The recession, benefits, the safety net, and the learning curve

Oldernotwiser

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Mate, you're not going to win this one. It's not a matter for considered subjective opinion and chin stroking from behind the keyboard, it's a matter of simple fact.

JSA will not pay my bills and allow me to eat.

You can say "oh but it will, you just need to change your lifestyle" as much as you please, but sadly the very simple fact is that it won't.

So all the other thousands in your situation manage to survive on this amount, but you can't.

You're losing my sympathy by the minute , "mate"!

PasturesNew

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Exactly; we were talking about studio houses, which is why I made my joky comment as they hardly exist!

Well, there's 16 where I am ... and the next 16 neighbours are 1-beds.

Nearly every block of flats has studios too. They're quite common.

Oldernotwiser

PasturesNew wrote: »

Bl00dy good point!
I think there is some merit in them doing so. For many it would be great as they could share childcare too, so could do little jobs without the need for formal nurseries.

Anybody under the age of 25 claiming LHA is only able to claim the amount applicable for a room in a shared house.

lostinrates

There is a thread on this page ATM about a yong married couple in NE in their one bed house though.

There are a few one bed houses, both in city centres and in villages local to me: the latter are beautiful, utterly lovely, but teeny tiny.

Oldernotwiser

PasturesNew wrote: »

Well, there's 16 where I am ... and the next 16 neighbours are 1-beds.

Nearly every block of flats has studios too. They're quite common.

But that's FLATS; I'm talking about HOUSES!

You wrote "It might be if his house is a studio or 1 bed "

Don't you appreciate the difference between a house and a flat?:mad:

PasturesNew

The single career benefits claimant has less outgoings than a single working person who is temporarily on hard times.

If they are in rented accommodation they don't have to pay for:
- buildings insurance
- any boiler maintenance and similar contracts
- buildings maintenance and fixes that are essential/sudden
- job hunting activities (buying newspapers, stamps, photocopying things, travel to interviews, a few smart bits and pieces to wear at interviews)
- haircuts for interviews (you can go twice as long between them as it doesn't matter)
- phone calls for job hunting

Oldernotwiser

lostinrates wrote: »

There is a thread on this page ATM about a yong married couple in NE in their one bed house though.

There are a few one bed houses, both in city centres and in villages local to me: the latter are beautiful, utterly lovely, but teeny tiny.

You're right, 1 bed houses exist (usually called starter homes) - not many studio houses though. (I wish I'd never made that bloody joke!)

dopester

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

So all the other thousands in your situation manage to survive on this amount, but you can't.

You're losing my sympathy by the minute , "mate"!

He has my sympathy because it must be part of a difficult adjustment, and I think we are witnessing that. Going from paid employment with a comfortable income, to unemployment - nothing lined up yet - and the prospect of benefits.

The fact remains though, he either gets a new job and preferably in his chosen field of work, gets a job not in his chosen line of work but which helps pay the bills.. even minimum wage one............. or comes to terms with a difficult position on JSA, and will have to either make adjustments or faces difficult choices.

Perhaps re-mortgaging a chunk would give breathing space but doesn't offer much by way of solution in the longer term. I can see how someone mortgage free wouldn't want to either. Downsize? I don't know.

PasturesNew

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But that's FLATS; I'm talking about HOUSES!

You wrote "It might be if his house is a studio or 1 bed "

Don't you appreciate the difference between a house and a flat?:mad:

It can all be generic terminology. Actually, in 1990-1997 I was in a studio house. There are a lot of them about too. Beds on balconies, but a house, own front door, garden, the lot.

mewbie_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

So all the other thousands in your situation manage to survive on this amount, but you can't.

You're losing my sympathy by the minute , "mate"!

Well he's not losing mine. I cannot imagine trying to survive on that amount, and pray that this never happens to me. It's not due to being good at job, qualified, whatever, it's just fortune - will the axe strike, will illness take me.

Life's a lottery. Apologies for the cliche... it's what I do.