LOL at BBC article on cheap living

[Raikiri]

Surprise, surprise....this is what everyone keeps saying and no-one seems to listen too, a greater portion of the benefit bill is spent on working people than unemployed people.

When will the tax payer stop subsidising business profits.

Yup. I think a lot of peoples main issue is that they're jealous. They have to work whilst others don't, so they target them despite it being a relatively small cost.

Being out of work is no fun, neither is working but it's better than not

 

[Freakbro]

I thought school nurseries were free? I'm not talking about private ones

I think in Scotland maybe (or at least very heavily subsidised), not in England.

We closed state nurseries many years ago afaik (if they ever existed, I can't remember tbh) And people start Nursery with their children from 6 weeks old btw, so they can go back to work.

 

[Leprechaun312]

bbc at it's best

 

[Freakbro]

Yup. I think a lot of peoples main issue is that they're jealous. They have to work whilst others don't, so they target them despite it being a relatively small cost.

Being out of work is no fun, neither is working but it's better than not

Absolutely, it's hardly something to be jealous about

 

[arknor]

I think in Scotland maybe (or at least very heavily subsidised), not in England.

We closed state nurseries many years ago afaik. And people start Nursery with their children from 6 weeks old btw, so they can go back to work.

as far as I can find out free full time nursery places at schools with a nursery are still free for working families and most councils seem to prioritise these placements for working families or lone parents..
free full time nursery places are not supposed to benefit the parents or the parents employer they are suppose to benefit the child according to a couple of council websites I checked.

Once her child is 4 he can goto school full time in reception anyway and she can get a job and be better off with child tax credits like I said in an above post, but she most likely won't because shes perfectly happy in her situation and just told a pack of crap to the newspapers for some extra money

I know people who are on benefits with kids and none of them struggle in fact a lot of them are able to afford at least one night out a week

 

[Freakbro]

Supposedly she is currently spending what 8k a year in rent, and 520 a year in food, if she had been doing that with a 30k a year income, she could be saving 20k a year, if she was instead spending 2-3k a year on food, and 5k on going out and clothes, she could have been saving 10k a year, or enough for 100 of food a week for 2 entire years, or an extra £40 a week on food to top up to £50 a week, for 5 entire years.

Disposable income is great, but people who don't think about the times they might need that money and just throw it all away, to a degree, deserve what they get.

Complete maths fail....that will be gross pay not net pay for a start.

And the only living expenses are rent and food, everything else is disposable income? Lol

 

[Freakbro]

as far as I can find out free full time nursery places at schools with a nursery are still free for working families and most councils seem to prioritise these placements for working families or lone parents..
free full time nursery places are not supposed to benefit the parents or the parents employer they are suppose to benefit the child according to a couple of council websites I checked.

Have you got a link?

As it is still only 15hrs free afaik. Plus a school nursery will only take them from 3 and run at school hours, so not much good for full time work.

Plus what do you do for the first 2.5 years?

I know people who are on benefits with kids and none of them struggle in fact a lot of them are able to afford at least one night out a week

I know single mums on benefits too, and they struggle like hell, so I don't know what the difference is.

And having 1 night out a week doesn't mean anything really, I bet they don't spend or do much on that night out

 

[arknor]

just check some council websites the free 15 hours thing appears to be a government guideline and not an absolute limit.

Obviously full time places are limited and given to those who need them most.

Does anywhere say how old her kid was at the time of the story? he's probably not that far from 4 anyway

 

[Freakbro]

just check some council websites the free 15 hours thing appears to be a government guideline and not an absolute limit.

I did, like the Nottinghamshire Council

https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/caring/children/education/

be aware that some providers may charge for meals, snacks or optional extras as these may not always be included within the free entitlement. If you take more than 15 hours per week or more than 38 weeks per year there will be a charge from the provider for these additional hours. Please check with your provider for full details of any additional charges.*

The 15 hours free is a maximum, you just pay for the extra hours, like I originally posted. I have 2 nurseries as clients, so I know what I'm talking about and know how much it costs working families.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, the free 15hrs is term time only, so 38 weeks of the year, you have to pay full fees or find a childminder (if the nursery is shut) for the other 12-14 weeks.

 

[arknor]

I know a lot of people have friends who will look after there kids for cheap, usually parents on benefits and I'm sure this person knows atleast one.
the free full time places depends on each council
http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/counc...a_10_hours_free_nursery_care_a_week_1_1793871
camdem do 25 hours instead of the 15
the free full time place in most areas depends on whether you meet the criteria and every council is different.
some are based on how close your live to the school based on a straight line or wether the parent receives child tax credits others have much harder criteria.

But your right it's much harder to obtain a free full time nursery placement than it was when I had a 3 year old 5 years ago

 

[Freakbro]

I know a lot of people have friends who will look after there kids for cheap, usually parents on benefits and I'm sure this person knows atleast one.
the free full time places depends on each council
http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/counc...a_10_hours_free_nursery_care_a_week_1_1793871
camdem do 25 hours instead of the 15
the free full time place in most areas depends on whether you meet the criteria and every council is different.
some are based on how close your live to the school based on a straight line or wether the parent receives child tax credits others have much harder criteria.

