"Living" on benefits
"A single woman on benefits is expected to live on £62 a week; a single mother with two children on £193.85. Inexplicably, mothers under 18 get £12.60 a week less. "
I took this factoid from an article in the Tribune about prostitution and it got me thinking about what people mean when they talk about a "state of entitlement", "spongers" or people "living" on benefits. Which got me on to do some research. First, anecdotal. Two of my friends have now experienced redundancy, and another is likely to very soon. They spent some time on benefits - to which they were more than entitled - and reported variously that it sucked, was the most depressing and debilitating point in their lives, and that they no longer have any savings.
So, putting aside various issues like how being in work and earning your own money contributes to feelings of self-worth and value, problems of unemployment, long-term illness and the current government cuts that threatened further redundancies let's look at some numbers.
If I were to suddenly be without work what would my "benefits" (it's a terrible word, isn't it, implying all sorts of non-existent rosy positivity. I think overall I prefer "the dole")
So, I've not got a job and my income is therefore £0. I need to find a new job and not die in the meantime. How do I do this?
My situation shouldn't be too complicated. I'm fit and able. I've got no children or people I need to care for except for myself.
I used this page at the DWP and this handy calculator to find out, along with various other charts and tables on national and government websites. I can state for the record that it was rather complicated to pick out these numbers and I consider myself pretty good at navigating complex information. This was mind-boggling and eye-watering. I was hoping to grab some ballpark figures by which I could assess the potential damage of not having a job, and it was Not Easy. Good thing I'm not lumbered with the stress of this being real (yet). For a start, I wouldn't be doing this on a work PC like I am now.
Job seekers allowance (info here) Right. Yes, I am over 18 and not an OAP. Yes I am looking for a job. Fab, I can claim. Next. There are two types, one is contribution based (based on my NI) and I can get it for 182 days. I have no idea where that figure comes from. Or I can get an income based one if I haven't paid enough NI. Whichever, and frankly, it's not clear, the maximum I can get is £65.45 a week. Good job I'm not under 25, they only get a maximum of £51.85. Which makes sense, because as we all know stuff is cheaper when you are 24, and then that whole 25-or-over tax kicks in. Um.
Housing and Council tax allowance This sounds good, doesn't it? I can get money to pay my rent and not pay council tax. Fab. It is rather complicated. And in order to calculate proper numbers I need to officially login to various websites as officially unemployed. So I did some research here Right, I live with one other person (kangeiko ) and we are not in a couple despite frequent allusions to my being her wife. I am eligible for a 2 bedroom place. Marvellous. Now, I can supposedly have a maximum of £300.00, per week which sounds like a lot and I'm starting to like the sound of this. However, this figure will be less because I share so goes down to up to £238.21 a week, which is less good but still I get to keep a roof over my head. However, once I'd inputted this into the handy calculator, my Job seekers allowance went down to £0 a week. This is getting less and less good. I'm also going cross-eyed. And I still don't know whether my (foolish prudence!) small savings are going to scupper any of this money. Hmm, time to head over and look specifically at my local council (Wandsworth). There's a jolly little downloadable leaflet to help me understand, which I click on eagerly, because frankly, The Canterbury Tales in the original Old English made more sense than this.
Eligibility first, and it looks like I'm ok, although you are clearly buggered if you are a student or an immigrant (which is odd, as I thought those were the two main groups sponging off the state). I need to send them every document I've ever acquired in my life. along with who I live with. I still have no further clarity on whether this will or will not cover my rent, but a handy IM conversation with tyrell who has been through the entire process helped me out on this and I'm going to assume that I can pay rent and am not on the street.
So, how do I support myself?
I've got £65 in my pocket a week, I need to eat, pay bills and go out and find work. I'm going to assume (to counterbalance my positive assumption that my rent is ok, that I have to do this by myself, without any cash or in-kind support from my folks, from kangeiko or from other friends). I'm also going to assume I have no savings.
Monthly bills can come off first. My share of the electricity, water, council tax and suchlike is £100. I also pay £40 a month for someone to come in and clean the house. I think that might be the first to go, and I'm not at work, so I can scrub the bath myself. Then there's "luxuries". Subscriptions also need to go. No Time Out and no Good Food. No monthly chocolate box from Hotel Chocolat. There's actually a huge list of "no", which basically involves anything fun. Then *sob* there's my iphone. That's not a cheap item. Can I justify it on the basis of needing to be able to make calls to find work, to check emails and to call my mum to wail about the unfairness of life? At £40 a month, probably not. I can use the landline, I can use skype and I can check emails on my laptop. So that takes me down to £40 a week.
