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Original poster

Minimum Living Standards

11 replies

taxpayer1 · 26/02/2023 19:13

I came across the minimum living standard calculator (www.minimumincome.org.uk/results/

I have input details for a single person and it gives 293 pounds per week (after housing costs)

I have also input a single parent with a child and it gives 532 (after housing costs)

What do you think? Are these amounts enough to have a minimum standard of living for a single person and a single parent with 1 child?

OP posts:
daffodilandtulip · 26/02/2023 19:14

By housing costs, is this just rent/mortgage or does this include utilities...

Original poster
taxpayer1 · 26/02/2023 19:20

daffodilandtulip · 26/02/2023 19:14

By housing costs, is this just rent/mortgage or does this include utilities...

Just rent/mortgage excluded. I am thinking about how much I need to have in my pension pot to retire (the minimum). I won't have a child to support or a mortgage by that time.

OP posts:
hettiethehare · 26/02/2023 19:21

It's a bit of a blunt tool to say the least - for a start there is no differentation for area.

It seems to think that a family of 5 (2 adults, 1 primary DC, 2 secondary) can be housed for rent of £96 a week - there are vast amounts of the country where this cannot be possible! That wouldn't get a single room in a house share where I am.

But then says minimum cultural and social spending for that size of family is £192 a week. £832 a month. That seems an insane amount in comparison.

MrsRR1 · 26/02/2023 19:27

I just adjusted the amounts and according to this calculator, out total income of 77k isn't enough for us with a primary age child and a baby (assumed childcare costs as baby not here yet).
That's depressing lol

BarbaraofSeville · 27/02/2023 08:40

That's because they're assuming that you'll be spending over £800 pm on 'cultural and social spending', which is obviously ridiculous, especially as it's considered as a minimum level, not what you'd do if you were more comfortable.

This is probably from the same data that defines child poverty as a family of 4 who 'only' have £400 per week after housing costs (which I believe is defined as rent/mortgage and council tax) for food, bills, travel and everything else. Which may not be generous/luxurious and they'd certainly have to budget to be able to cover essentials and have some money available for discretionary spending, but it's hardly a 'sitting in a cold dark damp hovel dressed in rags and eating cold beans' situation that the term 'child poverty' suggests.

Original poster
taxpayer1 · 27/02/2023 09:20

BarbaraofSeville · 27/02/2023 08:40

That's because they're assuming that you'll be spending over £800 pm on 'cultural and social spending', which is obviously ridiculous, especially as it's considered as a minimum level, not what you'd do if you were more comfortable.

This is probably from the same data that defines child poverty as a family of 4 who 'only' have £400 per week after housing costs (which I believe is defined as rent/mortgage and council tax) for food, bills, travel and everything else. Which may not be generous/luxurious and they'd certainly have to budget to be able to cover essentials and have some money available for discretionary spending, but it's hardly a 'sitting in a cold dark damp hovel dressed in rags and eating cold beans' situation that the term 'child poverty' suggests.

So in your opinion, the amounts will be enough for a basic life or even more?

OP posts:
DemonSpawn · 27/02/2023 22:42

Well the state pension is £185 a week and plenty of people live on that.

Greyingmumto3 · 01/03/2023 22:41

Apparently we need around a thousand pounds a week to have a decent standard of living ! Nowhere near our actual income unfortunately

youkiddingme · 01/03/2023 23:02

Bloody hell. I wish ...

ifonly4 · 02/03/2023 15:16

Seems to be subjective though, ie the food allowance for a single person is more than two of us spend a week. If you're using buses five days a week to get to work, it'd cost £20, not £31. What's in social and cultural that's essential?

On the other hand, only way you could rent for £98pw would be a houseshare here.

Vegrocks · 02/03/2023 15:17

A very poor calculator if it doesn’t stipulate what is and is not included

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