How do people live off £317.72 Universal Credit?

ska_lover

Wow K80 That spread sheet is fantastic! So well thought out

I am going to print that out and give it to a young person I know who lives alone. Much appreciated

One very cheap meal, that I genuinely adore, is marmite and spaghetti.

I eat it at every opportunity, husband hates it though hah

MovingForwards

£20 a month electric (incl shower, hob and oven) prepay meter. Lights and sockets off when not in use.

£16 a month gas (heating / hot water). Came out of winter, provided meter readings and that's what the DD dropped down to.

£0 water as Scotland and it's in the CT bill.

£7.99 per month Netflix.

£40 per month internet, could go cheaper (contract)

£50 per month travel (petrol)

£34 per month phone (contract)

£100 per month food.

As long as the person had no debts, arrears, other outgoings when on UC / JSA etc then it works as a stopgap between jobs.

The above are my actual household outgoings.

On top of that there is full rent (currently £345pm shared flat) and council tax (£76pm) both hugely discounted if not working.

car insurance (£21pm) and car tax (£13pm) paid in full each year. *

Car repairs (£29pm) as long as I have no more repair bills aside from the MOT, but again both bills were settled in full. *

Historic debts (£113pm) **

* If I wasn't working the car would have to get sold after the insurance ran out.

** Would be token payments or DRO (or Scottish equivalent)

I don't actually earn much more than someone on UC, receiving housing benefit and council tax discount.

nicetomeetyou

My utilities which consist of, Electric, Gas, Water, virgin media, house phone, Internet = £130 a month
-- I'm unable to cut down on that amount as paying that was agreed when I moved into shared house.

I worked it out I have £40 a week left for food and entertainment + weight watchers.
-- £30 a week for food
-- £5.75 a week for entertainment -
-- £17 a month for weight watchers subscription

I am managing okay on the £30.00 a week food budget,

I like K80's spreadsheet...

K80_Black

I'm glad people like the spreadsheet!

Are the bills organised by a housemate, or the landlord? Either way, it sounds like you're being ripped off - that amount for a room in a shared house is incredibly high. One of my friends found out that the person organising the bills at her uni was skimming money from everyone else as well as paying nothing themselves. Something similar could be going on here.