Benefit cuts to hit more than 330,000 children

Bogof_Babe

p00hsticks wrote: »

So taking that thought to the logical extreme, shall we say that unless a person has a watertight signed employment contract that guarantees them employment throughout their working life, even if they fall ill, if they should not be allowed a contact phone in case they become sick or lose their jobs ?

No, obviously things happen and you just have to manage the best you can. However I question the wisdom of granting someone on basic benefits a £45 a month phone contract, especially if it means they then end up at the food bank.

nannytone_2

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

Care to share the network she's on? Sounds far too good to be true. I thought I was doing well with an old 3 contract that I've kept going, £13 for unlimited internet - however there's only something like 250 minutes and 2000 texts. (As I only use about 20 minutes a month and maybe 50 texts it wouldn't be a problem, but I don't use that as my main phone anyway.)

talktalk.
its for existing customers and on a 30 day rolling contract ... sp no long sign up.
i think its £24 for non talk talk customers .

i know its accurate because i am the talk talk customer and her phone is in my name. not something id usually do, but because its only a 30 day rolling contract, the most i could lose is £12

Bogof_Babe

Fair enough, I've found it! It's SIM only so she would have to buy her own phone. I was really talking about folk who are sucked in by the amazing offers in phone shop windows, to get (e.g.) a brand new iPhone 6 on contract for "only" £45 a month!

nannytone_2

i don't think many that survive on JSA would get a £45 a month phone contract ...
and even if they were silly enough to ... i can't see that they'd be approved via the credit check anyway.
they may if only recently unemployed, but someone like that probably wouldn't stay unemployed for long.
( my friends FIL gave her his 'old' phone ... an iPhone 5 ! )

missapril75

nannytone wrote: »

as i said ... £12 a month allows my friend unlimited calls, texts and internet usage.
far cheaper than having a landline and paying for calls and a broadband connection!
PAYG costs roughly 10 p per text and different amounts for calls. £12 a month on a PAYG wouldn't get you very far

Call me old fashioned but I don't understand the "need" for sending texts. Broadband or similar is absolutely essential for internet access. Once that's paid for I really have little need for a phone call let alone texting.

I have better ways to use my fingers and thumbs. :rotfl:

nannytone_2

missapril75 wrote: »

Call me old fashioned but I don't understand the "need" for sending texts. Broadband or similar is absolutely essential for internet access. Once that's paid for I really have little need for a phone call let alone texting.

I have better ways to use my fingers and thumbs. :rotfl:

i am blind and find using the internet on a mobile impossible.
i do text though, as i have a speaking app.
i don't have a touch screen because i can't use it, but manage fine with the buttons.
i never had a mobile at all until about a year ago, and i finally gave in to my daughter because she worries about me when i go out for a wander

rogerblack

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

No, obviously things happen and you just have to manage the best you can. However I question the wisdom of granting someone on basic benefits a £45 a month phone contract, especially if it means they then end up at the food bank.

And you have statistics on how many people on benefits take out 45 pound a month phone contracts?

pipkin71

nannytone wrote: »

as i said ... £12 a month allows my friend unlimited calls, texts and internet usage.
far cheaper than having a landline and paying for calls and a broadband connection!
PAYG costs roughly 10 p per text and different amounts for calls. £12 a month on a PAYG wouldn't get you very far

We have rolling contracts in our house so only have to give 30 days notice to quit [we all own our phones outright]. DDs are with Virgin and have the unlimited texts, calls and 1GB of data for £10 per month. Eldest can make over 4,000 texts per month :eek:so thank goodness for the package we have. I pay £12 per month and have unlimited phone, text and data It is much cheaper having a contract than it would be to have a P.A.Y.G

zagfles

pipkin71 wrote: »

We have rolling contracts in our house so only have to give 30 days notice to quit [we all own our phones outright]. DDs are with Virgin and have the unlimited texts, calls and 1GB of data for £10 per month. Eldest can make over 4,000 texts per month :eek:so thank goodness for the package we have. I pay £12 per month and have unlimited phone, text and data It is much cheaper having a contract than it would be to have a P.A.Y.G

Not if you make sensible use of bundles on PAYG, All the networks offer 30 day bundles which are similar to contract inclusive minutes/texts/data, or give you "rewards" for topping up which means you get the credit as well as the bundle.

They're usually a bit more expensive than a contract, but are a lot more flexible eg you can choose a different bundle every month, or not buy one if eg you're going abroad and so won't be able to make use of it...far easier than changing a contract every month!

And the biggest advantage is no chance of a bill in the thousands if someone steals your phone - there are professional thieves who steal phones in order to run up massive bills to premium rate numbers they get a cut of.

Bogof_Babe

rogerblack wrote: »

And you have statistics on how many people on benefits take out 45 pound a month phone contracts?

Funnily enough, no I don't :rotfl: . Do we now have to have statistics to support anything we have a view on?

Like it or not, the temptation is there, and (while taking Nannytone's point about credit checks) most people desire a trendy phone, and from my observations most people of all ages and walks of life seem to have one about their person.

I observe this a lot as I spend a great deal of time on trains and waiting around in railway stations. Sometimes I can travel half an hour while a young woman or lad chats away non-stop on their phone, with not a word about "better finish, my credit is low". Being very careful not to generalise, they are often the sort you would not expect to have either a job or a private income.