The gap between rich and poor in N.I?

System

x12yhp wrote: »

This is so subjective - it depends what you 'do'! I have spent the last 6 years doing a PhD and then a post-doc after. A PhD student will be earning the same money as you whilst a postdoc is going to be earning well over double (pre-tax). So, within my scope of experience, £13k is very much a 'starter' salary yet, at the same time, very few of those I know would truly be considered 'wealthy'.

I should also note that it is amazing how many times you walk down a row of terraced properties or a 'first time buyer' development and see nice new cars parked and large, flat screen TVs in the living room. I tend to think that the idea of 'poverty' is grossly misrepresented.

People in my position would not get a mortgage, the type of people you describe to me would be young professionals, No poverty to me is finding it difficult to buy food some weeks, finding it hard to heat your home, meerly surviving in life, not living.

Money_Grabber13579

nirelandguy wrote: »

Oh I agree, In actual fact I'd probably be better of on benefits by the time I would get housing benefit and what ever else.

But what I can't understand is I had a short spell of unemployment a few years back, the social security agency tortured me. If you walk down our street during the week you will see the wine team in the middle of the town, these guys have never done a days work in there lives and they get away with it, or I am sure we have all seen the single mums pushing there fancy prams around town in there fancy clothes. It angers me to be honest

And so it should! I have no problem with people who try hard, but just can't survive on what little they get. If they need to get their salary topped up with benefits, then fair enough. (That's my idea of a socialised society) But there are just far too many people who don't even try, and then expect it all from the government. (And then lie, to get even more.) They are the one's who seem to have all the luxuries in life, like the 2million inch wide screen TV's and all the latest fashion.

What would I like to do with all the scroungers? Just leave them. Don't give them a penny. They don't deserve it. (And before someone reads everything that I haven't written and takes a hissy fit again, some groups of people need benefits i.e. disabled, those who are unemployed, but actually can't find work, not for want of trying.)

x12yhp

nirelandguy wrote: »

People in my position would not get a mortgage, the type of people you describe to me would be young professionals, No poverty to me is finding it difficult to buy food some weeks, finding it hard to heat your home, meerly surviving in life, not living.

With all due respect, people like you HAVE been able to get mortgages and buy homes. I am not talking about high end properties, I mean the very bottom end of the market - the places where young professionals WONT be.

You are getting £13k after tax. You can easily rent a place (inc rates) for £500, insurance/tv license/telephone maybe £50 a month, couple of hundred pounds for food (this is decadant for an individual!), car insurance £50 a month, oil/heating at £100 a month (again, this is rather a lot) - I am at £900 and this is pretty luxurious living. You have nearly £1100. I don't see where poverty comes in. I live pretty well and will spend even less than that. Fair enough, dependants will make a difference, but on your salary, you will be getting help and there is another parent who could also contribute.

Ex-Spendaholic

Interesting topic.

From where I see it there are a few different groupings in society.

1. The Don't work Won't Work

Never worked a day in their lives, know how to work the system and seem to have everything. They have child after child and these children grow up and do the same. They appear to have all the designer labels etc but probably owe thousands to catalogues.

2. People on Lower Incomes

Do have jobs but spend most of their time complaining that they don't earn enough but don't actually do anything about it. Probably get a load of tax credits but tend to forget about this when they are moaning.

3. People on Middle Incomes

Possibly perceived as rich by many but not rich at all - just good incomes but these are outweighed by the fact that they have high outgoings - child care costs etc etc. These people in general have worked hard to get where they are, took extra qualifications or became self employed. On paper they appear better off but in practice they aren't.

To be totally honest I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who moan that they don't earn enough. It is up to them to get off their asses and better themselves either by seeking a better job or by making themselves more marketable. This is done by gain more and more qualifications. There is no point sitting around moaning that people who have done this have more money than you.

System

Ex-Spendaholic wrote: »

Interesting topic.

From where I see it there are a few different groupings in society.

