Could you live on £60 per week? And could your MP?
February 12th, 2009 by Antonia Bance Posted in livelihoods
Yesterday, Tony McNulty MP, the minister for employment, admitted on BBC Radio Five Live that he couldn’t survive on the amount of money his department gives to people who are out of work.
Quoted in the Independent, he says “I don’t think I could. I’d be the first to say that.”
Currently, single people without children who are over 25 are eligible for £60.50 per week in jobseekers’ allowance, not including the cost of their rent or mortgage.
But with 1.97m people unemployed in the UK, and the number rising as the recession bites, surely it’s time to think about whether we should increase benefits. People being made redundant now may find it hard to get back into work quickly, and the longer the time spent below the poverty line subsisting on inadequate benefits, the bigger the impact on your health, wellbeing and self-esteem.
When a joint project between several research organisations asked 39 groups made up of members of the public of all incomes, they found that a single working age adult needs a budget of £158 per week, not including housing, to get by. This wasn’t about looking at what people wanted, but what they needed to meet their basic needs and have a chance to participate in society.
And that’s surely what we want – people on benefits having the chance to work out how to get a new job, get some skills or get out of poverty, not people on benefits wondering how they’ll last the week, whether they can afford the bus into town to look for work or the phone call to the potential employer to see if there are vacancies.
In the UK, in 2009, in the teeth of an economic crisis, when people across the country are worried about their jobs, surely we all deserve the security of knowing that if the worst happens and we get made redundant, we’ll be able to get by and maintain a barely acceptable standard of living.
So perhaps you should think – could I live on £60 per week? If you couldn’t, perhaps you should ask your MP - could they? And if not, surely it’s time to raise benefits.
18 Responses to “Could you live on £60 per week? And could your MP?”
By Ruth on Feb 12, 2009
I’m currently living on this- as I’ve been forced to take time off work due to illness. My bank tells me that my income is �250 less than my outgoings at the moment. So if I’m getting �240 a month, that needs to be more or less doubled to cover my basic living costs. Gas and electric are so expensive now. I don’t spend very much at all. Sometimes I have trouble affording prescriptions and things. Also, another thing is that being involved in community and doing stuff in the local area is really important if you are unwell and trying to recover. There’s so much I can’t afford to do, it makes my recovery even harder. Plus the added stress of worrying if my bills are going to bounce this month, and if I’m going to get more bank charges doesn’t help either!
By Nicola Smith on Feb 12, 2009
The TUC has found that UK unemployment benefits relative to wages are some of the lowest in the developed world – and as JSA is linked to inflation and not wages the real terms value of unemployment benefit now is lower than in the last recession. Lets hope the pressure builds for them to be increased!
By Godwin Odusami on Feb 12, 2009
The government has lost touch with the reality in our societies, my situation is so critical that my family could hardly afford three square meal in the UK of today, we have three yound children who have also been denied educational assistance, not being lazy but a state imposed poverty, I invite various organization to come and have a comprehensive report from my humble self. feel free to contact me I will be happy to point out the short comings of this government.
By Maeve on Feb 15, 2009
No where near enough to live on, let alone begin to think about moving forward. This kind of money, especially in these times makes it almost impossible to plan for next week alone for the future. For someone under 25 the amount is even smaller. Apart from continual budgeting, living of this amount really prevents you from engaging in society. When your friends ask you out, quite often you have to deline knowing that you quite simply can’t afford that lifestyle, and there is only so many times you can decline before they stop asking! Living off this amount quickly leads to debt as well. it is only when you actually live off this amount for a sustained period of time that you can fully understand the implications it has on your own life, how quickly your life can change nad thats really shocking. Maybe MPs and society should try living off this amount for a week – see how we all get on?! As more and more people sadly experience living on benefits for the first time with mass unemployment maybe a less extreme solution would be too simply raise benefit levels to a livable amount to get us through the hard times….
By Neil on Feb 21, 2009
Short answer – no. I reckon I could get by on £90 a week in the medum term, but not £60.
I am budgeting as a single person with no dependent children, it is probably easier for couples as some costs are shared – but I am counting in some things which are “needs” for me but others might be able to do without.
As a Citizens Advice adviser, I see those who can and those who cannot manage on benefits, and the reasons why.
Teaching good budgeting lifeskills is the biggest factor in helping people to cope on less, and to deal with the nasty surprises which life may send us, and there are an increasing number of groups who provide this.
Try Maria’s Story on YouTube for an example of someone for whom this training did make a difference. She doesn’t say it was easy, though …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAIGbM1sWBU
By Tony Rhodes(The National Carers Forum) on Feb 22, 2009
Tony McNulty has admitted he could not live on 60 quid a week, What about carers who look after their sick and disabled relatives, carers are expected to live on just over fifty quid, this benefit and to get it they must do a minimum of thirty five hours per week, my fiance works seven days per week and never has any time off.
