etc who are at fault for low wages. At least LP's aren't chucked in the work house and have a fighting chance of scraping by. Although the Tories are making it a lot worse.

I find clothing is the toughest especialy the way kids grow out of them I seem to spend my wages on clothes.

Mine's a chunky TV. I've had it for 10 years but it's on its way out Same with the sofa. I earn above minimum wage so I'm lucky. I've had years of working in shops and pubs though, 30% is a massive amount, especially when wages and benefits have practically stood still.

Its annoying. My wages stay the same, tax credits go up maybe a poubd or two a year but everythink else goes up. Food has definitely gone up ALOT in the last few years in my opinion

Thats why I realy dont understand how sanctions can be put on peoples benefits, if benefits are staying the same but everything else is going up it makes no sense.

It seems cruel when people are trying to survive on very little anyway. I know benefits in other countries are less, but their cost of living is less too. The UK is one of the most expensive countries in the world and I think this is forgotten.

Op you do seem to have plenty to play with but that said my mortgage is only £87 a month and despite that I am ALWAYS feeling hard up but it could be because I am self-employed and live week to week so perhaps I notice it more?

Having said that I just spent £100 in Dorothy Perkins this week on me! A rare event and I just love it in there!! And there was over a year when I simply did not buy ANY clothing at all for me .....

Food is astronomical like everybody has stated and what with that and running a car and buying ds constant clothes and shoes at the moment he is really costing me a fortune......! I only buy them in Tescos or Matalan or Sports Direct although his school shoes are always from Clarks. It really does seem to be true that children need a whole new wardrobe every year and this summer I had to buy ds 7 new pairs of shoes as his shoe size shot up all of sudden. Of course this happens to all children but it is small wonder many of us feel like we are struggling.... We can just never keep up!

Having said that many single parents are financially supported by their families and being as I just don't have one that would explain why I am always feeling skint lol. Others are lucky to get a holiday given to them by their families and even a car. I know plenty that get lots of help. The chance would be a fine thing! And I am the ONLY one who buys ds a gift at Xmas his dad doesn't always bother although he will give the odd £50 sometimes....

Oddly enough my gas and electric are only costing £47 a month at the moment it used to be £67. (EON)

Sorry about all the threads I am writing but there is only one LP at my school whom I know is on benefits. Perhaps rather unusual I don't know. It is rather an upmarket school.

Ive just changed my gas and electric over to scotish power they said if I switched over to them it works out cheaper blah blah blah but my there fixed price. So if all the other companies ptices rise mine wont.

yy everything gets more pricey yet our income doesn't.

we try and eat healthy yet the healthiest ffood stuff costs more.

and DC and I also have food allergies so have to be more selective with food.

I haven't bought new clothes for over 3 years. that's okay, I have enough (half a wardrobe but I ear the same things all the time) but DC grows.

Im good at budgeting, never ever been in debt (never borrowed either) but to have something at the end of the month for a wee treat is getting impossible.

I read original post I am really not sure what you hoped to prove. I have raised my son on benefits and now work. There are a lot of people both single and married struggling money wise at the moment. I know far worse figures than yours.