It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

seasalt_2

I must admit it always used to make me mad reading newpaper articles about the best way to invest your child benefit (even if for the child later on) as I needed every penny of mine - at one time it was my weekly food shop.

purpleheather2810

Afternoon everyone. I haven't been on this thread for a while but thought I would drop in and catch up with everyone. I'm worried about these benefit cuts too - we will still be entitled to child benefit but it does make you wonder what will be next...!

Mythi

AnnieG wrote: »

Hello
I've just been watching the news and am getting very worries indeed about the forthcoming spending review... child benefit for people in the higher rate tax band is the first thing to go... I don't think the way they're applying the cut is fair personally, but that's my opinion.
I'm now very anxious about the job market and really hope I find something before they public sector starts cutting jobs left right and centre and the pool of applicants gets a lot bigger.
Lovely day here though, at least enjoying the sunshine is free!!!

You and me both Annie. Its bad enough now there seems to be very few jobs out there and so many applicants for each and every vacancy. I was made redundant at the end of August and have lost count of the number of jobs I have applied for and I haven't managed to get an interview for one of them yet. (I have asked for feedback on my applications and those that have got back to me have said they were just inundated with applicants and/or I am too experienced). The more I hear about the spending review the more worried I get.

Primrose

I remember working in an HR department during a previous bad recession and we used to receive literally hundreds of applications for every vacancy. It was overwhelming trying to deal with them all and I was told it would "cost too much money" in time and postage to reply to them all. But I think it does give a company a bad image not to do so, especially when people are out of work and desperately waiting for some kind of signal to arrive through their letter box. In the end we sent out a standard pre-printed letter saying that due to the overwhelming number of applications it was impossible to reply to each one individually and that we would not be progressing their application further. It's not an ideal solution but when you think of the time and trouble people spend filling in application forms, writing letters and waiting in hope, I think they deserve to be treated with some basic good manners, even if you're the bearer of bad tidings.

purpleheather2810

I can understand why it would be depressing not to get any kind of reply or acknowledgement. However, I have mainly worked for/applied to local authorities in my working life and ours never, ever send out letters to those who have not been shortlisted for interview. I suppose we've just got used to it over the years. Most people apply online and receive an email acknowledgement that their app has been received and I believe you can send an SAE if you want an acknowledgement of your paper application. They do usually say when the closing date, shortlisting and interview is, and will often put "if you don't hear by xx date, you have not been successful on this occasion but thank you for your interest in this post". I think that is just as polite as a standard rejection letter would be and I'm grateful that our local authority doesn't waste money on sending them out to 100s of applicants every week. It's not very green either.

Kitcaboodle

Despite having skills & a CV generally referred to by recruitment agents as "Excellent", I was unemployed for a year before I got my current temporary position & I applied for at least three jobs a week and I think I had one or two rejection letters or e-mails in the course of the entire year!

I could see from the counter on the Reed website that there were a good couple of hundred applicants for every position.

In the end I concentrated on the jobs with the most time consuming application process, as they weeded out some of the competition who either didn't have the time to complete them or couldn't be bothered. That was how I got the job I eventually got!

RAS

I recall receiving 19 rejection letters one day, chasing jobs in an industry where the major UK company had just made it entire graduate intake redundant 1 month before they started.

Even before the election,the few jobs we had here attracted attracted a litle less than 100 applications each. Part of the problem is that people now have to prove that they have applied for a target number of jobs to get their JSA, one poster reported 17 job applications per week required. Sounds great until you are the person having to short-list through a load of applications that have no relevent experience and do not come anywhere near the job specification.

the_cat

Mythi wrote: »

The more I hear about the spending review the more worried I get.

It will almost certainly not be (quite) as bad as they are making out. It is standard practise for governments of every political persuasion to 'big up' the problem in advance as a way of making people scared of just how bad things will be. In theory we will all then be grateful that it is not quite as bad as expected, roll over and accept our fate:mad::mad::mad:. It also gives them the opportunity to lie and tell us that their deft management has 'saved' us from a worse fate :mad:

That's not to say we aren't in for a bad time, we obviously are! But at least with the info and support on threads like this one, we are as well prepared as we can be to ride the storm

littleowl

Nargleblast wrote: »

I think it's fair enough that those on low incomes should not have to pay taxes to subsidise child benefit for the higher earners, and I am fortunate enough not to be one of those over £44000 salary-people affected. However, it does make you think - once they have attacked the sacred cow of child benefit, what will they turn their attention to next? The State retirement pension maybe? I have always believed that it is unwise to presume that there will always be a State pension or benefits to fall back on, and that you should always endeavour to plan your finances for your retirement - what income you will have, what your costs of living are likely to be. I do hope I am wrong.

I am afraid that I do agree that those earning over £44,000 pa should not receive child benefit. It is a lifeline to those on a low income so why should they subsidise, through tax, those receiving such an income? I also think that wealthy pensioners should not have the winter fuel allowance, perhaps the coalition will grasp that nettle next.
If the spending review results in a fairer society then I am all for it.

Perhaps it is easy for me to say because, despite working through a four year degree and bringing up children on my own my highest salary was £23,000 as an FE lecturer so I never reached the higher tax bracket. But then again, doing a worthwhile job that you really enjoy has rarely brought financial benefits.

flowertotmum

Hi all...i agree its very worrying for us all...i must have been sheltered from it all before hubby was made redundant..now i'm in total shock and i really don't want to watch the news any more..is it true that there is going to be a cap on how many benefits one family can have...if we have to move to get jobs then thats really going to !!!!!! us up..with fern at school and samuel at college..i am worried...hubby reckons it won't come to that but what if it does....
take care all