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Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M
Nimbus · M
@Picklebobble2 Oh my, having problems?
ninalanyon · 61-69, T
@Nimbus Anyone having anything to do with the DWP these days has problems it seems.
One of my uncles died a few years ago, his widow is over sixty and was a stay at home housewife for most of her life, is in seriously poor health and living on benefits. Despite having a resting systolic blood pressure of about 200, thyroid problems, and little in the way of qualifications for any kind of desk job the DWP tries to insist that she find work.
And this in a country with double the unemployment that we have here in Norway. You would think that they might try to direct their efforts into getting the able bodied young into employment rather than harassing someone obviously unfit into a fruitless search for a job in the few years remaining before she can claim her pension.
And that brings us to the P in DWP. I paid voluntary Class 3 contributions to the UK when I emigrated to Norway so i have a more or less full pension. I've written a little about it on my SW blog. Anyway, in exchange for those contributions I get about 210 GBP per week which is slightly more than the full pension.
For me that amount is not a problem, it's merely a supplement to my Norwegian state pension that is actually substantially more generous despite me not having the requisite forty years in the system to qualify for a full pension.
But perhaps someone in the UK could tell me if there is anywhere in the UK where it would be possible to live on that.
One of my uncles died a few years ago, his widow is over sixty and was a stay at home housewife for most of her life, is in seriously poor health and living on benefits. Despite having a resting systolic blood pressure of about 200, thyroid problems, and little in the way of qualifications for any kind of desk job the DWP tries to insist that she find work.
And this in a country with double the unemployment that we have here in Norway. You would think that they might try to direct their efforts into getting the able bodied young into employment rather than harassing someone obviously unfit into a fruitless search for a job in the few years remaining before she can claim her pension.
And that brings us to the P in DWP. I paid voluntary Class 3 contributions to the UK when I emigrated to Norway so i have a more or less full pension. I've written a little about it on my SW blog. Anyway, in exchange for those contributions I get about 210 GBP per week which is slightly more than the full pension.
For me that amount is not a problem, it's merely a supplement to my Norwegian state pension that is actually substantially more generous despite me not having the requisite forty years in the system to qualify for a full pension.
But perhaps someone in the UK could tell me if there is anywhere in the UK where it would be possible to live on that.
Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M
@ninalanyon Everything here is overly expensive.
Partly due to leaving the E:U (in terms of food and anything else subject to tarrifs)
But also due to higher inflation and unscrupulous Landlords looking to make that the reason for raising their rent prices.
You probably could live on that amount but it would go further in some places than others.
Partly due to leaving the E:U (in terms of food and anything else subject to tarrifs)
But also due to higher inflation and unscrupulous Landlords looking to make that the reason for raising their rent prices.
You probably could live on that amount but it would go further in some places than others.
ninalanyon · 61-69, T
@Picklebobble2 You certainly can't live on it where I come from in the South West. According to Rightmove the cheapest place to rent within ten miles of my 'home town' is 550 GBP per calendar month, call it 125 GBP per week. That leaves less than 80 GBP per week on the full pension of 203 GBP [1] for everything else: food, insurance, electricity, gas, petrol, maintenance, Internet, telephony, entertainment.
The average expenditure on a car in the UK is 3 580 GBP [3], or 68 GBP per week; even assuming a smaller cheaper car and not using it much it's still probably at least half that.
Even if one can subsist on it, there is no possibility to save for a holiday or any kind of unexpected expense. I suspect that even with a full pension an application would need to be made to the DWP for some kind of supplementary benefit. I suppose a couple would have sufficient economy of scale to make it work a little better.
[1] https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/pensions/state-pension/new-state-pension/
[2] https://moneysprout.co.uk/average-weekly-food-bill-in-the-uk/#how-much-does-the-average-person-spend-on-alcohol-uk
[3] https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/cheap-car-insurance/average-cost-run-car-uk
Quick Overview
In the UK the average household is spending £62.20 per week on food and non-alcoholic drinks. The lowest 10% spend £32.50 per week while the highest 10% spend £91.80 per week. The average food bill for a single individual per week is £34.50 per week with another £10.20 spent on eating out. [2]
In the UK the average household is spending £62.20 per week on food and non-alcoholic drinks. The lowest 10% spend £32.50 per week while the highest 10% spend £91.80 per week. The average food bill for a single individual per week is £34.50 per week with another £10.20 spent on eating out. [2]
The average expenditure on a car in the UK is 3 580 GBP [3], or 68 GBP per week; even assuming a smaller cheaper car and not using it much it's still probably at least half that.
Even if one can subsist on it, there is no possibility to save for a holiday or any kind of unexpected expense. I suspect that even with a full pension an application would need to be made to the DWP for some kind of supplementary benefit. I suppose a couple would have sufficient economy of scale to make it work a little better.
[1] https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/pensions/state-pension/new-state-pension/
[2] https://moneysprout.co.uk/average-weekly-food-bill-in-the-uk/#how-much-does-the-average-person-spend-on-alcohol-uk
[3] https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/cheap-car-insurance/average-cost-run-car-uk
Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M
@ninalanyon Yes you couldn't manage your own place. But you might be able to rent a room in a shared house on it.
But like i say that's entirely dependent on where you are.
But like i say that's entirely dependent on where you are.
ninalanyon · 61-69, T
@Picklebobble2 Who would want to live in a shared house when the retire? I share my house with my two eldest and even though it is considerably larger than the average UK dwelling I still feel that I should be able to have the house to myself for a few years.