Hot Dog Trainer

The new minimum wage in the UK is now £27,456 per year. Sounds good, right? Not really. It's still nowhere near enough for a single person to cover the basics. £27,456 a year works out at roughly £1,869 a month after tax, National Insurance and workplace pension contributions. Now let's do the maths: Rent: £900 Council Tax: £140 Utilities: £170 Fuel/car insurance/tax: £300 Monthly food shop: £300 Phone bill: £50 WiFi: £30 That leaves you £21 short every month, just to cover the basics. You're already in the red before you've even paid for toiletries, emergencies or anything resembling a social life. Even if you get rid of your car and rely on public transport, costing around £200 a month, you'd have just £79 left to last you the entire month. People will say get housemates, rent a room or budget better. But if you're working full time, your wages should cover the basics and leave you with something to save every month. Nobody is asking for a luxury lifestyle. They're asking for a full-time job to provide a decent standard of living. One of the richest countries in the world, where millions of people are working full time and still living payday to payday. We're not living. We're just surving.