Should jobseekers allowance be increased?

[Grandad.Malky 11]

Yes. it should be at least 100 pound per week if not 150.

 

150 a week for nowt or just over 200 for 40 hours on minimum wage …… decisions decisions .

[chem1st 10]

150 a week for nowt or just over 200 for 40 hours on minimum wage …… decisions decisions .

 

After and before tax respectively.

[evolution200 10]

No definitely not, if anything it should be lowered to £45.00

 

How absolutely ridiculous. I was laid off between Christmas and New Year, and given one months notice. I hadn't worked there long enough to be entitled to redundancy pay.

 

I now get £60.50 a week. I get £44.00 per week Housing Benefit. My rent is £66.00 but the £22.00 difference is for central heating, water rates and a 'tenants levy'. I obviously have to make up this £22.00 per week otherwise I get into rent arrears and face eviction.

 

This then leaves me with £38.50 a week to live on. Out of this, I have to pay my TV Licence and electricity. At the moment, because I am out of work and at home, I am using more electric than normal, so am having to pay £11.00 per week.

 

I then have to try and buy enough food for one week.

 

On top of this, I need to find money for travelling to job interviews. If I can line up enough interviews in a week, I will buy a weekly ticket from First for £16.00, otherwise, if it works out cheaper, I get a day saver each time I need to travel.

 

And you say JSA should be reduced? Never mind the fact that because I was in, what I thought was, a secure job, I entered into contracts with BT and Sky... I now am meant to be paying them for services as well. I've been unable to pay BT and Sky, so they have been cut off. This is obviously considered a 'luxury', but a working telephone line can be beneficial whilst looking for work.

 

I think that sometimes, people think that just because a person is claiming benefits, they deserve to suffer and be made to survive on the lowest possible income. Sometimes though, people are not on benefits through choice. I'm certainly not. And I find your comment really offensive.

 

Rant over.

[summer1955 10]

How absolutely ridiculous. I was laid off between Christmas and New Year, and given one months notice. I hadn't worked there long enough to be entitled to redundancy pay.

 

I now get £60.50 a week. I get £44.00 per week Housing Benefit. My rent is £66.00 but the £22.00 difference is for central heating, water rates and a 'tenants levy'. I obviously have to make up this £22.00 per week otherwise I get into rent arrears and face eviction.

 

This then leaves me with £38.50 a week to live on. Out of this, I have to pay my TV Licence and electricity. At the moment, because I am out of work and at home, I am using more electric than normal, so am having to pay £11.00 per week.

 

I then have to try and buy enough food for one week.

 

On top of this, I need to find money for travelling to job interviews. If I can line up enough interviews in a week, I will buy a weekly ticket from First for £16.00, otherwise, if it works out cheaper, I get a day saver each time I need to travel.

 

And you say JSA should be reduced? Never mind the fact that because I was in, what I thought was, a secure job, I entered into contracts with BT and Sky... I now am meant to be paying them for services as well. I've been unable to pay BT and Sky, so they have been cut off. This is obviously considered a 'luxury', but a working telephone line can be beneficial whilst looking for work.

 

I think that sometimes, people think that just because a person is claiming benefits, they deserve to suffer and be made to survive on the lowest possible income. Sometimes though, people are not on benefits through choice. I'm certainly not. And I find your comment really offensive.

 

Rant over.

 

you are right there the only people better off on the dole is the people with a big family

[Olewicz 10]

If you raise it too high, where is the incentive to get people to actually go to work?

 

The fact that we have to sit all home all day everyday bored silly.

[sheffDJ 10]

I was laid of last week in Jan, i have never been unemployed before after nearly 18 years of employment i thought i would find work straight away how wrong i was, my wife still work so we do not get our rent paid for but still need to pay all the bills we normally do only with half the £££ we normally have, if its taxed based like mine then yes get it raised I have worked long and hard for it.

[Missdan 10]

How absolutely ridiculous. I was laid off between Christmas and New Year, and given one months notice. I hadn't worked there long enough to be entitled to redundancy pay.

 

I now get £60.50 a week. I get £44.00 per week Housing Benefit. My rent is £66.00 but the £22.00 difference is for central heating, water rates and a 'tenants levy'. I obviously have to make up this £22.00 per week otherwise I get into rent arrears and face eviction.

 

This then leaves me with £38.50 a week to live on. Out of this, I have to pay my TV Licence and electricity. At the moment, because I am out of work and at home, I am using more electric than normal, so am having to pay £11.00 per week.

 

I then have to try and buy enough food for one week.

