On monday I am set to be made redundant, I will likely take a redundancy package of 13k. This plus savings will bring me to roughly 16 ish.
28 years old, have been paying rate 1 tax past 2 years and live with my girlfriend in a contract just signed - this has me eligible for 'New Job Seekers Allowance', but on the calculator it amounts to 20 quid a week.
Is that the only support I can get with my rent and bills? The one silver lining of this is that I thought I could put some of that pay towards something such as a house deposit in future.
You've got nearly the equivalent of some people's yearly wages in your bank account, so no, you can't get benefits.
I know it might seem unfair, but we've got to draw the line somewhere haven't we. Otherwise where would it end? Might as well let people who do have jobs claim!
>>13648 I do get it to some degree but it does feel a bit like "well we cant help you now, but in a years time when its all gone on rent and living we can". Yet people with absolutely zero intention of ever getting a job, buying a house, etc. will claim far more than 16k in the long run... Isn't it better for your citizens to have some sort of capital?
I do believe in means testing for things like this but I'm hardly the bourgeoisie. Ah well, I don't think I'll find much sympathy here.
>>13649 The political economy of these situations is very clever: A side effect of people with some savings behind them being unable to claim the dole is that those people are less likely to care when the dole is slashed and work coaches force people to jump through hoops like circus animals, since the dole is exclusively fenced off for povvos, who're conveniently politically irrelevant anyway. So you get a nice self reinforcing cycle against the dole: the reasonably well off don't support it because it doesn't support them, and politicians won't support it because the reasonably well off (the voters who matter) don't support spending more on the dole, which is how it would be framed.
>Isn't it better for your citizens to have some sort of capital?
In short, no. Generally (and times like right now especially) they'd rather you be spending it than keeping it locked up tight in a bank account gathering dust.
Either way you were a bit naive if you thought redundancy pay was like a surprise inheritance or lottery win you could stash away and use later. You've been paid it for exactly this reason.
>>13654 >why are you even trying to claim benefits?
Not him, but I'd try and save my nest egg if I was made redundant too.
I've been saving towards a deposit for a house for years. I'd feel completely broken if I was forced to spend that now and be right back to square one.
I'll make you an art installation comprised of 14,000 pound coins. You buy it from me for £15,000, your savings are now low enough that you can claim about enough to live on and you can cash out by selling or dismantling the art installation at the end of it. You make an initial loss of 2k but you'd be back in the red after four months or so and anything from there on is your "profit".
I saved up £10k living in China for 2 years, then when I had to get back to the west for health reasons I spent pretty much all of it being unemployed for the best part of a year.
>>13654 >>13655 In addition, there's another important reason to go on Jobseeker's or Universal Bullshit as soon as you're out of work - National Insurance contributions.
Unless you have no interest in a state pension, and I don't see why OP wouldn't be thinking about support in his retirement if he wants support while of working age.
>>13666 Shanghai.
Enjoyed it more than being hikikomori living with my parents.
I don't imagine I will ever set foot in mainland China again.
I didnt hate it at the time, but I look at friends who have worked consistently in a single company in the UK for a decade and feel like my time has been spent suboptimally.
I'm also pretty sure I have complex PTSD from all the job precarity, and international relocation (five countries in five years), and such.
>>13667 Would you recommend it as an experience? I guess it's pretty difficult to put down any kind of roots in China, but I know a few friends who seem to like it enough that they go back.
There's definitely a lot of opportunity there, but I wouldn't have wanted to settle. Generally Westerners will fall into 3 categories: Staying less than a year because they can't adapt to the BS, Marrying and staying forever, or staying 2 years and then moving on to the next thing.
It seemed like the govt was becoming increasingly hostile to foreigners when I left in 2018, and I don't imagine things have improved since COVID. I know a married couple that left in Feb and then just never returned.
Definitely a good thing to do for a while if you're youngish and have nothing more engaging going on.
Trick is to slowly start moving money out of your accounts so they don't know what you had. My dad thought he was being made redundant and had a few months to think about it; ended up with £40K stashed up the attic so he could still claim. Thankfully, his job was fine, but it's a good tactic.
