Is Working Worth It?

[Democorruptcy]

plus smarter cloths, shoes etc, lack of time to search out bargains, BOGOF offers, cheapest Tetley t-bags (currently half price at Sainsbury), buying lunch from Pret a Manger or similar. It costs a lot of money to go to work.

I like your time to search out bargains.

On the cost side of not working, if you stay at home you have extra electricity, heating, etc.

[Self Employed Youth]

For me;

Working 0-48 minutes = better off

Working 0.8hours - 32 hours = no better off (sometimes worse off)

Working 32+ hours = better off.

I'm happy to work 84 hours a week for min wage (£6/hour)

I'd be happy to work for £1 an hour on top of me benefits, for about 30 hours a week.

I'm happy to work for the good of the community for free if I get paid my benefits regardless in the form of a basic income.

If there was a basic income, I could do factory work for £1 an hour and compete with the Chinese etc. ...

[NuBrit]

I think anyone is crazy to consider giving up work to go on the dole. In the place where I work, we had redundancies two years back. The folks that were out throwing out CV's were virtually all employed again within a month. The folks who even took one year off struggled, half of them eventually found work, while the other half remain unemployed. There's a massive correlation between time spent on welfare and your likelihood to re-enter the workforce. Even for £80 a week extra, I would still go into work rather than go on benefits.

[SarahBell]

I like your time to search out bargains.

On the cost side of not working, if you stay at home you have extra electricity, heating, etc.

Libraries are usually warm.

[Colin]

+1, I design integrated circuits and get paid the same as a bl00dy bus driver!

There are lots of niches out there that can earn you good money if you design something around, say a spartan, and get the boards manufactured in china.

Don't let the Chinese have anything more than test code tho' or they will nick it!

Take the piss out of your shitty employer and try and do most of the work at work. If they are paying you bus driver salary they don't deserve more than 1 days work from you.

Apple aren't the only ones who can spot a consumer electronics market full of shitty and buggy products and make a fortune!

A word of advice tho' ; If you drink oe smoke weed every night you will just stay the way you are and nothing will ever change....... :-)

[easy2012]

+1, I design integrated circuits and get paid the same as a bl00dy bus driver!

Thought that is called equality (for the people except the elite) and thought that Scotland voters like this equality thing ?

Chips designers at ARM are pretty well paid though + share options - perhaps there is where you should look? Back the right horse ?

Edited September 19, 2011 by easybetman

[right_freds_dead]

i think working is no longer worth it. we have gone beyond and reasonable balance.

it simply pays not to work, be housed and get by. the people i see who work are all in massive debt and stress.

and have to freetime, while the people i know who dont work have 'slightly less trinkets' but 10x more life.

if the country had a hotter climate, then working would be incredibly stupid right now.

same for paying tax. why do you pay tax only for it to be STOLEN by fred goodwin ?

it simply doesnt pay anymore to give a sh1t.

it seems everyones on the take.

[Colin]

same for paying tax. why do you pay tax only for it to be STOLEN by fred goodwin ?

it simply doesnt pay anymore to give a sh1t.

Absolutely!

Not just Fred 'THE BANKSTER' Goodwin. How about the Billions paid out to the likes of EDS, Crap Gemini and BAE for a load of rubbish that is either not fit for purpose or costs 100 x more than necessary. Then the civil servants turned 'CEOs' of spin offs that are sold to them on the cheap and with share options that make them millions.

Then there are the people who won't pay any tax at all. Like the Billionaire Greens - owners of Arcadia, Boots and the like.

Then there are the t0ssers who are on the make with every subsidy going - like Camerons Father in Law with his £300,000 per year wind turbine trough that pays out just because he bought a cheap £20K piece of arable land.

Or, how about Nick Clegg, who (as EuroMP) was claiming BA business flights twice a week but actually flying RyanAir.

Or maybe the fact that working people get clobbered for 'payment in kind' tax on nearly any expense paid by their employer but MPs can claim for 'duck houses' and roofs tax free.

There are too many things that are screwed up in this corrupt, bleak little t0ss-hole of a country to list.

[Anon_E_Mouse]

Absolutely!

Not just Fred 'THE BANKSTER' Goodwin. How about the Billions paid out to the likes of EDS, Crap Gemini and BAE for a load of rubbish that is either not fit for purpose or costs 100 x more than necessary. Then the civil servants turned 'CEOs' of spin offs that are sold to them on the cheap and with share options that make them millions.

Then there are the people who won't pay any tax at all. Like the Billionaire Greens - owners of Arcadia, Boots and the like.

Then there are the t0ssers who are on the make with every subsidy going - like Camerons Father in Law with his £300,000 per year wind turbine trough that pays out just because he bought a cheap £20K piece of arable land.

Or, how about Nick Clegg, who (as EuroMP) was claiming BA business flights twice a week but actually flying RyanAir.

Or maybe the fact that working people get clobbered for 'payment in kind' tax on nearly any expense paid by their employer but MPs can claim for 'duck houses' and roofs tax free.

There are too many things that are screwed up in this corrupt, bleak little t0ss-hole of a country to list.