The benefits system does not allow for people to participate in society, one just exists, while ministers like Purnell say the new welfare reform will help millions of people we all know this is a load of tosh, the new welfare system is just another way to persecute the poor , the sick, the least able, we are now starting to hear the same sort of voices of the 1930s in europe.
During this reccession the poor and the least able will be targetted by the government and all the parties, the elderly and the pensioners and the poor are now to be made the scapegoats for all our countries ills.
By Will on Feb 23, 2009
Neil – I think you’re right that teaching budgeting skills is vital, but watching Maria’s (really touching) story brought home just how much effort is involved in getting by on a low income. Her envelope system sounds like it worked incredibly well, but must have taken a huge amount of time and effort. One of those vicious cycles – the less money you have, the more time you have to spend looking after it, which means the less time you have to look for work, get skills etc…
By sarah on Mar 19, 2009
I currently exist on jobseekers allowance. I spend all my time just tring to survive when I should be trying to find a way forward into work but sometimes I cannot even buy food or afford transport. When I go to the jobcentre they treat me like scum and threaten me. I am a graduate but the’help’ for unemployed people is inappropriate for people like me. I have never been told about suitable training by them. All job applications are by internet now and it has taken me 4 years to get the money together to get online to apply for jobs
By jenny on Apr 7, 2009
I can honestly say hand on heart that i am struggling severely with trying to live on 60.50 a week, i have a 3 bedroom property and a 19 year old son who was made redundant, my gas is �15 a week, my electric is �15 a week, thats half my money gone, thats without direct debits, and then managing to eat, i am now thinking about downgrading my house to a bungalow to try to save on fuel costs, and everything else that is classed as a luxury, just has to go, i cannot remember the last time i went out with friends, becoming a depressed recluse seems to come with jsa etc, the government should take a look a what their mps are spending on all there xtra houses and the materials they require to furnish them, there million pound pensions etc, give some back to society, they have the cheek to call us scroungers, and subsequently charge people with benefit fraud, what the hell are they doing?
By Hannah on Jun 9, 2009
What can we do??? I am desperate. I live in a rural area- no neighbours and no public transport the nearest town to shop is a 20 mile round trip petrol costs �1.06 a litre I am unable to work due to illness and disability and have used up my statutory sick pay it costs �40 to fill the car up I feel so hopeless is there any help out there?
By E.P. on Jun 12, 2009
I am a ‘migrant’ from Eastern Europe, Lithuania. I came to this country to find equality and democracy which was rarely seen twelwe years ago in Lithuania. But now I can’t find it here either. All financial problems are likely to be blamed on new entrants to the EU. We still have no access to ‘means tested benefits’ and housing. So if I have worked as self employed builder for the last 10 years with some intervals, now when I’ve got into the crisis like everybody else, I have to starve. Is it becouse I am Lithuanian? Or is it becouse I have paid more than �200 per week in taxes?
Now all I have is �51 a week in Working Tax credits, shared room and empty fridge.
I have tried to get benefits, but foun out that ‘For the benefit purposes I have no right to live in UK’. And that’s after 10 years of paying taxes and hard working?
Thanks god I am mortgage free. Freedom is my fortune.
By Ben Henderson on Jun 17, 2009
I’m A 22 Year Old male, i have damaged my back at work (in a steel factory)
i’m willing to stay at work doing light duties but they can’t accommodate me/give me any “meaningful” tasks, my doctor signed me off for 3 more weeks, with statutory sick pay, all i will get for the whole 3 weeks is �210 SSP which is what i would normally make in 3 days. i really don’t know how i will survive next month, that is going to have to cover my rent, gas, electic and water bills let alone food. If i dont take the sick leave and go back to work before my back is healed and have an accident then i will be dismissed for negligence as it will be seen as my fault for woring with an injury and then i’ll be out of work, then i wont be entittled to sign on jobseekers for six weeks as it will be seen as my fault for loosing my job, by that time i will be homeless. i have worked since i was 16 and have always paid tax and NIC, my NIC added up to �1682 just for the last tax year – april 2008 to april 2009.
