statistics

[goodoldboy]

1. 30 % of children in the UK live in poverty

2. 2,1 million live in poverty in families with at least one working parent.

3. Poverty is defined for a family with two children as an income of less than 15000 pounds a year

4.The number of professionals and managers claiming job seekers allowance(JSA) doubled between 2007 and 2009.

5. 70% of jobs in the hotel and restaurant sectors pay less than 7 pounds per hour – in retail this figure is 50%.

6. 48% of unemployed people without children do not claim the benefits to which they are entitled.

7. 64% of benefit claimants do not have children.

8. 66% of the population have an income of less than 24000 pounds a year.

9. The richest 25% of the population own 72% of the countries wealth.

10.Burglaries and violent crime have fallen by 50% in the last 10 years.

11.20% of people who are entitled to housing benefit do not claim it.

Perhaps the most worrying statistic , 63% of people feel that they cannot affect local decisions and 80% fell they cannot affect national decisions



Sources:The institute of fiscal studies , department of work & pensiones &the Joseph rowntree foundation report Monitoring poverty & social exclusion.

 

[Graham]

£15,000~~~~~~~~~~~# I think they have to redefine poverty.

I would have thought "poverty" would be about £5,000 a year.

Gra.

 

[goodoldboy]

This figure is for a family of four

 

[TonyP]

Even as a single person earning £15k per year, that is still going to be very tough.

 

[goodoldboy]

Even as a single person earning £15k per year, that is still going to be very tough.

Job seekers allowance for a single person is 3692 pounds a year

 

[TonyP]

Job seekers allowance for a single person is 3692 pounds a year

So the total income for the single person would be £15k + £3692 = £18692? That's a bit better, but still not a lot to live on.

 

[goodoldboy]

So the total income for the single person would be £15k + £3692 = £18692? That's a bit better, but still not a lot to live on.

the poverty threshold for two adults & two children is calculated at just over 60% of the median wage , 24000 p.a. so 15K for the whole family

 

[chadr]

Job seekers allowance for a single person is 3692 pounds a year

It is not limited to just that money - most would also be eligible for a whole raft of other benefits too - Housing benefit, Council Tax benefit, free this and free that...such as prescriptions etc. Still it is not exactly a life of leisure as some see it.

 

[TonyP]

I'm not sure my family could survive on £15k per year.

I wonder what the definition of poverty actually is. Bet it's very different for families in the UK as opposed to families in Africa or Asia.

 

[TonyP]

the poverty threshold for two adults & two children is calculated at just over 60% of the median wage , 24000 p.a. so 15K for the whole family

Just did some Googling, and it seems Poverty is defined as just that, where as I would have thought it should have had something in there with regards being able to afford to live.

Clearly Living in London is going to be harder on £15k than somewhere not as expensive.

 

[Neil Stone]

76% of statistics are made up

 

[Ben]

So the total income for the single person would be £15k + £3692 = £18692? That's a bit better, but still not a lot to live on.

If theyve got an income of £15k they wouldnt be able to claim £3692.

Job seekers allowance is for people who are unemployed and looking for work.

 

[munster]

Just did some Googling, and it seems Poverty is defined as just that, where as I would have thought it should have had something in there with regards being able to afford to live.

Clearly Living in London is going to be harder on £15k than somewhere not as expensive.

If they cannot afford to live there then they can always move

 

[Paddler Ed]

Trying to live on JSA is a good game... thankfully I've got understanding parents.

I'm trying to find work, but at the moment the last offer I had was for work starting in April 2013.

We're now living on the GF's earning's because I'm now not eligible for JSA as she's working... and I can't work out what else were entitled to...

4.The number of professionals and managers claiming job seekers allowance(JSA) doubled between 2007 and 2009.

5. 70% of jobs in the hotel and restaurant sectors pay less than 7 pounds per hour – in retail this figure is 50%.

6. 48% of unemployed people without children do not claim the benefits to which they are entitled.

On those stat's I can empathise with some of those:

I used to be a Local Government Manager (Youth Worker in charge Outdoor Education and Duke of Edinburgh's Award stuff), and got out before the knife started to cut too much. The other part is that there are so many people who now have manager or coordinator in their title, when all they do is micro manage 2 or 3 people (like I did), the value of being a manager is massively devalued.

GF works in retail, she is on NMW + a little bit, and if I went back to centre based outdoor education I would only be on NMW as well... I'm very reluctant to do that, but if I have to I will.

The last one is pretty much us; I'm sure that we're eligible for something else, just haven't worked out what else.

I'll get a 'Cruiser when I get a job again; it's looking up again at the moment for bits and pieces in the new year...

 

[Ben]

Ed are you sure your not entitled to JSA?

Seems a bit odd to me.

 

[Paddler Ed]

Ed are you sure your not entitled to JSA?

Seems a bit odd to me.

Nope; not paid enough NIC's to get Contributions based, so on Income based. And because we're a couple we get classed as a joint claim, so as soon as she starts earning over x amount we loose a proportion of the JSA, and as she's now working over 24hrs her half of the claim is closed down and then the system decides that I have enough to live off of on the basis of her earnings.

It's great fun... the system pretty much pays not too work at a certain point. As an economics graduate the myth of the welfare system that stops you working was a bit of a stretch too far, but now on the receiving end of it all it all makes sense.

I had 3 weeks of work in Scotland freelance instructing in July. It was paying good money, but I needed to somehow to get up there; the Jobcentre wouldn't help, and in fact turned round to me and said "If you can't afford to get there, then don't take the work!" Who in their right mind would turn down £1500 of work?! Credit card to the rescue, and invoicing every week, it worked out in the end.

Got an interesting application in at the moment for a school near Shrewsbury, so we'll see what happens next!

 

[wobbly]

A family of 2 adults and 2 kids, with at least one person working over 16 hours a week , could apply for the combined Working Tax Credits, about £650.00 per month.

As the tax on 15k is negligible, so a combined £22,800 is more accurate.

Thats about £1900 per month, maybe a bit less.

My lad is 18 going on 19, and serving an apprenticeship of 3 days full time college, 2 days full time work and he gets paid £40 per week, for the first 6 months he was paid £0.00, yep, zero. Tales of itinerant, feckless youth bleeding the country dry are just plain nonsense.

Locally, there are plenty of Morrisons warehouse / packing type jobs, but they lead nowhere - you cant get a plumber for love nor money - so the moral is forget what you set out to do - retrain as a plumber / sparky.

Oh yes, and live at home forever, treating the place like a hotel, no need to speak to your parents unless you need a bit of cash, and check the fridge daily for new pleasant treats.......

Pete