Could you live on £35 a week? (Asylum related)

We certainly couldn't live on £35 a week, I couldnt even live on that when I was at uni and on my own.

I can see why they should be allowed a higher allowance, but where would the money come from?

Umm... If I didn't drink & smoke... Yes. I might even make change.

No, of course not. But the public perception is that "they" get everything (and take all our jobs/women/houses) so a reasonable campaign to get a higher allowance isn't ever going to be popular ☹️

No - probably not - certainly not with a baby

are we reasonable as a nation - i dont know really - i think we have been a bit stupid as a nation with the degree to which we have subsidised people who could fend for themselves and the numbers of people we have accommodated that may or may not genuinely need support and it is sad that it will mean some will now face horrible impoverishment

i think that we are more reasonable than a lot of nations in that we do give safe haven and somewhere to live and gas/electricity

clearly all very difficult and horrible for the people you are seeing

I hope this comes across as its meant to - I don't necessarily think the example you give could live on £35 a week simply because the lack of social education on this country, not to mention the language barrier. I probably could if I really had to because I can search out deals etc

I think it's a perfectly reasonable sum given that accomodation costs are covered.

And it's certainly possible to live on it, which is preferable to the likely alternatives for anyone in genuine need of asylum.

If it meant a difference between life & death - yes I could.

I would say that quite a number of UK families live off little more than that after getting benefits.

you see - for an adult on their own i would think yes probably absolutely fine

but if you have a baby there are extra costs - presuming you havent been able to bring much with you - perhaps you cant breastfeed due to trauma - you dont have the capital as a starting point to buy cloth nappies etc etc

i think it would be extremely difficult

i do feel that it would be better that we could give a normal standard of life to people who come here humbled and afraid because they have lost everything and fear for their lives than continue to propagate generations who should get off their arses

we have all had that argument many times now and i still have no answers but the ones that would turn my own stomach

It is undoubtedly very difficult.... Frankly, it should be.

I'm aware that sounds heartless, but asylum shouldn't be an 'attractive' option for anyone and as pointed out above it's not radically less than some nationals on benefits will have to live on once the accomodation issue is taken into account.

If my accomodation and bills were paid.. possibly. AS are entitled to milk tokens, so I guess nappies would be the big cost. Food for both of us, probably. But thats assumes the house has enough essentials that I do not have to make large purchases on things like cutlery, crockery etc...

I agree with (hecate? sorry but I can't see above) that in this case its likely to be the language and social barrier which makes it even harder.

I mean, could i go and live in turkey on the equivilent of £35 a week? doubtful TBH.

Nappies alone for a new baby cost £10.32 per week on average (based on 12 napies a day, 13p a nappy, from http://www.whatprice.co.uk/health/parent/nappies.html)

ONE, those I have met have arrived after the murder of their families and their own assaults leading to miscarriage, pregnancy by rape, loss of their children, husbands, wives etc. That's why they're here. I do not consider their situation to be an 'attractive' option.

Which is the point surely?

I am shocked that the baby does not entitle her to more. I'm shocked it's so little full stop.

I am sure there must be a way to still show human kindness to those who need it, without somehow opening the gates to the baying crowd of blagging wastrels who are apparently waiting to take our jobs/women/houses [(c) PL]

actually i really disagree with you

it shouldnt be very difficult - we should manage our national finances and our immigration policy better so that when people come here who are in extremis they should have more than they hope and be cared for and start to recover from things that they should never have had to endure

i realise that is idealistic - but while we pussyfoot around the issue of the nationals who totally take the piss we leave people who need our humanity in the cold (also idealistic)

And if that's the price of nappies, then it's terry ones and washing in the sink isn't it?

The point is, asylum is an escape from the kind of conditions you describe. It's not supposed to be comfortable.

I could exist on that for food and basics but there wouldnt be any living being done - no treats, presents for child, buying clothes etc. It would mean scrimping for everything and eating the most basic diet made up of cheap food.

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

Asylum should be an absolute last resort and nothing should make it seem like anything other than a lifeline.

And you get the £30 to buy terry nappies and wraps from...? Do you not eat one week?

As a lone adult, speaking the language, having the basic essentials of a decent home, then yes, I possibly could live on that.

