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Paying 20% towards Council Tax


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#21 vectra666

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Posted 04 April 2013 - 08:17 AM

if I was a single person on dole then yes you can survive on £53 a week,
I spend on average £40 a week on food to feed 3 and my utility bills average out approx £25 a week so that's £65 for three people and a baby, but if you're a doley with kids you get free milk vouchers @£5 a week, free fruit n veg vouchers per kid free school meals, even get help paying utility bills if it gets cold so probably totalling more than the measly £65 I spend per week, I know this cause my bone idol neighbours are scroungers and get the lot!!
As I stated on the soapbox @the mecca that SINGLE bloke gets total of £287 after benefits included and is a gambler, drinker and smoker. I had £268 including working tax, I can't afford to drink n gamble (much)and don't qualify for housing/council tax benefit cause I earn too much, this bloke does how! because he only works a few hours a week unlike me at 39hrs. As I've stated before I'd be better off on the dole I'd be about £100 better off a week and not have to get up in the morning.
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#22 Magz

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Posted 04 April 2013 - 07:21 PM

This all reminds me of the 90s when every so often a government minister / MP would live on £x per week to prove that the dole was enough to live on. Of course, anyone can probably do a week, it's doing it for months and months on end that is somewhat more difficult.

 

That said, there is a need to make work pay for those that can and have a reasonable chance of working. Whether reducing effective benefit for all claimants is the best way to address this however is certainly open to question...



#23 gemini17

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Posted 04 April 2013 - 09:52 PM

if I was a single person on dole then yes you can survive on £53 a week,
I spend on average £40 a week on food to feed 3 and my utility bills average out approx £25 a week so that's £65 for three people and a baby, but if you're a doley with kids you get free milk vouchers @£5 a week, free fruit n veg vouchers per kid free school meals, even get help paying utility bills if it gets cold so probably totalling more than the measly £65 I spend per week, I know this cause my bone idol neighbours are scroungers and get the lot!!
As I stated on the soapbox @the mecca that SINGLE bloke gets total of £287 after benefits included and is a gambler, drinker and smoker. I had £268 including working tax, I can't afford to drink n gamble (much)and don't qualify for housing/council tax benefit cause I earn too much, this bloke does how! because he only works a few hours a week unlike me at 39hrs. As I've stated before I'd be better off on the dole I'd be about £100 better off a week and not have to get up in the morning.

I agree Vectra that those on long term benefits with children do seem to soak up the most in welfare from the state!

However those with no children on benefits are v.much penalised. And my mate I mentioned in a previous reply,doesn't even have £53 left to live on a week.

Over a 52week year he has around £39.50 left,and if it was not for help from his family he would be homeless :err:

Which is where I see a lot of people ending up as a result of the benefit cuts.

And in relation to the £53 a week I don't see how any man or woman could survive on that money.!!

Out of the £53 they have to pay for the following/take into account the following.

1)Additional rental costs(as housing benefit is now capped)-the hardest hit those in private rented properties.averages between £40 and £50/week(dependent upon local housing allowance for that area)

2)Council tax,everyone on benefit has to pay around 9% of the years council tax out of their benefit.-around £9.25/week.

3)Utility bills,gas,electric and water. average weekly cost £30(dependent on usage),but then we are still in the grip of one of the worst winters on record,so I could well imagine that some across the country will be paying £50 plus a week for the three combined!!

4)Household provisions-Food,drink,toiletries and cleaning products. According to the Citizens advise,this is set to a government figure of £37.50/week per person.

5)Mobile phone-average £10-£15 per month

6)Clothes and footware-average £10-£20 per month.

7)Alcohol/cigarettes/magazines/subscriptions-average £15-£20 per month. Again the citizens advise have average figures for this category,again set in stone by the government.

8)Travel costs.-average £20-£40 per month. You are entitled to a half pass on JSA and ESA benefit,but thats only half fare.The higher average cost relates to having a car.

9)Money for emergencies-£5/week. When working out a DMP(debt management plan),the citizens advise leave a column for emergencies etc.

10)Birthdays/special events-£5/week-again a statistic from the citizens advice.

11)Tv licence-£6.50 per week.

 

Considering most single claimants on benefits do not have £53 left per week,I real do not know how people do survive.??

Changes do I agree need to be made,and I do see some sectors of society benefit greatly from the welfare system. Yet others do not and when you have worked most of your life and suddenly you are laid off work,or become ill. You are thrust into the grips of the Welfare system with little or no support, are interrogated like a criminal! And you have little money to make ends meet.

I also agree Vectra that the working man as little/no support.Yet having worked most of my life and having been on state benefits for approx 2 years of the 24 years I have been in employment,I would most certainly choose work over benefits every time. In terms of how I have been personally treated.

 

Jay



#24 vectra666

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 07:42 AM

I never included the extras mentioned as in travel, mobile phone, leisure costs as any council bigwig would class these as luxuries you don't Necessarily need, if we put all those other expenses into account then no you couldn't survive on £53 a week I withdraw around £240 a week just to survive and that doesn't include phone bill clothes and days out, its just food, rent bills/council tax and travel costs.
But let's take this topic further! How much would it cost a week for mr average to survive including ALL bills.
For me I'd say approx £280 a week not bad when I earn £260 lol.
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#25 RHM

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 11:27 AM

Shocking really, I know someone who has to survive off £30 per week for food gas and electric and they're working. Fine, HIT the people who are abusing the system but not the people who are genuine.

 

I have been on the dole previously for 5 months, it's embarising going to put £4.50 in your car for fuel, you seriously have to plan, I knew that £4.50 would be 30 miles and had to plan my trips. 

 

A visit to Tesco was amusing doing a 2 week shop with dozens of vouchers, £100 shop for £45 with 67 vouchers lol.

 

Asda peck my head changing the time they put there woopsies out.

 

Asking relatives who live 40 miles away for a few quid each so I could get back in the car after a visit.

 

Pfftt god it's hard but you can actually manage, earning £1,700 a month to just over £400 takes some getting use to.



#26 RHM

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Posted 05 April 2013 - 11:30 AM

AND this council tax scam tax really gets on my nerves, who gives any company a right to bill me when I don't consent.

 

Interesting web site... http://www.getoutofdebtfree.org/



#27 Magz

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Posted 06 April 2013 - 09:04 AM

AND this council tax scam tax really gets on my nerves, who gives any company a right to bill me when I don't consent.

 

Interesting web site... http://www.getoutofdebtfree.org/

 

Are you saying there's a scam involving council tax on some way, or that council tax itself is a scam?



#28 richy1976

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Posted 06 April 2013 - 03:25 PM

It is impossible to buy food & pay all your bills on £53 a week, the pleb.



#29 Magz

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Posted 06 April 2013 - 07:28 PM

Not if you're an MP as you get most of that stuff for free :)






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