No point in the young getting a job?

[Chris_w666]

Wonderful start to the day.

Young fella that we have helped get himself to a point in his life where he can find work after not completing school finally finds a job paying a decent wage.

Same young man also has nowhere to live other than his uncles sofa.

So we also find him a place in a supported housing scheme where people will help him budget, look after himself and generally stop him getting into trouble.

Phone call this morning to confirm my fears, he would have to pay £170 a week before getting to work or feeding himself to live there, now this would be out of a basic wage of £260 a week before tax and NI.

So back to square 1, he has managed to get himself into the world of work only to be slapped down by a system that will not reward him for suceeding. Now he must either rent privately, current local rental would mean he is paying a minimum of £400 a month before any other expenses, and the council waiting list is roughly 6 months to a year off.

Now I know that a lot of people on here would gladly see scroungers burn but the system seems screwed when a 19 year old wants to try pulling himself into the world of work and contributing back and gets told at the first hurdle 'You are better off on Job Seekers Allowance'.

[TommyTT]

Could he not rent a room somewhere?

[Chris_w666]

TommyTT said:

Could he not rent a room somewhere?

Possibly but quite a small town so not a lot about, add to that the guys slightly less than friendly looking group of mates and not many would want to share with him.

[Nic Jones]

TommyTT said:

Could he not rent a room somewhere?

My thoughts exactly, where I used to rent a room the cheapest room was £300/month all bills included.

[crofty1984]

Couldn't he get one of the 400 a month places you mention? That's saved him about £80 a week on housing.

[superkartracer]

Could he not share?

On the money he's earning he should be fine.

Edited by superkartracer on Tuesday 25th November 10:37

[G'kar]

He needs to dump the loser mates and stay on the sofa till he's saved some money.

Life's tough, even if you mean well, and are trying? Where's the story?

[shirt]

£170 a week for the housing scheme? is that council run? thats extortion!

agree with the houseshare. maybe a better chance of finding one as people might be taking in lodgers in the current situation.

has he enquired about council accom.?

[Chris_w666]

The big problem with renting privately is that the young man in question would be at risk of getting into arrears quickly as he has not had any experience of money at all.

Hence the ideal being a supported place for 6 months until he is used to budgetting and managing bills.

Did the council thing, it was them that put him in touch with the supported scheme as they have nothing for 4 months min and that wait will go up now he is earning.

Ditch the loser mates is what I would do, but may not work just yet.

Edited by Chris_w666 on Tuesday 25th November 10:39

[maix27]

When i was 19 i was earning £500 a month working part time. I managed to fund myself through uni on that (ok, I had a loan, but that was only £3.5K a year). That included renting a room and feeding myself.

Depends how much you want it really...

The dole is certainly the 'easy' option. But you get into work, may not earn much for a few years, may end up in debt but you then get yourself into a higher position, pay off the debt and enjoy the spoils of your hard work/effort.

Or you go on the dole and stay in the same place for the rest of your life.

I'm 25 now and earning £43K. Tell him to get some aspiration.

I know it sounds harsh but way too many people falter so easily. Get some back bone, get on with it. No one ever said life was fair.

[Olf]

Chris_w666 said:

TommyTT said:

Could he not rent a room somewhere?

Possibly but quite a small town so not a lot about, add to that the guys slightly less than friendly looking group of mates and not many would want to share with him.

Can't help those that won't help themselves. Smarten up and excommunicate your loser mates would be a good start.

[Neil_H]

He needs to share, no one is 'entitled' to their own flat, especially if they can't afford it.

I spent a year sharing while saving for my own place.

[Nolar Dog]

Can't he move in with you?

[MK4 Slowride]

Chris_w666 said:

TommyTT said:

Could he not rent a room somewhere?

Possibly but quite a small town so not a lot about, add to that the guys slightly less than friendly looking group of mates and not many would want to share with him.

He's going to have to smarten up sharpish or stay on the sofa.

I've just rented my spare room out and used that Flatshare website. Several of the applicants didn't even get a second look in because of how they looked/dressed and of course the text speak in their bit about them was uncomprehensible.