I’m not saying everybodies the same but most the people i now on jobseekers or incapacity benefits are quite comfortable on them, my friends on them go out more then i do and some of my mothers friends have been on them since before i can remember. after i’ve paid tax, NIC, rent, household bills and food a significant amount less then 60.50 a week, and definatley not enough to save for a situation like the one im in now, not that i ever thought i’d have to. and im a hard working citizen who as i said before has always worked. now i am in need of help there is nothing for me, noone to pay my rent or bills, this makes me physically ill thinking of the state i’ll be in very shortly. Especially seeing as all that has come out about the MPs expenses recently! i alway thought living in england, as it is supposed to be a ‘democracy’ that there would be support for someone like me, but apparntly not.
i also live with my girlfriend who also wors full time, so if i do lose my job we will both lose our flat as she couldn’t afford to pay for both of us.
My girlfriends mother has an honours degree and has been a registered social worker for 15 years, she has worked very hard to get where she is now. she’s on 33,000 a year of which she sees 18, 480 after 44% taxes and that doesn’t inclued NIC. so after NIC at 11% she gets 16, 447.20. she also has to pay a mortgage of at the moment 1000 a month, leaving her with a discusting 4447.20 for the year! that makes 85.52 a week, which she still has to pay all household bills with, plus school meals for both children and uniforms. most people on benefits get a school dinner allowence for children as well as a uniform allowence. she has two young children aged 6 and 13 as well as her 24 year old son leaving at home, who at the moment is unemployed. her eldest son has also always worked but has recently lost his job so i do understand how hard it is for people to find work at the moment but on as little as she is getting after essenstial expenses it seems there is no hope either way. she is a single parent only getting 120 from the father as child maintinance for the younger child. as she is earning over 31, 800 a year so she is not entitled to any benefit other then child benefit and when my girlfriend was in college she was not entitled to EMA. to me it seems there is absolutly no point getting a degree and professional job if thats what you are going to be left with! i can’t actually remember the last time she went out as she simply can’t afford to. she has been diagnosed with depression and is seriously struggling to survive. so sorry if this seems completely out of order but personally if i was having my rent/mortgage paid and the getting an extra 60.50 a week i would be very happy especially if i was single without children, and not having to pay tax or NIC.
By Richard on Nov 13, 2009
I have my 9 year old daughter living with me for half the week, I was awarded joint residency by a judge. I had to quit my job to be able to take and collect her from school as my employer wouldn’t/couldn’t change my hours. I have no family to help me and we are expected to live on £60 a week. I dont get child benefit or child tax credit, my ex partner gets it. I dont eat for one or two days a week so that my daughter can. It cost me £25 a week in bus fares to get her to school which I cant avoid paying. This leaves me with £35 to pay for gas, electric, water and food. Its impossible to live like this. MP’s dont live in the real world as they have no idea of the hardship that living on benefits causes or I suspect that they do but don’t really care. The last poster, Ben Henderson is a fool.
By Will b Done on Jul 4, 2010
i have worked all my life time here made redundant wife works min wage i got job seekers for six mounths then told live on whatrver you like nothing more for you here go away and we will call you every 13 weeks to see if your realy trying to get work nic they would keep that right but no money i have been liveing since on my wifes min wage WILL ANY MP LIVE LIKE THIS and yes they want us to pay for their mess and the cleaning out of their moats ect how sick
By G Lawther on Jul 13, 2010
I have been using my savings to do a one year course after losing my job. I’m now exhausted keeping up with academic work and diagnosed clinical depression and anxiety. I can’t get any benefits – they’re saying I didn’t pay enough NI in 2008/09 just because of my NI number they calculate week from Thurs to Wed so I lost out on 2 weeks bens then due to taking a job on a Mon-Fri week and not bothering to claim the one other week before getting a temp job again. I own a property that is run down and unsaleable and am stuck. People with no kids who have helped ourselves all our lives are being completely used and ignored supporting the rich and those who never work when we can and getting nothing back in return when we can’t! Even if we are entitled to JSA for 6 months, and work part time in hope of finding work, they reduce JSA £ for £ for every £ earned above £5 so working for nothing! Also, if we do voluntary work on top of part time work, they don’t count hours done on voluntary work toward w.t.c. hours, even though we’re working just as hard as paid workers and earning nothing for those hours. The system stinks and it’s time childless low paid and unemployed people started making a real fuss to highlight this. After all, it isn’t us who are adding to an unsustainable population boom that this planet simply can’t support!raisingwoercostspart of a Mon thv
By befairtochildless on Jul 13, 2010
the benefits system rewards those who have children they can’t afford to raise (irresponsible) and those who have never worked and run up big debts and never saved, and penalises those who have done without to save, do voluntary work and work part time if have no children. It is a disgrace and childless low paid and unemployed workers are now the group who are in poverty in this country, not those with children whether in and out of work or pensioners who now do get enough to live on -minimum £132 per week plus full rent and council tax paid plus winter fuel allowance and free prescriptions and optical tests. The childless get nothing. This is so unfair!