Other people's lifestyles
So much for me, what about others?
There are some lifestyle issues relating to other unemployed people that need discussing, which are not directly relevant to My lifestyle.
People living with relatives
Some people point to young people still living with their parents. This is a definite area for concern, because what such people get in benefits far exceeds whatever pocket money they received while at school. I don't agree with the suggestion that they should receive no benefits whatsoever, but maybe the value of jobseeker's allowance should be different for those claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit and those who don't. This would not just affect young people still living with their parents, though it would include them.
If implemented properly (and we all know that the devil is in the detail), this may do much to address the loopholes where several members of the same family claim benefits and between them lead a comfortable lifestyle. My fear is that the politicians may latch on to this idea and hastily cobble together some legislation that would cause collateral damage.
Home owners
As I explained in The nineties job quest, I sold my house during my first long spell of unemployment, once I realised that I was unlikely to find work quickly. It never occurred to me to even try to claim mortgage interest payments off the state. Even if I'd succeeded in such an application, it would have been the wrong thing to do. Getting rid of the house allowed me the flexibility I needed to pursue my job quest.
I'm not clear what the rules are, but I know that it is possible to claim mortgage interest payments in some circumstances while unemployed. I'll update this blog when I learn what the rules are, but I'll just say for now that I think anybody out of work for more than a year should not be allowed to make such a claim. If they don't have savings upon which they can draw, they should be forced to sell their home as I did.
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