 

On top of this, I need to find money for travelling to job interviews. If I can line up enough interviews in a week, I will buy a weekly ticket from First for £16.00, otherwise, if it works out cheaper, I get a day saver each time I need to travel.

 

And you say JSA should be reduced? Never mind the fact that because I was in, what I thought was, a secure job, I entered into contracts with BT and Sky... I now am meant to be paying them for services as well. I've been unable to pay BT and Sky, so they have been cut off. This is obviously considered a 'luxury', but a working telephone line can be beneficial whilst looking for work.

 

I think that sometimes, people think that just because a person is claiming benefits, they deserve to suffer and be made to survive on the lowest possible income. Sometimes though, people are not on benefits through choice. I'm certainly not. And I find your comment really offensive.

 

Rant over.

 

It should be increased, especially for those who are losing their jobs now, through no fault of their own. What makes it worse is the fact that people with mortgages had to wait 9 months for any help, though I think that is changing as we speak. Some of the comments on this post are totally derogatory, they are lumping people who want to work and who are doing everything in their power to find work with those who don't really and never have wanted to work.

[LukeD 10]

How absolutely ridiculous. I was laid off between Christmas and New Year, and given one months notice. I hadn't worked there long enough to be entitled to redundancy pay.

 

I now get £60.50 a week. I get £44.00 per week Housing Benefit. My rent is £66.00 but the £22.00 difference is for central heating, water rates and a 'tenants levy'. I obviously have to make up this £22.00 per week otherwise I get into rent arrears and face eviction.

 

This then leaves me with £38.50 a week to live on. Out of this, I have to pay my TV Licence and electricity. At the moment, because I am out of work and at home, I am using more electric than normal, so am having to pay £11.00 per week.

 

I then have to try and buy enough food for one week.

 

On top of this, I need to find money for travelling to job interviews. If I can line up enough interviews in a week, I will buy a weekly ticket from First for £16.00, otherwise, if it works out cheaper, I get a day saver each time I need to travel.

 

And you say JSA should be reduced? Never mind the fact that because I was in, what I thought was, a secure job, I entered into contracts with BT and Sky... I now am meant to be paying them for services as well. I've been unable to pay BT and Sky, so they have been cut off. This is obviously considered a 'luxury', but a working telephone line can be beneficial whilst looking for work.

 

I think that sometimes, people think that just because a person is claiming benefits, they deserve to suffer and be made to survive on the lowest possible income. Sometimes though, people are not on benefits through choice. I'm certainly not. And I find your comment really offensive.

 

Rant over.

 

I'm in a very similar situation, but how about binning the TV cos you don't need it and therefore won't have to pay for the licence!!

[LukeD 10]

No definitely not, if anything it should be lowered to £45.00

 

I'm guessing you are on JSA and have too much loose change sloshing around? No?

[happyhippy 11]

If you cant work, you don't get JSA, cause you wouldn't be actually seeking a job. DLA/IS is different payments, as far as im aware. Correct me if im wrong..

 

Glad to correct you. Disability Living Allowance is for people with disabilities whic affect their day to day living to such an extent that they need extra help. This can be claimed whilst working too, and is not means tested.

 

Income Support is for people who legally don't have to seek work, which isn't necessarily the same as 'can't work'.

 

I agree.

 

Increase it to minimum wage, on the proviso that to earn it, those claiming have to go out and do something. There are plenty of potholes that need filling, streets that need cleaning, litter that needs removing etc.

 

Forced labour is never a good thing, especially for those who have done nothing wrong in law. Community service due to unemployment is deplorable.

 

It should be enough to survive, not an alternative to living through working.

 

Indeed, and that's pretty much what it is.

 

150 a week for nowt or just over 200 for 40 hours on minimum wage …… decisions decisions .

 

I agree that sid's (I hope tongue-in-cheek) response is daft, but there is still extra help for people when on the minimum wage.

[slimsid2000 10]

If you cant work, you don't get JSA, cause you wouldn't be actually seeking a job. DLA/IS is different payments, as far as im aware. Correct me if im wrong..

 

You are sort of right but they have a deliberate policy of taking people from IS and similar payments and putting them on JSA. In practice many people on JSA are not fit for work or have any realistic chance of getting a job.

[craigmason 10]

You are sort of right but they have a deliberate policy of taking people from IS and similar payments and putting them on JSA. In practice many people on JSA are not fit for work or have any realistic chance of getting a job.

 

I bet these people who are forced onto jsa are the same people who get sanctioned by the jobcentre for not looking for work