+1

I got totally p!ssed off with our corrupt & broken country this time last year and by December had found myself a job in Denmark. As a specialist I get a preferential tax rate of 26% so as long as I only enter the UK for less than 90 days I avoid having to pay the extra 24% back to HMRC.

So add me to the list of 'rats' that have jumped ship leaving the rest behind to pay for all this and more including an obese publice sector with pensions to match.

[Wait & See]

The question is, why would anyone want to work for a failed state??

The UK is a banana republic these days, as printing money seems to be the only plan our leaders have, lol.

[Democorruptcy]

Do people claiming benefits get any travel concessions?

I know they get cheaper entrance to swimming baths, sports clubs, etc.

[Dorkins]

Do people claiming benefits get any travel concessions?

I know they get cheaper entrance to swimming baths, sports clubs, etc.

In London, yes.

If you have a New Deal photocard you can

Pay child rate for cash single and return tickets on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and National Rail

Get your discount entitlement added to an Oyster card and you can also

Pay as you go at half the adult rate

Buy reduced-rate 7 Day, monthly and longer period Travelcards and Bus & Tram passes (the longest period you can get is three months)

Buy child-rate Day Travelcards for journeys starting from National Rail stations outside Zones 1 - 9 (plus Watford Junction). You can then use them in all zones covered by the Travelcard.

[Wurzel Of Highbridge]

Do people claiming benefits get any travel concessions?

I know they get cheaper entrance to swimming baths, sports clubs, etc.

From the horses mouth (the missus):

Transport costs to job interviews

New clothes for job interviews

Money to buy toiletries (for the smelly mofo's) (Yes really)

Money to apply for security licenses

Other random misc costs that the job-centre freely give out.

[Traktion]

What a daft, complicated system.

I look forward to state failure.

[Wurzel Of Highbridge]

Dont forget your free health care, council tax, rent paid, glasses etc..

Really the best employer around, why work?

[ccc]

Whenever you have these discussions the opposing argument is always 'Well you try living on 62.50 per week'.

Fact is when you include everything that is available and free to the unemployed ? The amount per week is a huge amount more than £62.50 per week.

[Wurzel Of Highbridge]

I have know a few long term unemployed in my time.

It is more like £62.50 + a few quid extra from selling sh1t on Ebay, car boot sales and odd jobs.

Take a good hard look at those working the car boot sales next time you go,.

£62.50 is the absolute minimum.

Not to mention the many landlords who have deals with unemployed so that the unemployed can claim the maximum benefits for themself and live in a smaller bedsit/flat.house and pocket some of the difference.

Edited September 19, 2011 by khards

[ccc]

I dont go but I will take your word for it !!

Shame we can't have some sort of citizens income. Then if people want to do this they can and if others want to work 50 hours per week they can.

[Self Employed Youth]

I have know a few long term unemployed in my time.

It is more like £62.50 + a few quid extra from selling sh1t on Ebay, car boot sales and odd jobs.

Take a good hard look at those working the car boot sales next time you go,.

£62.50 is the absolute minimum.

Not to mention the many landlords who have deals with unemployed so that the unemployed can claim the maximum benefits for themself and live in a smaller bedsit/flat.house and pocket some of the difference.

I'm unemployed, my JSA is £53.45, the over 25 rate has now increased from £62.5 to £67 odd..

[northwestsmith2]

I'm going by the government's own Benefits Advisor here: https://www.dwpe-services.direct.gov.uk/en/benefitsadviser

That's where my figure came from, after entering the details used in the example. Try it yourself.

I'd love to know how you can claim them and what the cutoff is for a single person because from the link it still says she would

get zero WTC. I thought it was over 30 hours and under £13K, over 60s can claim from 16 hours I think.

Tax credits - do you qualify?

Conclusion

Sorry, because your total income is more than £13,000 a year, you probably don't qualify for tax credits.

[northwestsmith2]

I think anyone is crazy to consider giving up work to go on the dole. In the place where I work, we had redundancies two years back. The folks that were out throwing out CV's were virtually all employed again within a month. The folks who even took one year off struggled, half of them eventually found work, while the other half remain unemployed. There's a massive correlation between time spent on welfare and your likelihood to re-enter the workforce. Even for £80 a week extra, I would still go into work rather than go on benefits.

That's a good reason to stay in work but cutting down hours and reducing income to start getting benefits could be a better choice for some. You'd still have some routine but not the 9-5 grind.

[winkie]

What a daft, complicated system.

Complications, bureaucracy and all manner of rules, regulations, targets and tick boxes, creates employment........take it away and what have you got?

[Democorruptcy]

Is JSA based on CPI in September?

Looks like their income next April will rise more than a lot of wages.

[Lepista]

Whenever you have these discussions the opposing argument is always 'Well you try living on 62.50 per week'.

Fact is when you include everything that is available and free to the unemployed ? The amount per week is a huge amount more than £62.50 per week.

You also have to factor in the costs of having the job - in particular, travelt o work costs, and the costs of work equipment / clothing, plus any training that you need to do that the company doesn't pay for...

[Democorruptcy]

Never mind the money, what about wear and tear on your body when you work? It cannot be good for you.