its dole day tomorrow and i have an epic £19 to do me 2 weeks once all the bills are paid....fml

zonavar68 · 51-55, M

The basic income support payment (Jobseeker - use to be called Newstart) for someone unemployed here is about A$550 a fortnight. For most people without a job they can't pay rent and bills let alone food, etc. out of that. Once the coronavirus 'supplement' (mirroring the basic payment) is withdrawn in Sep (unless the second-wave of the plandemic makes it stay) a huge number of people still without a job will fall off the cliff into deep poverty. A Jobseeker payment recipient can get rent assistance but it only covers a small portion of the rent. I have a full-time job and my rent is $330 a week. That's well over what the basic income support payment is so if I was unemployed I might get $100 extra in rent assistance a fortnight so all my income support payment would pay rent and I'd have nothing left for food, utilities, fuel/rego/insurance for my vehicle, etc.

TheCoolestCat · 31-35, M

in the uk the basic payment is £145 a fortnight luckily cuz im on disability i get over double that

zonavar68 · 51-55, M

@TheCoolestCat Even with the GBP to AUD conversion rate factored in that's not much. Aren't costs of living in the UK (particularly in London) way higher than many other parts of the world? I don't live in Sydney but if I did the same small house I rent now for myself would cost my double or more just for the rent.

TheCoolestCat · 31-35, M

ya but if you lived in london youd get an extra supplement on top to cover the higher cost of living, i live in Northern ireland, its like the cheapest part of the uk to live in unless you wanted to live in the middle of nowhere in scotland or wales....