He's going to find it hard to rent anywhere below £400 pcm. When I last looked about 2 years ago I found 1 place that was a complete dive for £250 pcm. If he's got a mate that he's happy to live with then great, get them to save for a deposit and rent a 2 bed together that way it'll cost them each about £300 pcm for a half decent place and the £300 will pay the utilities as well.

[Chris_w666]

maix27 said:

The dole is certainly the 'easy' option. But you get into work, may not earn much for a few years, may end up in debt but you then get yourself into a higher position, pay off the debt and enjoy the spoils of your hard work/effort.

Or you go on the dole and stay in the same place for the rest of your life.

I'm 25 now and earning £43K. Tell him to get some aspiration.

I know it sounds harsh but way too many people falter so easily. Get some back bone, get on with it. No one ever said life was fair.

Agreed but its bloody hard telling someone that. I am pretty sure he is the first member of his family to have got a job for a good few years and he was fairly adamant that he did not want to stay on the dole, I think staying on the sofa will probably be what he does for now.

[maix27]

Chris_w666 said:

maix27 said:

The dole is certainly the 'easy' option. But you get into work, may not earn much for a few years, may end up in debt but you then get yourself into a higher position, pay off the debt and enjoy the spoils of your hard work/effort.

Or you go on the dole and stay in the same place for the rest of your life.

I'm 25 now and earning £43K. Tell him to get some aspiration.

I know it sounds harsh but way too many people falter so easily. Get some back bone, get on with it. No one ever said life was fair.

Agreed but its bloody hard telling someone that. I am pretty sure he is the first member of his family to have got a job for a good few years and he was fairly adamant that he did not want to stay on the dole, I think staying on the sofa will probably be what he does for now.

It's a bummer, admitidly, I slept on my parent's sofa for a year after leaving uni becuase my job paid so badly and any rent money i would have had was take by the commuting costs. I found that only made me want to leave more and motivated me to work harder so i could move out. (the bed was also amazingly uncomfortable!).

I think what you have to do is make him see it as a challenge. You have to realise that you have to take a few knocks to move forward. If these knocks inspire you more than they destroy your will then you'll do alright.

Ask him what it would feel like if he was still on the sofa in 10 years' time, and get him to hold that thought...

[esselte]

Chris_w666 said:

maix27 said:

The dole is certainly the 'easy' option. But you get into work, may not earn much for a few years, may end up in debt but you then get yourself into a higher position, pay off the debt and enjoy the spoils of your hard work/effort.

Or you go on the dole and stay in the same place for the rest of your life.

I'm 25 now and earning £43K. Tell him to get some aspiration.

I know it sounds harsh but way too many people falter so easily. Get some back bone, get on with it. No one ever said life was fair.

Agreed but its bloody hard telling someone that. I am pretty sure he is the first member of his family to have got a job for a good few years and he was fairly adamant that he did not want to stay on the dole, I think staying on the sofa will probably be what he does for now.

Have a look on Rightmove..appear to be quite a few terraced houses in the NE to be rented for £3-400 per month.......

[CzechItOut]

Chris_w666 said:

Same young man also has nowhere to live other than his uncles sofa.

So we also find him a place in a supported housing scheme where people will help him budget, look after himself and generally stop him getting into trouble.

Phone call this morning to confirm my fears, he would have to pay £170 a week before getting to work or feeding himself to live there, now this would be out of a basic wage of £260 a week before tax and NI.

Someone I knew lived in one of those "supported housing schemes". It was basically a hostel for young people who couldn't live at home for whatever reason. Despite there being 24-hour adult supervision the place was awash with drugs and low level criminality.

Personally I reckon he's better off on his unkle's sofa.

[okgo]

Adapt or get left behind.

I had to learn about budgeting the hard way, and have just about got myself on top of it. As said above life is not fair, but make of it what you will ect.

[blindswelledrat]

This is a ridiculous thread.
He earns £800 per month.
Rent will be £400 thus aged 16 or whatever he has a disposable income of £100 per week which is how we all started life and we all loved it.
Going from nothing to £100 per week is fking ace and that is after renting your OWN flat at that age.
He must be laughing his tits off and you are asking why he bothers????