[user104658]

Originally Posted by Gusto Brunt

I'm not on benefits but I understand Universal Credit pays just £74.00 per week to a single man ow woman, with no children. How is he or she expected to pay the extra money? In fact, I don't know how anyone pays any of their bills on just £74.00 per week. I'd expect the food bill alone to be over £50.00.

It isn't really possible for a single, work-capable adult to live alone on benefits. They would need to live with family or share accommodation. It would, for example, be much more possible for 3 unemployed adults to share a 3-bedroom flat... Splitting bills and possibly even combining food budgets.

Disabled people get more as do people with children.

Not that I think it's a good situation but really there's no reason for someone who isn't disabled and doesn't have childcare responsibilities to be long-term COMPLETELY unemployed. If they have a learning disability, mental health issue or addiction issues then they'll most likely be able to claim disability benefits not just rock-bottom unemployment UC.

Again I'm not defending our benefits system here - it's woeful - but just that it's a very unusual situation for a single "unencumbered" adult to be long term unemployed for no reason.

At least, not one who chooses to or has to live alone. There are of course many unemployed adults who live with family.

AGAIN not really judging - I technically was one of them for 18 months at age 18 to 20... Dropped out of my first attempt at Uni at 18 and a half, went back for my second run at it when I was 20.

I did literally **** all in the 18 months between those dates ... .