The jobless are no shirking scroungers – you try living on £65.45 a week

Batchy

vaporate wrote: »

I'm only after office work to be honest. So 6 months of 'communications officer' experience should be a start.

I know a few science grads still unemployed

When I graduated I went into a cushy job on 13k, then took a paycut for a life changing job, training to be a chartered accountant for 9k per annum, rising yes, but not near as fast as I would have liked.

During the 9k per annum, I run a flat, a car, business suit attire, a gf (who left me in the end, due to finances getting me down)
Its not easy... but now, im reaping the rewards. Im clue'd up, no one can pull the wool over my eyes.

You just have to take a chance in life and hope it pays off.

Being on the social for the rest of your life will only give you a chance of nothing, doing something opens doorways... to path ways that can lead to big things.

vaporate

Batchy wrote: »

When I graduated I went into a cushy job on 13k, then took a paycut for a life changing job, training to be a chartered accountant for 9k per annum, rising yes, but not near as fast as I would have liked.

During the 9k per annum, I run a flat, a car, business suit attire, a gf (who left me in the end, due to finances getting me down)
Its not easy... but now, im reaping the rewards. Im clue'd up, no one can pull the wool over my eyes.

You just have to take a chance in life and hope it pays off.

Being on the social for the rest of your life will only give you a chance of nothing, doing something opens doorways... to path ways that can lead to big things.

I know what you mean. This '6 months' is my first 'real' paid experience. Prob why job hunting was a nightmare.

I have a degree too, but in this day of age everyone has one.

Congrats on your achievement. 9k a year while running a car must of been crazy. Don't worry about the ex gf, the fact she left because of money says it all.

mbga9pgf

Me and the missus live off 170 quid a month for food.

Cant imagine when you are on the dole there is much else to spend?

Get a bus to the job centre. Cant afford it? Walk.

The rest we all have to pay is provided for you, rent, council tax, even some bills.

What I disagree with though is that there should be a flat rate for those who have paid into the system for decades, to be told, you have savings, no JSA chum.

Sickening if you ask me. They need to categorise between those who choose not to work and those that HAVE worked and due to bad times, cannot now work. Big difference between the two, the former can go starve, the latter should be fully supported by the state up to 24 months if neccessary.

BitterAndTwisted

mbga9pgf wrote: »

What I disagree with though is that there should be a flat rate for those who have paid into the system for decades, to be told, you have savings, no JSA chum.

Sickening if you ask me. They need to categorise between those who choose not to work and those that HAVE worked and due to bad times, cannot now work. Big difference between the two, the former can go starve, the latter should be fully supported by the state up to 24 months if neccessary.

There is a flat rate for those who have paid enough NI contributions in the past 2 years regardless of savings: it's called contributions-based JSA and is an entitlement which lasts for six months. Thereafter one goes onto income-based JSA where saving are taken into account, although what savings a person could expect to have after 6 months on £65 a week JSA doesn't bear thinking about. They're probably like me with absolutely none after working solidly, paying tax for over 35 years.

Sometimes I feel like chucking myself out of the window but there would be little point: I don't live high up enough to do a decent job of it

The_White_Horse

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Sometimes I feel like chucking myself out of the window but there would be little point: I don't live high up enough to do a decent job of it

on the bright side, you will probably get incapacity benefit...

Jomo

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

There is a flat rate for those who have paid enough NI contributions in the past 2 years regardless of savings: it's called contributions-based JSA and is an entitlement which lasts for six months. Thereafter one goes onto income-based JSA where saving are taken into account, although what savings a person could expect to have after 6 months on £65 a week JSA doesn't bear thinking about. They're probably like me with absolutely none after working solidly, paying tax for over 35 years.

Sometimes I feel like chucking myself out of the window but there would be little point: I don't live high up enough to do a decent job of it

I would go a little further and say that those who have contributed a certain amount and have lost their job through redundancy would be entitled to a larger amount for a set period of time. Those who are longterm unemployed would stay at the lower rate.

mitchaa

silvercar wrote: »

You've got a pretty big car if a tank of petrol costs £65.

When was the last time you filled your car?

A normal everyday car such as a Vauxhall Astra costs close to £65 to fill up.

lostinrates

I fill two cars....a susuki and the land rover...neither costs £65 at a time, but my dad's old audi cost more than that before he sold it. The LR certainly would chug through £65 quickly though.

drc

A._Badger wrote: »

Funny how the chorus of abuse that howls like a Now Show audience at any article from the Mail, falls silent when a piece from the (equally biased) Guardian is posted.

Also interesting to note that The Guardian article is very quick to mention Cameron's expenses claims, yet conveniently ignores that it is 3 Labour mp's who are currently being charged with expenses fraud.

PasturesNew

Where I live, LHA is £470, CT £75, JSA would be £280.
£825/month to sit on your !!!!.

Or, find a job at £6/hour for 40 hours per week, which is £12,500/year, or £879/month.

Chuck in that to work for 40 hours means you're out of the house for 11 hours/day Mon-Fri, have to have your hair done more often, have to buy work clothes and have shoes reheeled and have other incidental costs ... then there's the cost of getting to/from work ... and it's not really winning is it.

The problem is: high house prices. High house prices = high rents. If rents were only £200/month, not £470, then there's a clear benefit to working.