1. The Don't work Won't Work

Never worked a day in their lives, know how to work the system and seem to have everything. They have child after child and these children grow up and do the same. They appear to have all the designer labels etc but probably owe thousands to catalogues.

2. People on Lower Incomes

Do have jobs but spend most of their time complaining that they don't earn enough but don't actually do anything about it. Probably get a load of tax credits but tend to forget about this when they are moaning.

3. People on Middle Incomes

Possibly perceived as rich by many but not rich at all - just good incomes but these are outweighed by the fact that they have high outgoings - child care costs etc etc. These people in general have worked hard to get where they are, took extra qualifications or became self employed. On paper they appear better off but in practice they aren't.

To be totally honest I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who moan that they don't earn enough. It is up to them to get off their asses and better themselves either by seeking a better job or by making themselves more marketable. This is done by gain more and more qualifications. There is no point sitting around moaning that people who have done this have more money than you.

I agree, but it takes me nicely to my previous post in regards to jobs http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25861627&highlight=#post25861627 I'd be interested to hear what you advise when there is no work out there whether you a re a graduate or not.

In todays market, it doesn't matter if you could design and launch the next lunar voyager, there is no work out there

3 x Staff Nurses (Listed in wrong town)
1 x Drop Driver (Min wage)
1 x Sales Administrator (Min wage)
3 x Counter staff jobs for chip shops (Min wage)

Thats what you have, you may have went to uni for upteen amount of years, studied your heart out and thats what you had in the Cookstown area last week

x12yhp

nirelandguy wrote: »

I agree, but it takes me nicely to my previous post in regards to jobs http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25861627&highlight=#post25861627 I'd be interested to hear what you advise when there is no work out there whether you a re a graduate or not.

As I just responded on the other thread, you are not making a broad enough search for jobs and you are being far too specific in the area you are willing to work.

leftieM

Rach39 wrote: »

I totally agree with the sentiment that the more you do the less you get! My husband is self employed and I work full time. With the cost of childcare, mortgage etc we just about get by at the best of times but hubby has been without work for last 6 months (builder - need I say more?) and cannot claim anything in benefits as I still work full time. He worked with a guy who is single and lives in a housing executive house. As a result he says he's really not bothered if they get any work any more as has about the same level of disposable income as when he was working!! I'm all for hard work and stop whingeing but there really is very little incentive when you can sit back and get your rent paid, state benefits to pay for your cost of living and the odd homer cash in hand!!

Everyone who is unemployed and has sufficient NI contributions is entitled to receive 6 months of non-means tested JSA.

Ex-Spendaholic

nirelandguy wrote: »

I agree, but it takes me nicely to my previous post in regards to jobs http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=25861627&highlight=#post25861627 I'd be interested to hear what you advise when there is no work out there whether you a re a graduate or not.

Have just had a quick look but if you are restricting job hunting to looking at the jobcentre online and restricting yourself to Cookstown then you are probably on a road to nowhere.

I suggest you broaden your search - use a variety of mediums in searching for jobs - agencies, Belfast Telegraph plus the papers more local to you. Look at loadzajobs.com, look in shop windows, physically go to the job centre, don't rely on everything appearing online. Half the jobs are probably taken quickly by the people who visit the job centre so do not make it to the online stage. Why not phone companies and ask if they have vacancies?

In the meantime while you look for work then look at other avenues for earning extra money:

Cut grass and hedges
Clean gutters
Do odd jobs
See if any of the chinese takeaways etc need drivers
Look at Avon, Kleeneze etc etc
Sell stuff on ebay.
Take a look at the up your income forum on here for some inspiration

At the end of the day jobs and money will not come looking for you, you have to chase them.

Pretani

I'm really poor but my sister is really rich, I blame my father.

Golden_Anemone

leftieM wrote: »

Everyone who is unemployed and has sufficient NI contributions is entitled to receive 6 months of non-means tested JSA.

It certainly used to be the case that the self employed stamp didn't qualify for UB / Contribution based JSA. I assume from Rach39's post that is still the case.