I was watching the diary of a young woman trying to live on her Jobseeker’s Allowance. She explained what her outgoings were and how the allowance was not enough to pay for everything. In fact, at the end of the week, she did not have any money to buy food. I’m surprised her rent was so low – she must be in a bedsit. It’s a good thing she doesn’t smoke, because tobacco is extremely expensive. Yet, I have seen how young smokers still insist on buying cigarettes despite not being able to afford it.
Her outgoings were pretty reasonable, so she shows that the Jobseeker’s Allowance is unreasonable to live on. She gets fifty pounds a week. I don’t have any suggestions to offer her, except perhaps, to cancel her TV license. She pays five pounds each week for the privilege of watching TV. She can use that money to buy a little food. She did not mention a mobile phone, so perhaps, she does not have one. That rather surprises me, seeing the number of people using mobiles in the UK. However, it is a luxury that should go if you do not have the money, unless you have one of those cheap pay-as-you-go plans. We have a cell phone that is only used for incoming calls.
There are other small things that you may have to sacrifice when you are living on a very tight budget. However, sometimes the alternatives may be more costly, so you have to work out for yourself what is best. For example, we have a home phone and internet plan. It may not be the best idea and certainly, the plan is not the cheapest. But it was the most convenient in terms of timing. We could not afford to go into pubs and coffee shops everyday just to use their free WiFi. They expect you to buy food and drink while you are there. Some libraries offer free internet, but their computers are slow, you cannot be guaranteed a free computer when you walk in, and you may have to drive to the library. If you live within easy distance of the library, then this might be a viable option. Unfortunately, there are no free phones anywhere.
You can’t really live without water or electricity/gas. However, you can minimise your use of these utilities. In the summertime, you might not need heating and natural sunlight can provide lighting for your room. Perhaps, go to sleep when the sun goes down and wake up when it rises so that you don’t need to use electricity for light. I’ve already mentioned the water issue on another post. Even with all that, I can’t see how fifty pounds will suffice. Though it is more than the child benefit. You can’t feed children on the amount they give.
maybe nationalised workhouses would be the better option in this instance
UK Jobseekers is disgusting, iv worked consistently for over 20 years, every month iv given around a third of my wages to the government and this is all they give me £128.60 a FORTNIGHT!
i think that being given same amount of money they give people who have NEVER worked is disgusting, the DSS are unhelpful, rude and arrogant, i could run rings around these monkeys at a corporate level yet they speak to me as if im something they’ve trod in!
Viva La Revolution i say, send the unruly yob kids to war and punish the lazy!
The British Government are clueless bunch of morons!
Gary
My partner has been trying to survive on benefits since being thrown out at 15. He has lived in a hostel, and environment which saw his weight plummet to 7st at a height of 6ft because he couldn’t afford the luxury of food.
His benefits have now been cut (alongside everyone else’s) and the shortfall between his rent and housing benefit is £70 pcm.
Why are the government doing this?
Simple; the Tories wish to kill off the poor. Literally.
Was on jobseekers a couple months ago found a part time job of 12hrs a week, as advertised on the Job Center website you can claim if you work under 16 hrs, how does this work then?
Everything i earn comes off my jobseekers! The minimum wage is 5.93, so if i work my 12hrs i get £71.16. I live at home and still cant afford to live!! You get nothing if you try and work these days! But if i had a kid, id get a flat, Jobseekers, Child benefit the lot!!! This Country and Government needs to wake up sharpe!!! Our Generation are looking and seeing whats the point??! Hardly any jobs out there anyway and when you get one no one bothers to help!!!
and i agree with you Gary its totally wrong but most young kids are unruly because the is nothing to do!! Join a football team nowadays you have to pay, down the park the are no football posts and everything costs money now! Most havent been bought up with family values! I have spent quite a lot of time in Greece growing up and you look around, families together every evening, in town and on the beach weather they are 2yrs old or 25! You dont see them drinking on the streets, getting in fights in clubs/bars! This all stems from parenting and respect, this country has no respect anymore! and most parents nowadays ust have kids to get benefits!!!