:tories: Tories in trouble?

Originally posted by @pap

Originally posted by @Chertsey-Saint

£30!! Are you joking? Giff Gaff, Tesco Mobile etc do sim only deals for £12 that would sort them, unlimited minutes and texts, and a few gig of data.

Was talking contents insurance.

“You’ll put at least 30UKP on a PAYG pcm, I reckon. Do we seriously reckon a tenner is enough without a landline?”

I realise that without help she is down, but the point is she gets help through benefits? Importantly however, she has more than enough to live off for her and her child.

The point is that she shouldn’t need to have help through benefits. If you look at her biggest expense, it’s really going to another scrounger, except that person will never catch the tag officially.

But the point was they said that 2/3 of kids in poverty have at least one working parent.

The above is not poverty. It’s not great, but it’s definitely not poverty.

That’s after Tax and NI, but not including pension.

Originally posted by @Chertsey-Saint

But the point was they said that 2/3 of kids in poverty have at least one working parent.

The above is not poverty. It’s not great, but it’s definitely not poverty.

I don’t think you realise what a knife-edge that is, Cherts. All of us have to suck up an unexpected financial expense from time to time. That leaves zero wriggle room, and also leaves the person trapped in their circumstances.

My GiffGaff deal is £7.50 per month. Tons of calls, unlimited text, data is plenty (never run out)

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I don’t believe £450 p/m for food and wiggle room is that much of a knife edge though.

Either way, I reiterate, that is not poverty, and that is someone working full time on the lowest possible wage.

Originally posted by @Chertsey-Saint

I don’t believe £450 p/m for food and wiggle room is that much of a knife edge though.

Either way, I reiterate, that is not poverty, and that is someone working full time on the lowest possible wage.

That’s 103UKP a week, or fourteen pounds a day.

Yes…

Did we ever establish who is looking after this single mum’s kid while she is working 40 hours a week? Some people rely on their own parents and that can work in some cases but for lots of people, their parents may be living at some distance or may not be inclined/able to do so.

Assuming she is dropping the kid off and picking up, that means she is getting into work at say 9.30 am and leaving at 4.30 pm? Which employers are going to employ her on that basis?

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Originally posted by @Bathsaint

Did we ever establish who is looking after this single mum’s kid while she is working 40 hours a week? Some people rely on their own parents and that can work in some cases but for lots of people, their parents may be living at some distance or may not be inclined/able to do so.

Assuming she is dropping the kid off and picking up, that means she is getting into work at say 9.30 am and leaving at 4.30 pm? Which employers are going to employ her on that basis?

Quite a few - most have to consider flexible working requests anyway

I have several in this situation

Originally posted by @Chertsey-Saint

Yes…

So you reckon fourteen quid a day is enough to live on in London?

It’s enough to survive on. It’ll never be enough to build on. It’s likely to be insufficient for any unexpected expenses, and it offers zero chance of someone being able to make a positive change to their circumstances.

I’ve almost described the life of a slave there.

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So actually 7 hours a day. Take off an hour for breaks and that’s 6 hours work. If she’s lucky, she’ll get paid for 7 hours.

Indeed, and no where factored into his estimate was the enormous bill for childcare. Even if the kid is at school, to hold down a fulltime job she’ll either be relying on friends/family to help out or using breakfast and after school clubs, and those don’t come cheap either.

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Yeah, just realised I haven’t included that. I also haven’t included all the benefits that they should claim, childcare vouchers and the 15 hours of free childcare per week, so all sorts of fail here! I also think £80 p/m on clothing is excessive, so taking that down to £50 p/m. We’re also assuming no maintenance from the father here, which is also probably not realistic, and no help from friends or family.

The benefits were also calulated based on 3 months of payments, and not 2 months as it actually is, so re-working them.

As I said above, I wasn’t sure the Maths was right!!

So, if the kid is at nursery, that’s about £45 per day where I am, so let’s say £40 per day in Feltham, so that’s £800 p/m. That includes breakfast, lunch and dinner for the child, and caters 8am - 6pm. However, it is probably saving £150 in food bills p/m. You are also getting childcare vouchers, so you pay £165.24 for £243 of vouchers, so that £800 becomes £722.24. Take off the £150 saving for food, that takes it down to £572.24. Take off 15 hours per week, that takes it down to £332.24 per month (leaving the £150 of food on there though as that is part of the unspent money.

Here is the new table based on the above:

| Income | £1,201.00 |
| Child Benefit | £82.00 |
| Working Tax Credit | £81.02 |
| Child tax credit | £313.61 |
| Childcare element of working tax credit | £603.75 |
| Total Income | £2,281.38 |
| | |
| | |
| Rent | £1,000.00 |
| Childcare | £482.24 |
| Council tax | £100.00 |
| Contents ins | £20.00 |
| Water | £35.00 |
| Gas and Elec | £60.00 |
| Phone | £7.50 |
| Broadband and line rental | £20.00 |
| TV License | £12.00 |
| Travel | £100.00 |
| Clothing | £50.00 |
| Total Outgoings before food | £1,886.74 |
| | |
| Total Difference: | £394.64 |

So, of this £394.64 per month, she has to purchase herself food and drink, and her child food and drink for 8 days a month.

Of course, the Maths may well be incorrect here as well, just trying to make this a fairer representative.

Yeah, I do. I know alot of people who live a decent life on less! London is irrelevant to the situation when all your bills are already paid for.

I agree it’s difficult to change your circumstances, but we’re living under the assumption that they will never get a partner with a job, never have an increase in pay above inflation etc.

There is a right to ask for flexible working if you have caring responsibilities. But that doesn’t mean it will be given. Most places I have worked do agree it but then they have strong unions who have negotiated well and can check that emoloyers adhere to these things. Most low waged jobs are unlikely to have that safety net and the tories want to make it even less so. Some people in work are on these zero hour contracts so one week full time work the next nothing.

Many people on low wage end up paying out for rental TVs, furniture etc. They have no savings to wait for the sales. They get in debt via loans (not always wonga but also banks), can never save to buy the fridge they need etc.

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Originally posted by @Intiniki

There is a right to ask for flexible working if you have caring responsibilities. But that doesn’t mean it will be given. Most places I have worked do agree it but then they have strong unions who have negotiated well and can check that emoloyers adhere to these things. Most low waged jobs are unlikely to have that safety net and the tories want to make it even less so. Some people in work are on these zero hour contracts so one week full time work the next nothing.

Many people on low wage end up paying out for rental TVs, furniture etc. They have no savings to wait for the sales. They get in debt via loans (not always wonga but also banks), can never save to buy the fridge they need etc.

That’s the sort of unexpected expense I was referring to. Easy for anyone earning a decent wedge to cover, but catastrophic if it happens and you haven’t planned for it.

All kinds of loan sharks operating on the Flower Estates.

Loan sharks operating everywhere and I include a bank who I know gave a vulnerable couple on benefits a large loan they did not need or really afford.

It’s a pretty shit world where the poor pay put more on goods than those who can afford it. They buy on credit or through catalogues and pay extra. Thinking it’s easier to spread a cost. Anyway better go back to work.

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You tend to get fridges when you rent a flat though which the landlord will cater for…

Jezza (the snidey one, not Corbyn) in trouble with the law now

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/28/jeremy-hunt-manslaughter-trial-tweet_n_9097654.html?1453988220

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