How can i survive on £39.25 per week from the Social?

Hammyman

mandi wrote: »

Posts like this really hack me off .

I would love to see how anyone could live off £40.00 a week inclusive of bills . Is this a case of " I'm all right jack " or have you actually done it Hammyman ?

If so I am sure the OP will be interested how you coped

Back in the late 80's my then girlfriend and I lived off £22 between us / £11 per person. It would probably equate to £40 now. Bare essentials as I listed above because they are all you actually need. It was rubbish and much time was spent with friends and family to avoid putting heating and lighting on. But it can be done. Trouble is too many people think a phone, internet and TV is an essential. The fact is you've only five main essentials you need to pay for:

Roof over your head - HB will cover that
Food
water
Light
Heat.

Everything else is simply a luxury.

Indie_Kid

But internet is needed to search for jobs. Not everywhere has a local library with internet access.

Hammyman

sh1305 wrote: »

But internet is needed to search for jobs.

Bollox. The internet is needed to search for jobs FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

You're obviously under 30. Before the internet there used to be these things called local/regional newspapers people used. Once a week you'd get a job section with loads in. You still do.

Also, people used to cold call on businesses as well as using contacts and finding out through word of mouth.

Most of the jobs I've applied for haven't been done from searching on the internet.

Your stupid statement makes me wonder how many morons are unemployed because they think that all vacancies are advertised on the internet so only look there.

Indie_Kid

My JSA agreement states I have to use the internet daily to search for jobs. How do I do that with a newspaper? The local has jobs listed on a Wednesday.

I never said I only looked on the internet. My statement isn't "stupid". And I'm not a "moron".

duchy

There's no need to be rude ! (To Hammyman not the OP)

For some they will have access to free internet-for others if they don't live in a town centre then it may be walk of several miles if all their available income is spent on food/heat etc (Oh and keeping a reserve for bus fares to an interview if one comes up). Not saying an adult in normal health wouldn't do this on a weekly basis but not sure it'd be feasible daily to check for replies to applications/look for new vacancies.

Sometimes it isn't as easy as the smug employed appear to think -I'm not saying that some don't play the system (I have a pair living next door who do-they think I'm a fool to be working when I could be claiming instead) but I also think that it isn't as easy as some claim and also if you've never been in the situation before you've never had to know about alternatives or even thought about how it works in the real world (as opposed to the Mail reader's imagination)

lynzpower

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But you don't have that sort of thing done (unless in an emergency) when you're not working.

it depends how long your not working for though, surely! And the state of your health when you become unemployed.

Lets not forget that being unemployed in itself causes or exacerbates health problems!

HappyMJ

ceridwen wrote: »

I would assume that, in those circumstances, one would provide a "breakfast" to the lodger included in the rent (ie 1 roll and butter and a sachet of instant coffee would count as "breakfast" I would imagine?). People on income support don't pay Council Tax anyway - so there wouldnt be the need to worry about losing the single person discount (until such time as one got back into work and had to start paying C.T. again).

So - if I have my maths right!!!?? - that would mean income from a lodger would be (at an inclusive rent of £75 per week, including "breakfast")
- £20 per week keepable anyway
- and 50% of the other £55 (ie because one had supplied "breakfast")

TOTAL £47.50 (minus those "breakfast" ingredients and whatever extra fuel/water the lodger uses). If the lodger was as careless as they often are with the landlords resources - there would be odd other costs - ie them nicking bits and pieces of your cleaning materials/cosmetics/food and exerting a bit of unfair "wear and tear" on your possessions that werent THAT bad you could charge them for replacement due to something looking "battered", rather than looking "new" as it would have if they werent living there too.

You need to speak to my council to get my old bill written off then. If a properties spare rooms are let to all students or all people on income support then there is no CT to pay but if one of those is not a student and is not on IS/JSA and works for a living then 75% of the council tax is due and that is payable by the live in landlord whether or not they are on IS/JSA or not. I had a lodger in the past and lost much more than I gained. You should see all the letters I have from the head of the collections department at the council. And all the court cases with liability orders granted in the councils favour. I still refuse to pay for those months in 2005/2006 and they seem to have stopped trying to collect it.

Yes it's true breakfast does not need to be a full fry up and bread/butter/cereal/milk and tea/coffee will suffice.

Oldernotwiser

lynzpower wrote: »

it depends how long your not working for though, surely! And the state of your health when you become unemployed.

Lets not forget that being unemployed in itself causes or exacerbates health problems!

You're right that it depends, but nobody should be living on hardship payments for more than 6 months. I certainly wouldn't expect to go to the hygenist for teeth cleaning when unemployed!

ceridwen

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But you don't have that sort of thing done (unless in an emergency) when you're not working.

Well - if one is only out of work for a matter of a few weeks then its possible to postpone some of that expenditure - ie "I'll have the dentist check-up in a couple of months then - should have a job again by then". One does have to bear in mind though that unemployment might very well last for longer than that - many people have unemployment continuing for literally months....:eek:

When I was unemployed I took the view that I had no idea how long the unemployment was going to last - so I had better continue as normal with dealing with things like that, rather than postponing them. As some "medical things" will cause pain until dealt with too - then there would be no question of even postponing something for even a matter of hours...anything causing pain has to be dealt with immediately regardless of what the financial situation is.

Even regarding something like teeth cleaning - I wouldnt dare wait....as I would be putting myself at risk of losing teeth and I intend to get through till the Final Countdown with a full set of my own.

Deep_In_Debt

HappyMJ wrote: »

Yes you seem to have got extremely complex and slightly complicated mixed up. Trust me it's complex... Yes you gain an extra £80 per month but you must then provide at least 1 meal per day to your lodger. You must pay additional on the gas and electric and water bills. I'm assuming they actually want a shower and well it's costs extra to heat that water and provide it. You must also now pay the council tax. Granted you'll get 25% off if just 1 lodger but you must now pay it. My CT bill is £72 per calendar month with 25% off. So I'd only be up by well I wouldn't be up by anything I'd be losing.

I was worse off having a lodger. I lost my single person's CT discount and my bills doubled.

So having a lodger is not always a good thing.