Boycott workfare in Sheffield

[monkey69 10]

None .......

 

in that case then i think you are too well off to be able to undertsnad how tight things are for people on benefit, those figures you have posted have very little relevance for most people, i am a single bloke , no dependents, on 67 pounds a week, housing benefit that has to be topped up by 20 per week, as well as water rates of 7 pound a week, food bill of 20 pound a week, pay the gas leccy 15 pound a week, . now that dont leave much,

some people think we like on smoked salmon and drink champage

[millsands 10]

Do you pay all your bills with £65 though?

What about your rent & council tax paid in full by the local authority - your free dental treatment & eye tests - your free prescriptions - & other concessions that people on benefits receive? Working people have to fork-out for all of these out of their wage.

 

out of the 67.50 per week, still have to pay a certain part of the rent ie service charge, my rent is 60.00 per week and i have to pay £7.10 per week out of the 67.50.. yes council tax gets paid.. with eye tests £30.00 every 2 years.. depends if you are ill with prescriptions not a every week thing and then only £7.30 if needed.

and if you are lucky enough to find an NHS Dentist the cost for anything that is needed is capped to £195.00 for a full treatment or just say £20.00 for a check up

so out of the £67.50.. per week have to pay out

£5.00 for Child Support

£10.00 Gas

£10.00 Electric

£7.00 Water and service charge

you could say £10.00 travel per week

this leaves about £25.00 for food, clothes and phone if you have one..

 

could you live on that ?

 

These are figures for a single person

 

I really do think every one thinks we live the high life.. plus dont forget the depression that sets in when you cant get work when you have worked all your life and feel like you are on the scrapheap at the age of 47.

I hope that you are never in the same situation

Edited February 20, 2012 by millsands

[pottedplant 10]

single parent on income support with 3 children (weekly rate):

 

personal allowance £ 65.00

dependant’s allowance (x3 kids) £ 57.00 x 3

family premium £ 22.00

total £ 258.00 per week

x 52 weeks £ 13,416.00 per year

 

plus:

council tax (paid by local authority) £ 800.00 (p.a)

rent (paid by local authority) £ 4,680.00 (p.a)

total net equivalent income: £ 18,896.00 per year

 

plus:

free dental/optical treatment & free prescriptions

 

and free school means - you forget that one every time! Making a gross income of approx £25 k.

[pottedplant 10]

out of the 67.50 per week, still have to pay a certain part of the rent ie service charge, my rent is 60.00 per week and i have to pay £7.10 per week out of the 67.50.. yes council tax gets paid.. with eye tests £30.00 every 2 years.. depends if you are ill with prescriptions not a every week thing and then only £7.30 if needed.

 

so out of the £67.50.. per week have to pay out

£5.00 for Child Support

£10.00 Gas

£10.00 Electric

£7.00 Water and service charge

you could say £10.00 travel per week

this leaves about £25.00 for food, clothes and phone if you have one..

could you live on that ?

 

These are figures for a single person

 

My daughter is currently racking up student loans - after using these to pay for rent. utilities. travel and water she does not have £25 per week for food clothes and phone .

Edited February 20, 2012 by pottedplant

[monkey69 10]

My daughter is currently racking up student loans - after using these to pay for rent. utilities. travel and water she does not have £25 per week for food clothes and phone .

 

yes but she could get a few hours work, legally, if we did and didnt declare it we would be put in prison, its got to be 16 hours, and then you loose a pound for every pound earned, so unless its huge hourly rate theres no chance of being able to earn even a few quid. its a catch 22 situation , claiming JSA

[millsands 10]

My daughter is currently racking up student loans - after using these to pay for rent. utilities. travel and water she does not have £25 per week for food clothes and phone .

 

i totally disagree with student loans.. we did not have that burden when we left college or uni.. I feel sorry for my son who is going to start life with a massive debt around his neck.. and I can empathise with your daughter

[pottedplant 10]

yes but she could get a few hours work, legally, if we did and didnt declare it we would be put in prison, its got to be 16 hours, and then you loose a pound for every pound earned, so unless its huge hourly rate theres no chance of being able to earn even a few quid. its a catch 22 situation , claiming JSA

 

I do sympathise - I just wanted to show the analogy that its not just those on benefits that live on v tight incomes.

[pottedplant 10]

i totally disagree with student loans.. we did not have that burden when we left college or uni.. I feel sorry for my son who is going to start life with a massive debt around his neck.. and I can empathise with your daughter

 

Thanks - don't want to hijack this thread and move onto the unjustness of student finance too but did want the poster to recognise that others live in v tight budgets too............and still have to pay for equal (or indeed more - prescriptions and the like) as those on benefits.

[squidge00 10]

Any one of you could lose your job tomorrow and end up on benefits like me

[Dragonfall 10]

I hope that you are never in the same situation

 

You make the assumption that none of us have been unemployed. Amongst us & my friends - living in Sheffield, we've all been on the Dole at one time or another.

[rapido 10]

so £67.50 a week is a fair wage to work for 30+ hours a week .. and dont forget i have paid into the system for 30 years to get this money. I hope that you never find yourself in the same situation

I'd love Bluedragonfly to end up in that situation.......soon. Imagine what fun they'll have splashing their £67.50 a week around (after paying for gas and electric, tv licence, food, clothing, basic pesonal needs); they can join the burgeoning utopia in the UK that is called unemployment. I'm not unemployed and I'm not reliant on benefits but I have been i the past and won't forget it. I hope everyone on this thread whos made a naff, ignorant comment about people on benefts, end up in the same situation........being hated for being poor

[rapido 10]

I'd love Bluedragonfly to end up in that situation.......soon. Imagine what fun they'll have splashing their £67.50 a week around (after paying for gas and electric, tv licence, food, clothing, basic pesonal needs); they can join the burgeoning utopia in the UK that is called unemployment. I'm not unemployed and I'm not reliant on benefits but I have been i the past and won't forget it. I hope everyone on this thread whos made a naff, ignorant comment about people on benefts, end up in the same situation........being hated for being poor

 

Pardon me, I meant dragonfall not Bluedragonfly