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

MrDT

mewbie wrote: »

I do have a suggestion. If Max can sell his house, and take to sleeping on a park bench, then we could merge two of the longest threads on here.

Does Max live in Felixtowe?

Max_Headroom_3

I could move there if it'd help!

I could take Dopesters advice and STR!!

PasturesNew

PasturesNew wrote: »

... and maybe the phone will ring any minute...

And to prove it, mine rang just 2.5 hours after I posted that, interview this morning, started immediately - and I mean immediately, out of the interview room and sat at a desk.

You just never know "when" and, alone, you start to wonder "if" instead. But it is "when".

(Only 5 weeks' work or so, so no need to do the congrats thing... it'd be over before you lot finished :P )

lostinrates

PasturesNew wrote: »

And to prove it, mine rang just 2.5 hours after I posted that, interview this morning, started immediately - and I mean immediately, out of the interview room and sat at a desk.

You just never know "when" and, alone, you start to wonder "if" instead. But it is "when".

(Only 5 weeks' work or so, so no need to do the congrats thing... it'd be over before you lot finished :P )

Its never too short to congratulate. I've done it twice already on your first day

Max_Headroom_3

PasturesNew wrote: »

And to prove it, mine rang just 2.5 hours after I posted that, interview this morning, started immediately - and I mean immediately, out of the interview room and sat at a desk.

You just never know "when" and, alone, you start to wonder "if" instead. But it is "when".

(Only 5 weeks' work or so, so no need to do the congrats thing... it'd be over before you lot finished :P )

That's brilliant news, well done you!! :T

Max_Headroom_3

Little bit of an update. Remember the lady I mentioned who was living on benefits and buying the £140 Nikes?

Well, I've managed to find out how she (quite legitimately) does it.

Basically, she gets child maintenance from each of the fathers of her two children. That comes to about £240 from one and £150 from the other.

Then she gets income support. Not very much apparently because they take the maintenance she receives into account, but a small amount. This also then entitles her to free school meals for her kids, free prescriptions, and other bits and pieces.

Then she gets child benefit. forget how much, I did know. I'm sure someone can tell us.

Then she gets her three bedroomed house rent paid for outright.

Then she gets council tax paid for.

We worked out that someone working and getting no benefits would have to take home something like £1,400 a month to cover this level of income!

So before tax they'd have to be on over £20K a year just to match her. And that's before you start figuring what the free prescriptions and school meals and whatever else are worth.

She doesn't have to sign on every two weeks as I have to, she doesn't have to be seen to be looking for work. She has to attend some sort of career interview once every six months but there is no onus on her to actually have to be looking for work at all. Nothing to prove.

So basically, she got herself pregnant at (working on an educated guess at the age of her oldest) about 16, and again by someone else a bit later, (she's late twenties now) and she's now on the equivalent of over twenty grand a year.

Hence the Nikes, obviously...

Nice "work" if you can get it.

Now, what shall I spend my £15 after paying the bills on this week? Oh yes that's right, that's for food... :rolleyes:

dial8d

In total agreement with you Max. Society in this country is in a shocking state.

I wish you all the best.

SingleSue

Blimey, she gets more maintenance for one child (the lowest amount you quoted) than I get for 3!

harryhound

lostinrates wrote: »

I make a note of sales prices in areas I'm looking at, and I take the agricultural press (Frmer's weekly nd Farmer's Guardian) and read the relevant agents' reports. There are also a few internet resources.

"Farmland Market" is based on "Farmers Weekly" I think. It tries to list all the significant farms that have changed hands and the price they went for.
To this it adds articles about the business of farming, subsidies, laws of land and tenancies etc etc.
It also lists, comments on and graphs the various indices on land prices compiled by the government and estate agencies.
I've not found anything nearly as comprehensive by poking around on Google.
However, as you can see, it is not a cheap option:
(Thinks: I wonder if the local agricultural college gets it and I could gate crash their library?)
http://www.isubscribe.co.uk/title_info.cfm?prodID=1995

(I accidentally discovered that a "farm" of interest to me in Dorset changed hands earlier this year and 3 GBP at the Land Registry suggests that a holding of 70 - 80 acres sold for a smidgeon under 2 million, admittedly it includes a nice traditional farmhouse in a secluded location with views. But that works out at 15 - 25 K per acre for the scruffy grazing, depending on your valuation of the house.
Obviously this is not a business raising sheep meat, it is a life style hobby.)

Harry.

PS will get back on thread now:o

harryhound

So basically, she got herself pregnant at (working on an educated guess at the age of her oldest) about 16, and again by someone else a bit later, (she's late twenties now) and she's now on the equivalent of over twenty grand a year.

As a resident of S.Essex, I am well aware of this syndrome.
When the first kid goes off to school, the untrained mother loses her status and gets bored; so it is time to have another one.

Is there not a government proposal to impose a job seekers allowance regime on single mothers, when youngest child is 11?