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It should be remembered also that the great majority of people in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance have contributed in terms of NI and tax. Isn't it like any other insurance policy ? You have buildings insurance and your property sustains some damage in high winds so you make a claim on your policy to pay for a repair.

National Insurance contributions (and tax) fund social security and the health service. You need to see a doctor - you've funded the health service. You lose your job and effectively you're claiming on an insurance police, your NI is the premium you've paid.

So why confuse things with moral arguments and judgements about 'deserving' and 'undeserving' ?

Interesting comments, people. There is a thin line between existing and living. You can get very used to living on not very much money, people have had to over the years - during World War 2 with rationing and so on. Students, for as long as students have existed. As I mentioned, the times in my life where I was short of cash I got used to. You find you can do pretty much all the things you wanted to do. You just make it work.

[quote]I read this week a person will get ?58.00 a week on the dole - that is more than I was living on weekly from my earnings for the year building up to me having to sell my last home whilst trying to pay my vast monthly outings and service my debts (and failing to).[/quote]

Yes. I suppose I could live on ?58pw for a year. I have enough clothes & shoes for the 12 months along with the kitchen appliances needed. I've paid up my tv licence fee for the year. If I didn't eat out I would spend, maybe, ?30pw on food, maybe more on weeks where I needed soap, washing powder, toothpaste, bleach, body spray and razor blades......the things you only buy every month rather than weekly. Maybe then it'd be ?40-?45 for those weeks. That means I'd have ?13 for the rest of the week for water, gas and electric. OK over the summer, impossible in winter.

Things change if I need a new pair of shoes, or a shirt. What about paying for a hair-cut? What if the kettle breaks, or worse, the oven? Say you drop a few plates and mugs which need replacing. Then you may have to decide between keeping warm or not eating for a few days. Or maybe you borrow the money for emergency things from some loan shark paying double back.......it might be your only choice and then that's a few quid every week out of that ?13 left over for the bills.

Yeah, we could all live on ?58pw as long as we're already kitted out with the essentials, but when they need replacing, or you're starting from absolute scratch, life isn't then as cushty as your average Sun/Daily Mail reader believes. We all know no matter how well we plan our finances something crops up we didn't foresee. A real bummer if at the time you've only ?2-3 left to play with......

It is a fucking joke when you hear people claiming that people on benefits are living the life of Riley. The people claiming this are usually ones who've never had to do it and survive on fuck all.

I've not said people on Benefits are living the life or Riley, what I've said is that if one is up against it they can survive on the money they get. I did, when I was short of money. Answer me this: have you ever heard of anyone quiting smoking because they are too skint to smoke? I've not. Fags can be afforded and so can beer. Yet food (and if you go to a massive supermarket you can buy your weekly food supply for about ?15.00) apparently can not be afforded. It makes no sense.

So what are you suggesting, that Benefits be increased? It is possible to live on that amount of money. Students live on even less than that, and they manage to buy weed with their cash aswell. I managed on a very small amount myself - as I outlined earlier. The first priority for anyone living on a small amount of money should be the essentials. Cigarettes, topping up the new mobile phone, paying for Sky Sports, and buying cans of beer at the supermarket, should come second.

Itemise what this ?15 weekly food supply looks like. How does it break down ? Is there sufficient calorie intake, will it sustain life, would it be a pleasurable experience to eat ?

?15 buys 60 tins of cheap baked beans !hungry!

You can eat them straight from the tin. No need for gas or electric to be used.
No plates required. No washing up liquid required. No water required. No friends !sad!

Max, did you read my post properly? Are you here to debate with people with an open mind or are you here to hopefully have your preconceived views confirmed?

YOU lived on ?58pw because your starting point was higher. You're talking about maintenance not living.

I'm a single guy and spend around ?30pw on food. I eat healthily but not extravagantly and consume around 2000 calories a day (just below average for an average male but I'm cutting body fat to <10% for competing in triathlons). My diet consists of pastas, rice, chicken breasts, fresh fish and lots of fresh veg & fruit. The usual cut meats for sandwiches and of course bread and cereals. (note: I don't go for the expensive organic stuff) Nothing special. No choccy treats or fancy pastries, just basic, staple food. There's no way I can eat like that on ?15pw. Maybe if I just ate tinned stuff but I wouldn't recommend that to my worst enemy. Anyway, my diet would leave me with ?18pw to pay for electricity, water, gas, various essentials like soap, razor-blades, washing powder, washing-up liquid, bleach, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body-spray, polish, cloths & dusters, shower gel and shampoo..........the list goes on and they all cost money. There's no way you can get all that stuff on the ?18pw you have left - especially not in winter when gas and electricity bills are 3 times higher on average.

Have you ever thought that the long-term unemployed may find life such a struggle that they spend all their benefits on alcohol and fags just to block everything else out? Basically, they give up on life and in one of the richest countries in the world, that is a tragedy.

You buy the beans, I'll get the bread. Now all we need is someone with a toaster and we're made!