How do you manage to survive on your jobseekers money?

Saturnalia

Horace wrote: »

I live from my store cupboard built up in times when money wasn't as scarce as it is now. I sometimes have food parcels from my parents but I tend to buy off the whoopsie shelf or use cheaper supermarkets.

Oh yes, the store cupboard. It's amazing what you can whip together cheaply if you have a decent selection of herbs, spices, soy sauce, worcester sauce, etc. So I stock up on all these things when I have a work-week, then when I am skint it is just the basics to buy.

Judith_W

19lottie82 I presume amazing cookie has to pay some tax and NI from this or does this come under the threshold? I thought NI was about £100pw

Sorry - just double checked and can see you're right!

Dunroamin

amazingcookie wrote: »

When I was on JSA I was living with my parents so I was able to spend all of the cash.

More fool your parents!

lori64

Coopdivi wrote: »

I've never worked on the side and I don't know of anybody on the dole who does.

How many unemployed people do you know and have you dobbed any of them in yet? If not why not?

Have you any idea of how many people make a bit on the side from selling on e.bay? Probably loads!!
Im unemployed, but havent a clue about e.bay, but if I did, I probably would try to make a few extra pounds to be honest....its called survival in this materialistic capitalist world that we live in!

And, no, I have never dobbed anyone in...never would, as you never know how desperate an individuals living experience is! Sometimes a person making even an extra few pounds a week, is the difference between a roof and food, or suicide!

Sharon87

Judith_W wrote: »

19lottie82 I presume amazing cookie has to pay some tax and NI from this or does this come under the threshold? I thought NI was about £100pw

Sorry - just double checked and can see you're right!

Unless he's on BR tax code, that takes 20% of your income. Believe me I'm owed £600 or so, so far from this year because of BR tax code. I think amazingcookie should check, and if he/she is on BR tax code, then fill out a p46 straight away and give it their employer! And claim tax back in April.

Also if they are under 21 minimum wage is a lot less.

He may be entitled to some housing benefit if he has a contract/agreement signed. I worked on a part time basis and claimed Housing Benefit. My hours varied wildly, so I went in every month with my paylsip so they could adjust my payment.

Coopdivi

lori64 wrote: »

Have you any idea of how many people make a bit on the side from selling on e.bay? Probably loads!!
Im unemployed, but havent a clue about e.bay, but if I did, I probably would try to make a few extra pounds to be honest....its called survival in this materialistic capitalist world that we live in!

And, no, I have never dobbed anyone in...never would, as you never know how desperate an individuals living experience is! Sometimes a person making even an extra few pounds a week, is the difference between a roof and food, or suicide!

In that case I apologise but the other post came across as a typical trolling post beloved of a certain type of MSE member.

Coopdivi

dickydonkin wrote: »

Not quite correct.

Those who have been 'silly enough' to prepare for hard times by putting a little aside in the good times do not get any assistance with housing benefits/council tax relief etc.

Income based JSA is means tested and if you have over 16 grand in the bank, then tough - by being frugal, these people have saved the welfare system a fortune.

Until the incentive to remain on benefits is removed - i.e. you are better of lying stinking in bed all day and breeding like rabbits - as opposed to getting off your !!!!! and working, then this problem will go on for ever.

And before anyone mentions the unemployment problem we have right now, this situation was going on long before the recession bit.

Just to add - yes, I have been unemployed in the current climate - at 50 years of age and after 35 years continuous employment. I got no assistance whatsoever. The jobcentre (an misnomer if ever there was one) were absolutely useless and many of my fellow jobseekers (another oxymoron) were unlikely to ever work. Would you employ someone with tattoos on their necks and face, unable to string a sentence together and when they do, it consists of mainly expletives?

In my period of unemployment, visiting that jobcentre was without doubt the worst and most humiliating experience of redundancy and it certainly brought home the state of this country.

I don't suppose you'll ever appreciate the irony of your whining about jobseekers using foul language while one of the words in your diatribe gets blocked by the swear filter :rotfl:

And if you think that 16 Grand is a little, feel free to throw a couple of hundred in my direction. I promise to be frugal with it.

Anyway I'm off to bed to breed like rabbits with The Invisible Man.

dickydonkin

Coopdivi wrote: »

I don't suppose you'll ever appreciate the irony of your whining about jobseekers using foul language while one of the words in your diatribe gets blocked by the swear filter :rotfl:

And if you think that 16 Grand is a little, feel free to throw a couple of hundred in my direction. I promise to be frugal with it.

Anyway I'm off to bed to breed like rabbits with The Invisible Man.

Using A.S.S. on a post is not the same as effing and blinding directly at a jobseeker agent. I hated those jobcentre people, but they were only doing their job and as such, should not have been spoken to in an offensive or abusive manner. If you call that 'whining' then so be it!

As for the 16 grand limit - if you read my post correctly, you will note that I had worked continuously for over 35 years and was made redundant. Redundant as in unemployed.

The 16 grand I alluded to included redundancy payments, lieu of notice payments and some savings I had accumulated over my years of employment - money I had to live on. I did not get any council tax reductions or other hidden benefits - I had to pay my own way.

My point was that if I hadn't saved over the years, then the welfare system (something I paid into all of my working life) would have had to support me.
I did get a little CBJSA for a short time - but that was it!

I seem to have touched a raw nerve - you really need to get that chip off your shoulder coopdivi!

Enjoy your breeding!;)

moose1982

How do people survive? I think it is easier for some people over others. If, previously, you were earning say just over minimum wage, then cutting little things out is much easier when compared to someone who earnt quite a lot and had to suddenly change so much of their lifestyle. If you were earning a lot, then to suddenly have to stop going out for a nice Sunday lunch, giving really expensive gifts at birthdays etc to friends and family, stop going on a nice holiday etc etc, that is hard to do. But if you earnt at the lower end, I think you don't care about things like expensive gifts or nice holidays, I think you appreciate little things more.

I'm sorry that will not go down well with people who did earn a good amount, but it is how I see how the jump from earning to going onto JSA affects people in different ways.

dickydonkin

moose1982 wrote: »

How do people survive? I think it is easier for some people over others. If, previously, you were earning say just over minimum wage, then cutting little things out is much easier when compared to someone who earnt quite a lot and had to suddenly change so much of their lifestyle. If you were earning a lot, then to suddenly have to stop going out for a nice Sunday lunch, giving really expensive gifts at birthdays etc to friends and family, stop going on a nice holiday etc etc, that is hard to do. But if you earnt at the lower end, I think you don't care about things like expensive gifts or nice holidays, I think you appreciate little things more.

I'm sorry that will not go down well with people who did earn a good amount, but it is how I see how the jump from earning to going onto JSA affects people in different ways.

You are spot on moose.

To add to your point as well, as in my situation, I had been working continuously for a long time and had managed to accumulate some savings.

The plus side (if that is the correct terminology) of being made redundant at 50 was that I got a reasonable payout by virtue of my long service and I had also managed to pay off my mortgage - a large burden off anyones shoulder.

I had to cut the cloth accordingly after my redundancy, however, as you have correctly alluded to, I acccept that is was a little easier for me than some you described.

Everyones circumstances are different, however, the shock of redundancy is very likely the same for everyone - irrespective of their income.