Now, that I have shelter I need food (I'm scuttling around the bottom base of Maslow's pyramid here) Here, I feel on pretty confident ground. I'm good with food, I'm a good cook, I'm not in work so I can shop around a bit. There are some basics in the house that will not evaporate the minute I become unemployed - but I don't think we're in caviar land here. OK, currently I spend a lot on food, and shop in nice places. Let's put a stop to that. Instead, I'll get some basics and won't be fussy, but will try and eat fruit and veg so I don't die of scurvy. Let's say that I can feed myself for £25 a week, all in. It's very boring, but it's serviceable: Cereal and coffee (£1.50 for a box of cereal, £2 for real coffee, 50p for milk) jacket potato with cheese, tuna or beans for lunch (£1 potatoes, plus value beans, spread, tuna, cheese £4) with some tomatoes and cucumber (£2). I can make a big pot of chicken soup to eat for dinner (£4 chicken, celery, onions, mixed veg plus bread and butter to go with £3). Pasta and tomato sauce is cheap too (£3). Carrots, apples and bananas for snacks (£2) I'm also getting a large bar of chocolate and some cheap biscuits cos I'll be miserable and need the sugar high (£2). Now that looks pretty good, and healthy. But I'm damn sure I'd be sick of it by a week. Note that I have failed to buy household basics like loo-roll or toothpaste and there is a complete lack of variety, everything is eaten at home and no trips to restaurants, cafes or cheaky coffees. Not even a pint of beer to drown my sorrows.
I've got £15 a week left. Good job I don't smoke. I do need to leave the house, however. I'll have to go to my job interviews (or at least to the Job Centre). I shall get the bus to a bigger, cheaper supermarket for my weekly shop. Buses are cheapest at 80p a journey so let's say £5 a week on transport.
What if something goes wrong? I've got £10 in my pocket. That won't fix anything. Yet, that's my "disposable" income per week. In London. I can't even call you on my mobile to tell you how awful that is.
EDITED DUE TO WOBBLY LINKS
I took this factoid from an article in the Tribune about prostitution and it got me thinking about what people mean when they talk about a "state of entitlement", "spongers" or people "living" on benefits. Which got me on to do some research. First, anecdotal. Two of my friends have now experienced redundancy, and another is likely to very soon. They spent some time on benefits - to which they were more than entitled - and reported variously that it sucked, was the most depressing and debilitating point in their lives, and that they no longer have any savings.
So, putting aside various issues like how being in work and earning your own money contributes to feelings of self-worth and value, problems of unemployment, long-term illness and the current government cuts that threatened further redundancies let's look at some numbers.
If I were to suddenly be without work what would my "benefits" (it's a terrible word, isn't it, implying all sorts of non-existent rosy positivity. I think overall I prefer "the dole")
So, I've not got a job and my income is therefore £0. I need to find a new job and not die in the meantime. How do I do this?
My situation shouldn't be too complicated. I'm fit and able. I've got no children or people I need to care for except for myself.
I used this page at the DWP and this handy calculator to find out, along with various other charts and tables on national and government websites. I can state for the record that it was rather complicated to pick out these numbers and I consider myself pretty good at navigating complex information. This was mind-boggling and eye-watering. I was hoping to grab some ballpark figures by which I could assess the potential damage of not having a job, and it was Not Easy. Good thing I'm not lumbered with the stress of this being real (yet). For a start, I wouldn't be doing this on a work PC like I am now.
Job seekers allowance (info here) Right. Yes, I am over 18 and not an OAP. Yes I am looking for a job. Fab, I can claim. Next. There are two types, one is contribution based (based on my NI) and I can get it for 182 days. I have no idea where that figure comes from. Or I can get an income based one if I haven't paid enough NI. Whichever, and frankly, it's not clear, the maximum I can get is £65.45 a week. Good job I'm not under 25, they only get a maximum of £51.85. Which makes sense, because as we all know stuff is cheaper when you are 24, and then that whole 25-or-over tax kicks in. Um.
