Could you eat beans on toast 7 nights a week?!

CFC

It is absolutely frightening here at the moment Polish. I suggest that your HR specialist friend has no clue. I've seen nothing like it since the early 80's and I suspect that Mr Brown will be forced to go to the IMF, it's that bad.

As for the 'beans on toast' then the people working at job centres need training on interpersonal skills. A better way to answer questions like 'could you live on this amount?' is to say 'I carry out the policy set by the government. You will need to contact your local MP if you disagree with that policy' ie avoid answering personal questions, but not with something quite insulting...

PolishBigSpender

Millionaire wrote: »

I have been agreeing with some of you earlier posts but totally disagree with this one.

I have friends and family that have been made redundant that just cannot get a job and they have been applying for anything and everything.

They have been going to the jobcentre daily, going into factories but been told no vacancies signing up to agencies that let them through the door etc etc and have been doing so for the last 3-4months.

Only 1 out of around 7 people I know that have been made redundant has managed to get a job and that was only because they knew someone working there who put a good word in for them.

Your HR specialist is talking rubbish.

If I didn't know better I would have been agreeing with you, but first hand experience says otherwise.

Fair enough. As I understood it, she was talking about vacancies at a day at a time - ie, on a 'casual' basis. I appreciate though, that the UK benefits system doesn't lend itself too well towards people who are willing to work wherever/whenever on an irregular basis.

But there's still plenty of jobs in Poland for skilled workers

It is absolutely frightening here at the moment Polish. I suggest that your HR specialist friend has no clue. I've seen nothing like it since the early 80's and I suspect that Mr Brown will be forced to go to the IMF, it's that bad.

Could this be the catalyst that propels the UK into the Euro?

luce181

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

What people are saying is, either he and/or a spouse has more income and/or savings than he is telling you, or his benefit is wrong and should be re-assessed.

If JSA is his household's ONLY income and he has no savings, he should get the full amount AND his rent and Council Tax paid.

People are not being unsupportive, they are giving advice!.

I know, I did thank some people for their helpful comments, but there was one or two who added nothing constructive so that was what I meant.
Sorry if it sounded ungrateful it's just some people make assumptions :rolleyes:

He lives alone, and had savings but has spent all of these. I think he does get help with his rent and council tax, and so he was saying that £19 is what he has left for food and utilities.
Maybe he needs to be re-assessed as I guess they are still going on when he had savings so I will advise him to contact the JC about this.

~My main point really was the lack of support from JC, they should be giving practical advice, not telling people to live on beans on toast!

Adereterial

The standard rate of JSA for the over 25s is £60.50 per week; it should have gone up recently to about £64, I think.

If he's getting less than this per week he needs to find out why - if he has used all his savings, then he can ask for his payments to be reconsidered by filling in the form JSA3, and giving it to his JobCentre.

I'd say £19 per week for a single adult for food alone is more than adequate, though.

seven-day-weekend

luce181 wrote: »

~My main point really was the lack of support from JC, they should be giving practical advice, not telling people to live on beans on toast!

I agree that the person's customer service skills leave something to be desired.

I used to get it when I worked for a Local Authority ('I have to pay Council tax you know' and things like this.) I would have liked to answer 'So do I. Next!' but I didn't I just was pleasant and polite and told people I could only work with the legislation and that if they were unhappy with the legislation to write to John Prescott (It was he in charge of Planning at the time).

So yes, the JS person could have made a more tactful reply.

Bogof_Babe

My OH lives on beans on toast, alternated with Value tomato soup and bread, when I go away for a week at a time! That's because he can't be bothered to cook properly for himself, even though I leave stuff in the freezer. Apparently putting some oven chips in the oven is too complicated! He does fill up on cereal and milk, and the occasional cheese & tomato sandwich, but it's mainly beans and soup! I'd guess his food costs for those weeks are around £10.

Sorry to diverge from the main point of the thread, but it can be done! Okay he does get fed properly when I'm back .

space_rider

I alternated between beans on toast and jacket potatoe and tuna when I was a student nurse and saving to get married.