I applied for a job today (one of many as usual), NHS wellbeing thing, work from home, £20k pa. And I thought, hmmm £20k seems like alot. But after taxes and added childcare costs (work from home doesn't mean I can just shive kids in another room and hope for the best, would likely need a part time nanny to be able to manage the hours as expected unless they don't mind clients on phones hearing my children play fighting in the background) it'll be less than what I get on benefits currently. Is anyone paid a living wage these days? Enough that ones free time can be spent not worrying over bills or food or work? Being unemployed feels like a job option, it's not free money cos there are hoops to jump through to be granted the money each month and not sanctioned (not dissimilar to targets at work), full time job searching basically. Expected to do 25 hours of job search related activities each week. Atleast on benefits I can do those 25 hours on my phone in the bath, on the bog, can job search on my phone while kids play at the park or while cooking.
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