28 Years Working - Now On JSA

PhiltheBear

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

It may not be lucrative but neither is living on minimum wage! As alexjohnson says, JSA is supposed to be a survival income, not a comfortable one. Put it any higher and there'd be even more people sitting at home watching daytime tv!

As someone who has been on JSA for over 3 months now I find that remark insulting. I've applied to (on average) over 60 jobs per day. But, as I'm now nearing 60, I'm not even considered. I've paid lots of money in tax, NI etc over the years but now it comes to needing help (and I do mean need) the system fails me miserably. From the just under 60 quid a week I get I have to fund such luxuries as going to the Job Centre, which costs over £5 per fortnight, and which I have to do to keep getting the JSA. I have to fund a phone to call people and let them call me (about jobs). I have to eat, clothe myself and pay fuel bills. Luckily my very old car is taxed and insured - but when they run out... Pints of beer? Don't make me laugh. I can't afford a haircut. If I get an interview I'll splurge the money to get one in the hope that I'll get the job - but it's a gamble and if I lose it I'll not eat for two days.

I, and most other single people on JSA, don't "sit around watching daytime TV". Of course, if I was married with kids under 18 then I'd be getting a whole lot more. I suggest that before making the sort of stupid remark quoted that you try and survive on £60 for a week. It's not even a survival amount. Or perhaps you could itemise for me how I might best spend all this largesse whilst still looking for work? Perhaps you'll suggest something really dumb like I should go and work in McDonalds because it's better than being on JSA. Of course it would be. But then I wouldn't be able to try and pursue a 'proper' job.

The cost of living has increased dramatically over the past year. Bread, for example, has nearly doubled in price. Milk has gone up over 30%. Gas and electricity over 25%. That's just staples. JSA, on the other hand, is set to rise by about £1.50 per week. Perhaps you'd better hold me back before I splash it all out on a new plasma TV and a dish of caviar.

Until I got into thus situation I used to moan about people on benefits too. But having experienced it I can guarantee you that I'll never moan again.

Oldernotwiser

I'm sorry that I've upset you, which was not my intention. Obviously there are many people who are on JSA who are desparate to work (have you really applied for nearly 4,000 jobs?) and if you are used to having a decent income it must be very difficult. Unfortunately it seems to me that if JSA were increased by, say, 50% to a more liveable amount then it would indeed be an attractive proposition for many. That would be putting it up to the level of IB and at that point an enormous number of people just don't bother. (Please don't shout at me, I know that there are many people on IB who deserve it but there are also many who don't.)

I'm afraid that I disagree with your comment about not taking a job in Mcdonalds because it wouldn't leave you time to job hunt. I doubt that you can have been suited to all the jobs you've applied for and you might have been more successful if you'd concentrated on making quality applications rather than applying wholesale. You might also find employers more interested if they could see that you were prepared to take any employment.

I do hope that you get another job soon but I really do think that if JSA were raised to a more comfortable level then there would be many people who would find it attractive compared to working on a low wage.

nogard

Learning from a very expensive series of mistakes (by the time I am 65 my errors will have cost me £120000!) I now advise people:-

Don't delay,act today
Tomorow you'll be glad
No longer being sad
It's citizen's advice for me
They don't even charge a fee
Look forward to a debt free day
And be certain it will come your way.