However, I think it's obscene to expect someone who has fled for asylum and has a baby to do so. It's a disgrace that AS can't claim child benefit for example when EU economic migrants can do so for children that don't even live here.

I do not see the point of forbidding AS to work. Surely it would be better to allow them to work a maximum of 16 hrs (or whatever the level is before benefits for claimants of JSA etc are reducued) and allow them a quality of life.

We are a wealthy nation. I don't honestly think that it's too much to ask to allow some sort of a decent life for people who have been desperate enough to risk everything to get here.

why? why can't it be both?

okay, if every asylum seeker was getting a mansion, servants and a car a la daily mail, then it would be a travesty but on the other hand they shouldn't be punished either...

in answer to the original question...yes i probably could be i doubt i'd enjoy it ☹️

Yes - just to make her life a bit more depressing than it already would be. That is assuming she has the money for the initial set up costs for buying nappies, wraps, nippas etc - it would cost her more than £35 to buy enough terries for 2 days which is probably the least she could get away with after washing and drying them................... and thats without the waterproof bit to go over the top.

And you buy the terry nappies how exactly? This isn't just uncomfortable, this is downright humiliatingly offensively wrong.

I cannot believe we can't find a way to deal with this.

Because it needs to be unattractive.... It should be hard graft, it should be soul destroying, it should be something that you'll only do if the alternative is death or worse. Once the claim has been approved there's scope for assistance in setting up a life here.

It's so hard - I think we (as a society) are damned if we do and damned if we don't. If we made things easier for AS, the right would have a field day. We might also find more people with less justification seeking asylum. However, it''s an impossible way to expect people to live.

With my absolutely callous hat on, I'd say life on £35 a week is almost certainly better than what people had before.

ONE, I think I see what you're getting at. It depends how you look at it. If I had fled Zimbabwe, seen my family murdered and raped, my property set on fire, massive food shortages and a cholera epedemic, I've no doubt I would consider myself bloody lucky to have a room in a shared house and £35 a week to live on, I mean, I've seen how bloody awful life can get right?

What I can't reconcile is why thats the only help, its enough to live on so thats the end of it. What about something to occupy my time and help me settle? language lessons, cultural lessons for example. Or, as a few people have mentioned what about setting up grants? sure, If I've fled from that I'm unlikely to be imtimidated by the prospect of boiling up nappies. But what about the help to get the nappies?

I see what you're saying, but the system is so patchy, has so many holes....

I find it even sadder that as an island nation we do not have to deal with mass infuxes of migration (as for example in South Africa, or Spain) so theres even less excuse IYKWIM.

You haven't expained yet, how they would get the money initialls for the terry's nappies?

In absolute terms, probably. In real terms, taking cost of living/food/etc into account, not necessarily.

What i dont understand (and this is ignorance as opposed to any BNP flag waving) is how they end up here, in the UK - an island. Surely they have come overland through numerous countries? why do they not seek asylum in those countries? why do they come here?

slightly seperate issue but my problem with immigration in any form is that this country is chronically overpopulated, and i m not sure why the govt (well, i know, it just perplexes me) doesnt shut the door. our resources are stretched thin as it is, from money, to power, to roads, housing, you name it.

They seem to come in those flying metal tubes ?

I agree that imigration in general is a different issue.

But if it's in anyway comfortable you're opening the system to abuse by people who just fancy a place in the West.

And as regards help with settlement, certainly, but again once your asylum claim has been approved. Until then we don't need or want to offer anyone any encouragement whatever to stay here. If there wore money/grants/basically anything that permits a lifestyle at anything above the most basic subsistance level then 'seeking asylum' might seem like something you might want to have a crack at if you lived somewhere that's not a popular holiday destination.

If you really need asylum, then £35 a week,a roof, a bed and freedom from whatever you're running from should seem a pretty good deal. If you're economically or socially motivated it wont.

My understanding is once in The EU they may as well move freely, so for someone who has fled an english speaking country, or where english is the second language but has no concept of say, French or German the preference would be to come here.

Although I believe we have less AS than the more acccessable EU countries- I believe Germany, France and Spain have it pretty bad- spain for its proximity to Africa, Germany for it proxiemity to eastern Europe and France for its colonial ties with Africa, again making the language easier.

Unless of course they ate their passport on the plane to Heathrow ?