I like that Camden initiative, good on them. Though it says they did halve the nursery places available 3 yrs ago, and that extra provision is coming from their own budget, not extra central funding.

So, yea it is going to be a post code lottery for extra provision offered above the statutory minimum, and unfortunately I can't see many council's dipping in their pockets for the extra spending in the current climate.

 

[kissenger]

her kid is probably old enough for nursery by now..

full time nursery placement which is free find a job that fits the hours 10am-2pm

she would get child tax credits etc if she worked also

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a job nowadays, let alone one that will cater to your own particular needs? She can't just stroll into a job like that and expect them to give her the hours she demands. I think a bit more sympathy is in order here, not vilification.

 

[arknor]

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a job nowadays, let alone one that will cater to your own particular needs? She can't just stroll into a job like that and expect them to give her the hours she demands. I think a bit more sympathy is in order here, not vilification.

sympathy? she choose to have a kid , she chose to leave her job

 

[robgmun]

Surprise, surprise....this is what everyone keeps saying and no-one seems to listen too, a greater portion of the benefit bill is spent on working people than unemployed people.

When will the tax payer stop subsidising business profits.

And Surprise, surprise....myself and quite a few others here don't care about the tax bill, if you do a history search i never complained about how much we spent on the benefit bill. My problem is lazy benefit scum who don't try to work, if she's worked and claim tax credits then I'd be way more sympathetic to her situation regardless of how much she cost the tax payer. I support people who work.

Applying to 300 jobs is no excuse, she's either applying way above her station or she's turning down work. besides i can apply for 300 in a couple of weeks so that's nothing either

 

[413x]

I've said it in other threads but 1 reason I wouldn't have a kid is because I can't afford it
Have no sympathy if she left her job to have a kid

Thanks for the water meter tip, we spend 55 per month and half time don't even shower (due to gym, not being mingers)

 

[atpbx]

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find a job nowadays, let alone one that will cater to your own particular needs? She can't just stroll into a job like that and expect them to give her the hours she demands. I think a bit more sympathy is in order here, not vilification.

That's not how it works.

She is not in the position of power in this case, the reason she is skint is because of poor decisions she has made, giving up her job, poor choice of housing, having the child in the first place and then unreasonable expectations of what she is going to be able to do going forward.

See when I want to employ someone I decide what I want from them, I decide what I choose to pay them, what hours I require them to work and where I want them to work.

It's not up to anybody else to fix her situation.

 

[Mad old tory]

In this particular case I think a bit more sympathy is due.

She was with a partner when she had the kid from the sounds of it. We don't know the details but I am sure they would have been far more secure with at least one wage.

Housing in the South East is beyond mad so I expect £675 a month in rent in Southend is cheap. Sure she could move but there are costs involved in that and like she says in the article at least she is in walking distance of the supermarkets rather than needing a car.

Quitting the job is harder to justify though - yes a hard commute but she was on a decent wage. Also, she talks about not being able to afford Brentford but I don't buy that, even if the rent is higher there, it won't be outrageous and she would have had a decent wage to cover it.

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Nope Northumbrian water

You currently pay by:
Direct Debit when due
Payment plan:
Monthly
Next payment
£40.46 You do not need to do anything, your payment will be taken on or just after 15 May 2013

Bill period:
01 April 2013 - 31 March 2014
Bill amount for this period:
£332.51
Account balance:
£364.14DR

I think my original bill when I signed up with them was listed as "High consumption" even though I don't see how that is possible

should I complain? I don;t understand how the woman in that article can only be paying £15 for water....... unless she means bottled water....

Yeah that is damn high, for 1 person?

I mean 40 for 3 ppl, so 3 ppl showering washing using toilet, you pay the same. Should definitely look into it.

 

[=XDC=FluphyBunny]

Johnny’s father, who is in a new relationship, does not pay child support despite being in full-time employment.

But he looks after his son two nights a week as well as buying him shoes and clothes. Jackie feels her ex does all he can. The couple split up before Johnny was born.

right first things first CBA and get him paying for his own child.

I’ve got an email folder for rejections and there are more than 300 in there

I have applied for jobs like many others and getting any rejection letter or email is extremely rare. So I very much doubt 300 rejections, at best she has spam emailed local business' and had the 'we presently have no jobs on offer' reply rather than actually applying for available jobs.


She also goes on to say how she won't move to a cheaper place because she has a network of friends and family to support her. So not alone then? Essentially she made the bad decisions and is living with the consequences.


As for the living on £1 what a load of ********. The figures only add up if they bulk buy, as in spend £100 on bulk ingredients and even then the diet doesn't look all that good to me. The BBC is fast becoming the new Daily Mail.


edit: also on Northumbrian Water and their prices are ridiculous. I have asked to go on a meter about a week ago and will be pushing them again come Monday. I expect my £42 bill for just the two of us (in fact only myself as my girlfriend is away at uni in term time) to half at the very least.

 

[Dolph]

right first things first CBA and get him paying for his own child.

That makes no difference to the benefit bill though. The law was changed by the previous administration to exclude child maintainance payments from benefit entitlement calculations which is utterly ridiculous...