Worse of by working.

krisskross

Charityworker wrote: »

Unfortunately we have a government which is cutting peoples benefits when there are no jobs to get and then wonder why people are having to live in poverty. They can't have it all ways. They said the comfortable income for a 2 adult 2 child family is £17,000PA. Well I'm way under that at £14,500PA.

Do you have rent, council tax etc to pay out of that income of £14,500?

Was it not you that said you lived on about 2p a week but you hadn't mentioned most of your benefit income?

Charityworker

krisskross wrote: »

Do you have rent, council tax etc to pay out of that income of £14,500?

Was it not you that said you lived on about 2p a week but you hadn't mentioned most of your benefit income?

Yes we pay £89 of our £99 a week rent and our full council tax bill of £21.59 a week out of that.

krisskross

Charityworker wrote: »

Yes we pay £89 of our £99 a week rent and our full council tax bill of £21.59 a week out of that.

OK so things have obviously improved for you since earlier in the year. Still you have £160 a week left after housing costs. If there is just 2 of you this is almost riches!

Charityworker

krisskross wrote: »

OK so things have obviously improved for you since earlier in the year. Still you have £160 a week left after housing costs. If there is just 2 of you this is almost riches!

No there's 4 of us not 2.

benefitbaby

Credit-Crunched wrote: »

If you spent as much time looking into saving money and obtaining a second job as you do looking to see how much more you can squeeze out of the system then you would be a lot better off.

Before I get flamed, anyone spending £180 on a Sky TV package and claiming poverty is setting them self up for a fall.

Your post is a little harsh especially as the OP is intent on working, is currently a full-time carer (saving the NHS and LA's a small fortune) and does not actually spend £180 per month on a Sky TV package.

Marisco

To be fair though benefitbaby, if someone comes on complaining that they cannot manage, then the first thing they think of should not be "how do "I get more benefits/not lose the ones I get", "but what luxuries can I cut down on". Sky is, without a doubt, a luxury. The loan payments are very high as well, why not negotiate with the creditors to get those down. Going on what the op has written (and that is all we can go on) there is a lot of scope for savings. TBH she'd have been better off going onto the DFW board for advice on lowering outgoings.

PhGage

BigAunty wrote: »

There is a website called cheap recipes written by an MSE member where she feeds a family of 4 for £100 a month and a lot of the recipes are dairy free.

It's Weezl, Allegra and MSE friends' Cheap Family Recipes and the vegan option is option 2.

superwoman4

merlin68 wrote: »

If you can tell my hubbie to cut back on his mobile sky and tv you are welcome to him, i have been trying for 16 years lol. it's like talking to a brick wall. He'd rather starve, all my friends have tried he justs blanks them.

OldMotherTucker suggested getting rid of the dog, I think the husband is the problem !
The solution is simple really, earn more and spend less.

Marisco

superwoman4 wrote: »

OldMotherTucker suggested getting rid of the dog, I think the husband is the problem !
The solution is simple really, earn more and spend less.

:rotfl:You got that right!! I think it's unfair to expect people to get rid of family pets though, I would never suggest that! I had 2 cats (one died recently ) and I would have starved myself before getting rid! No, going on what the op posted, there is plenty of scope to cut down on incomings, before getting rid of pets.

merlin68

LOL the dog is staying shes far cheaper than the hubbie or kids, perhaps i should sell them all on ebay.