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

ceridwen

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If he's on contributions based JSA then he'd keep any income from a lodger.

It's no big deal having someone in to share, whatever your current situation, I've done it several times when money was short, even when I was working.

Depends on the lodger one has I guess - I could always try looking up the contact details of some of the lodgers I've had in....."no big deal" wouldnt be a phrase you would use after having them in for a while:D:eek:

Oldernotwiser

ceridwen wrote: »

Depends on the lodger one has I guess - I could always try looking up the contact details of some of the lodgers I've had in....."no big deal" wouldnt be a phrase you would use after having them in for a while:D:eek:

I'm sure we've all shared with "lodgers from hell" but, as they have no security of tenure, it's easy to get rid and move on to someone more congenial.

ceridwen

PasturesNew wrote: »

If there was a joke I didn't see it. This is in keeping with my disability ... which is known to completely miss jokes as I take things literally.

I don't know if that happened. I can't tell.

Well - personally - from where I'm standing (nope - I'm sitting) - I like to read your posts - because they're always completely logical/factual and thats an advantage in my mind.

ceridwen

PasturesNew wrote: »

If you are a home owner on JSA, you get £64.30 and are responsible for the building insurance/maintenance etc.

If you are a career benefits blagger, you are 99% most likely to be renting and so don't have any of these costs.

QUITE! thats one of the things that would bother me most - that I would still have to find the money for house/contents insurance and the maintenance out of that stupid little amount (I think some tenants even manage to get phone line rental/broadband costs covered in their rent too....that alone would save me about £29 a month that would then be available for a few little luxuries - like food!). Joke P.N. - I appreciate that food is THE most basic necessity of all.....

ceridwen

VeryGreen wrote: »

Just one thing… You say that you have payed off the mortgage over the years through overpayments. Someone here mentioned 'deprivation of capital to obtain benefit'. This does not have to take place just before making a claim for means-tested benefits but at any time during the term of the mortgage. Basically, if you at any time in the term of your mortgage made any overpayments and your mortgage was payed off early, the government takes it as if you still had that money in savings - call it 'notional savings', applies 'notional income' to that - and you are supposed to live off that. Even if you don't have any money - go figure

After six months of contribution-based JSA – nothing.

I think thats a very scaremongering type of thing to say. I cant believe that could actually be the case. At the very least - I'm sure its possible to pay back as much mortgage as possible before one officially knows (ie has it in writing) that ones job has gone. I would say that the "deprivation of capital" rules would likely only apply if one has actually received ones notice letter from the job. The way you put it would almost have me think the D.W.P. would head for my door being awkward about "capital deprivation" and I paid my mortgage off years ago - ie before anyone (except me:D) could have possibly thought for one second that my job wouldnt last me till the end of the agreed mortgage term.

Have you got "chapter and verse" on the exact facts on that?

edit: In fact I'll throw in a link myself - it should be somewheres on that hopefully:

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcpwelsh/static/dev_010141.xml.html

lostinrates

ceridwen wrote: »

Well - personally - from where I'm standing (nope - I'm sitting) - I like to read your posts - because they're always completely logical/factual and thats an advantage in my mind.

Pastures often posts silly stuff with the rest of us. And, she makes amazing jokes herself. (and gets some when she's tuned into the person) she has a cracking sense of humour:)

lostinrates

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I do understand many of the frustrations displayed on this thread but I cannot believe the ignorance displayed as well. That's the main reason I keep bashing on, I'm just trying to correct some of the misapprehensions.

And its appreciated. Howver, I would suggest its a misapprehension to consider the housing related costs negligable.

Thats is not to ay I think people who don't have housing should not be providedfor but to consider it incidental: what is for most people the bigest expence they have, is similrly biased.

pipkin71

ceridwen wrote: »

I think some tenants even manage to get phone line rental/broadband costs covered in their rent too..

I do find that very hard to believe ceridwen.

Max_Headroom_3

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm sure we've all shared with "lodgers from hell" but, as they have no security of tenure, it's easy to get rid and move on to someone more congenial.

I'd be interested to know whether you have really lived on £64/week and shared with (and easily and instantly disposed of) dodgy lodgers.

Or whether it's all airy fairy theory...

Max_Headroom_3

geoffky wrote: »

i have been saying for years a life on benefits are very grim and not the great party time a lot of people would have you believe....welcome to the real world...

I'd suggest that that depends very much on your circumstances. Certainly (as I said in my initial posts) someone I know who's been on benefits as long as I've known her lives in a nice little house, drives around in a nice little car and seems to be able to fund a nice little lifestyle.

£130 Nikes for her sons birthday recently doesn't exactly smack of a very grim existence...