Housing and Council tax allowance This sounds good, doesn't it? I can get money to pay my rent and not pay council tax. Fab. It is rather complicated. And in order to calculate proper numbers I need to officially login to various websites as officially unemployed. So I did some research here Right, I live with one other person (kangeiko ) and we are not in a couple despite frequent allusions to my being her wife. I am eligible for a 2 bedroom place. Marvellous. Now, I can supposedly have a maximum of £300.00, per week which sounds like a lot and I'm starting to like the sound of this. However, this figure will be less because I share so goes down to up to £238.21 a week, which is less good but still I get to keep a roof over my head. However, once I'd inputted this into the handy calculator, my Job seekers allowance went down to £0 a week. This is getting less and less good. I'm also going cross-eyed. And I still don't know whether my (foolish prudence!) small savings are going to scupper any of this money. Hmm, time to head over and look specifically at my local council (Wandsworth). There's a jolly little downloadable leaflet to help me understand, which I click on eagerly, because frankly, The Canterbury Tales in the original Old English made more sense than this.
Eligibility first, and it looks like I'm ok, although you are clearly buggered if you are a student or an immigrant (which is odd, as I thought those were the two main groups sponging off the state). I need to send them every document I've ever acquired in my life. along with who I live with. I still have no further clarity on whether this will or will not cover my rent, but a handy IM conversation with tyrell who has been through the entire process helped me out on this and I'm going to assume that I can pay rent and am not on the street.
So, how do I support myself?
I've got £65 in my pocket a week, I need to eat, pay bills and go out and find work. I'm going to assume (to counterbalance my positive assumption that my rent is ok, that I have to do this by myself, without any cash or in-kind support from my folks, from kangeiko or from other friends). I'm also going to assume I have no savings.
Monthly bills can come off first. My share of the electricity, water, council tax and suchlike is £100. I also pay £40 a month for someone to come in and clean the house. I think that might be the first to go, and I'm not at work, so I can scrub the bath myself. Then there's "luxuries". Subscriptions also need to go. No Time Out and no Good Food. No monthly chocolate box from Hotel Chocolat. There's actually a huge list of "no", which basically involves anything fun. Then *sob* there's my iphone. That's not a cheap item. Can I justify it on the basis of needing to be able to make calls to find work, to check emails and to call my mum to wail about the unfairness of life? At £40 a month, probably not. I can use the landline, I can use skype and I can check emails on my laptop. So that takes me down to £40 a week.
Now, that I have shelter I need food (I'm scuttling around the bottom base of Maslow's pyramid here) Here, I feel on pretty confident ground. I'm good with food, I'm a good cook, I'm not in work so I can shop around a bit. There are some basics in the house that will not evaporate the minute I become unemployed - but I don't think we're in caviar land here. OK, currently I spend a lot on food, and shop in nice places. Let's put a stop to that. Instead, I'll get some basics and won't be fussy, but will try and eat fruit and veg so I don't die of scurvy. Let's say that I can feed myself for £25 a week, all in. It's very boring, but it's serviceable: Cereal and coffee (£1.50 for a box of cereal, £2 for real coffee, 50p for milk) jacket potato with cheese, tuna or beans for lunch (£1 potatoes, plus value beans, spread, tuna, cheese £4) with some tomatoes and cucumber (£2). I can make a big pot of chicken soup to eat for dinner (£4 chicken, celery, onions, mixed veg plus bread and butter to go with £3). Pasta and tomato sauce is cheap too (£3). Carrots, apples and bananas for snacks (£2) I'm also getting a large bar of chocolate and some cheap biscuits cos I'll be miserable and need the sugar high (£2). Now that looks pretty good, and healthy. But I'm damn sure I'd be sick of it by a week. Note that I have failed to buy household basics like loo-roll or toothpaste and there is a complete lack of variety, everything is eaten at home and no trips to restaurants, cafes or cheaky coffees. Not even a pint of beer to drown my sorrows.
I've got £15 a week left. Good job I don't smoke. I do need to leave the house, however. I'll have to go to my job interviews (or at least to the Job Centre). I shall get the bus to a bigger, cheaper supermarket for my weekly shop. Buses are cheapest at 80p a journey so let's say £5 a week on transport.
What if something goes wrong? I've got £10 in my pocket. That won't fix anything. Yet, that's my "disposable" income per week. In London. I can't even call you on my mobile to tell you how awful that is.
EDITED DUE TO WOBBLY LINKS