Ian Duncan Smith can live on £53 a week...

Scroll to see replies

Whut? lol

Phones aren't a necessity and there's also free bus travel for the unemployed. Children's clothes can be got second hand as most schools distribute them.

Reply 41

Hackett

Personally, I feel it should be £0.

Reply 42

DarkWhite

Original post by MatureStudent36

No need for a car when you can get free bus travel.http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/travel/2012/12/unemployed-to-get-free-bus-travel

The scheme is only for those who have been unemployed for 3 months - 1 year, so if IDS did it for a month, it wouldn't help him.

It's great to see businesses taking initiative to help those who need it though; good on the likes of Arriva and Trent Barton! :smile:

Reply 43

DarkWhite

Original post by MatureStudent36

Phones aren't a necessity and there's also free bus travel for the unemployed. Children's clothes can be got second hand as most schools distribute them.

A phone of some description is a necessity - employers like to call people. If you haven't got a phone number, many simply won't bother.

My school didn't redistribute second-hand clothes.

Free bus travel is once you've been unemployed for 3 months, and only covers about 2/3rds of the UK as it's businesses who have taken the initiative rather than the government giving it some proper backing.

Reply 44

MatureStudent36

Original post by DarkWhite

3 months - I guess that's what redundancy can help with for those forst couple of months.

Reply 45

DarkWhite

Original post by MatureStudent36

3 months - I guess that's what redundancy can help with for those forst couple of months.

Statutory redundancy is low - half a week's pay for each year of work if you're under 22. You're talking 10 days' pay for 3 years of work if the business you were working for has gone bust (has happened a lot in Nottinghamshire recently).

Reply 46

Kibalchich

Original post by MatureStudent36

Phones aren't a necessity and there's also free bus travel for the unemployed. Children's clothes can be got second hand as most schools distribute them.

Phones are a necessity, if you want to get a job. There's no free bus travel for the unemployed where I live. I wasn't on about children's clothes.

Reply 47

Kibalchich

Original post by MatureStudent36

3 months - I guess that's what redundancy can help with for those forst couple of months.

Many people don't get any redundancy pay.

Do you live in some kind of bubble?

Reply 48

tillytots

That's what I live on at the moment as a student with my loan excluding rent and bills (would have to add another £90 a week) I get through all of that easily, so with kids etc I'd imagine it would be difficult. It would be great if he gives it an actual try.

Reply 49

n00

Original post by Isambard Kingdom Brunel

IDS is a politician, you should show him respect because he is better than you. He worked hard to get where he is today, and he deserves ALL of his wage.

Not only is he a politician he's also a truly outstanding author. He's an exceptionally hard worker, people just don't realise how much work goes into getting into the knickers of rich heiresses and writing fraudulent CVs.

Reply 50

FrogInABog

Original post by Bobifier

I don't understand why he would say this. He knows it can't end well for him.

What was he supposed to say? John Humphrys asked him specifically, "Could you survive on £53 a week?". If he had said, "No", he would have looked completely foolish, and he needed to defend his policy. I actually think it makes a nice change to hear someone in government answering a question with a straight answer, rather than skirting around it.

Reply 51

Hopple

Without rent or transport, and it was warm enough to sleep outdoors, yes, I could. Whilst I don't think IDS should have to actually live on £53 for a week to prove it, since he claimed he could he ought to provide a budget of where that money would go and find examples of the products that he can get for that price. Otherwise it's an empty claim, because he hasn't actually worked out that he could live on £53 a week.

Reply 52

MatureStudent36

Original post by n00

Personal attacks against the man who is trying to rid us of an entitlement society.

Reply 53

Hopple

Original post by MatureStudent36

Personal attacks against the man who is trying to rid us of an entitlement society.

I think it's fair to ask him to back up his claims though, if not actually in person (which I think would be silly), then by pointing out what he'd buy with the £53 that could support him.

Reply 54

DarkWhite

Original post by Hopple

I think it's fair to ask him to back up his claims though, if not actually in person (which I think would be silly), then by pointing out what he'd buy with the £53 that could support him.

Agreed. I don't have much confidence in him taking up the challenge, but a breakdown is perfectly reasonable.

That said, actually doing it is somewhat of an opportunity for him. If he truly believes that JSA is sufficient, then what better way to shut us all up than by going out and doing it?

Reply 55

Kibalchich

Original post by MatureStudent36

Personal attacks against the man who is trying to rid us of an entitlement society.

Like politicians, landlords, bankers, royals.

Reply 56

Eboracum

I think Duncan Smith should do it for a year, see how he gets on. He made the claim. Back it up son.

As for me, difficult to say. I'm not going to make the same foolish claim.

Reply 57

n00

Original post by MatureStudent36

Personal attacks against the man who is trying to rid us of an entitlement society.

Yep he's an incompetent **** thats failed in everything he's ever done other than getting into the knickers of an heiress of course.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 58

Hopple

Original post by DarkWhite

More than reasonable, I'd expect it :wink:

That's true, it would be very effective, but being a politician, I imagine his ego would get in the way :tongue:

I suppose one further complication would be location, people are likely to point out that he's doing it in a cheaper area, or an area where everything's closer together or something (which is a valid criticism of a blanket cap) so his efforts could go to waste on his detractors, even if it earnt him respect from his fans.