h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Since my contract ended and I've had to sign on, I've noticed the gradual decline of my bank balance. Today, for the first time in about nine months, I sat down and calculated my income and outgoings. I now have about £65 per week less coming in than last time I did this calculation. Of course, electric, gas, water, food, petrol and everything else has gone up in the course of those nine months too, so in real terms I am probably closer to £90-100 per week worse off.

In fact, after paying the unavoidable household bills, I'm left with slightly over £50 per week to pay for food, toiletries, petrol, saving for birthdays/Christmas/holidays/fun and everything else. I honestly can't see how I can live on this, and would love to see the politicians who decide how much in benefits someone needs 'to live' could do so. I bet they'd blow that amount on one meal and think nothing of it.

Trouble is, inflation is soaring and unemployment is at its worst in 17 years, so I really don't have much hope for seeing an improvement in my circumstances. It really is indescribably depressing.

The only slight postive on the horizon is that I have been asked to get involved in a project which will provide a few hours of self-employment. It's very short-term (a few weeks), minimum hours and close on minimum wage. There's still a chance that the funding might not come through and the project will be dropped, and me too. Plus I have to go through the rigmarole of becoming self-employed, contacting HMRC and doing whatever else I need to do to officially declare myself as 'self-employed', which is completely new to me. I'd been toying with working for myself anyway, so this project is a stepping stone to start me on that road. However, it's a lot to suddenly add to my load just before Christmas, when I already had a full couple of weeks ahead. But this project /has/ to start next week.

Best add 'stressed' to that subject line too.

I totally sympathise with you I got made redundant but found a Christmas job, which I thought would be fine to tide us over Crimbo. Unfortunately the manager has had to cut back on the hours of all the temps so in four weeks of employment there I have worked the grand total of....18 hours. Of course, if I were to tell them to stuff it and walk out I'd get a roasting from the DWP, which really isn't worth it

I don't know how anyone 'lives' on benefits. It isn't realistic. No wonder some people cheat the system, although I'd be happy just having a job (or a reasonable chance of finding one). DWP just ride you but provide no help. At least I should be able to sign off for a little while so long as this project gets off the ground. Whether I can find enough bits of work after that to keep me 'self-employed' is another matter, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the full-time contract I had this year will come up again next year. I'll be doing every minute of overtime I can grab.