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Is 29k a year really poverty?

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24567…11

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    #32
    troops
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭troops


    Tiddlypeeps wrote: »
    What baffles me is how she is living such a life of poverty. She disclosed that she has a public sector job earning 29k a year (450 per week after tax) and her mortgage is 650 per month. That's just for her day job, not including the bar work. WTF!

    450 can't be correct..29K is about 550 a week gross. deduct 15% public sector pension contribution and she's nearly at 450 before even paying tax, usc, prsi etc..


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    #33
    AlmightyCushion
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,351 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    anhedonia wrote: »
    surely broadband is an essential basic requirement these days, along with food and heating.

    I couldnt live without it.

    Deaths from internet deficiency have increased massively since the recession started. It truly is heart breaking.


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    #34
    Celly Smunt
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,463 ✭✭✭Celly Smunt


    Spiritual wrote: »
    They won't let you **** in the library.

    course they will,why do you think the books are made of paper?


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    #35
    Anyone
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,376 ✭✭✭Anyone


    Lumbo wrote: »
    I watched this program. Did she ever use the word poverty? I'm pretty sure she didn't and she just said that despite working two jobs, she was finding it difficult to pay her bills.

    Sounds a bit more truthfull than the OP's spin.

    Also, 650 p/m....if she bought a few years ago then that could be interest only and not able to meet her mortgage repayments.


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    #36
    Spiritual
    Closed Accounts Posts: 491 ✭✭Spiritual


    troops wrote: »
    450 can't be correct..29K is about 550 a week gross. deduct 15% public sector pension contribution and she's nearly at 450 before even paying tax, usc, prsi etc..

    Oh the humanity....


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    #37
    tayto lover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 57,077 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    RMD wrote: »
    There's clearly more to this story than meets the eye, either she's living beyond her means or not mentioning other debts (car loan, healthcare etc). If she's earning 450 a week after tax and only paying 650 in mortgage that means she still has roughly 290 quid a week in disposable income. It's not lavish by any measure but it's not even close to 2nd job territory just to make ends meet.

    Her cheque showed a take home amount of 396 euro.


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    #38
    RMD
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,662 ✭✭✭RMD


    anhedonia wrote: »
    surely broadband is an essential basic requirement these days, along with food and heating.

    I couldnt live without it.

    Broadband is cheap if done right. Take UPC for example, 70 quid a month you get broadband, digital tv and landline sorted. Not a big expense considering it covers all 3.


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    #39
    mud
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,699 ✭✭✭mud


    Did she mention if she was in any debt apart from her mortgage?


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    #40
    troops
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭troops


    tayto lover wrote: »
    Her cheque showed a take home amount of 396 euro.

    it's sh*t enuff money in fairness whatever way ye spin it. someone on the dole getting rent allowance and a medical card is as well off


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    #41
    Tiddlypeeps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Tiddlypeeps


    tayto lover wrote: »
    Her cheque showed a take home amount of 396 euro.

    Could have sworn I saw 450 on the pay slip she pulled out. I could easily be mistaken. That's still 240 a week after her mortgage.

    She may not have used the term poverty but she did make herself out to be very hard done by.


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    #42
    Rodin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭Rodin


    enviro wrote: »
    Relative poverty is set at 60% of the median household income. She may be close to that... anyone care to work it out?

    By that definition, it is impossible to eradicate poverty in that system.


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    #43
    GetWithIt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭GetWithIt


    troops wrote: »
    450 can't be correct..29K is about 550 a week gross. deduct 15% public sector pension contribution and she's nearly at 450 before even paying tax, usc, prsi etc..
    29K was the after tax number. It was 32k'ish before.

    Or at least that was my recollection.


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    #44
    Rodin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭Rodin


    Tiddlypeeps wrote: »
    Could have sworn I saw 450 on the pay slip she pulled out. I could easily be mistaken. That's still 240 a week after her mortgage.

    She may not have used the term poverty but she did make herself out to be very hard done by.

    Yeah she did. She appears to have her own home all to herself!!!

    She's definitely not hard done by.

    And her mortgage being 30% of her net income is just irresponsible.


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    #45
    tayto lover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 57,077 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    troops wrote: »
    it's sh*t enuff money in fairness whatever way ye spin it. someone on the dole getting rent allowance and a medical card is as well off

    The other woman on the programme was taking home 2 k a month and had childcare bills of 2 k per month. Madness. She would be better off staying at home minding her own kids.


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    #46
    Vizzy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭Vizzy


    Tiddlypeeps wrote: »
    Could have sworn I saw 450 on the pay slip she pulled out. I could easily be mistaken. That's still 240 a week after her mortgage.

    She may not have used the term poverty but she did make herself out to be very hard done by.

    Right,so she is single and getting €240 nett a week after the mortgage is paid.On her income she won't qualify for medical card,FIS etc.
    And someone on social welfare will get all these on top of €188 p/week.


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    #47
    Rodin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭Rodin


    Vizzy wrote: »
    Right,so she is single and getting €240 nett a week after the mortgage is paid.On her income she won't qualify for medical card,FIS etc.
    And someone on social welfare will get all these on top of €188 p/week.

    And this is why social welfare is too generous. Particularly when compared to the UK.

    This country must reduce it's costs.


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    #48
    GetWithIt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭GetWithIt


    smcgiff wrote: »
    It's also scary how many people think if they move up onto the higher tax bracket they can come out with less money overall. I think she was suggesting as such and she wouldn't be alone.
    It was an odd comment. Something like "I can't work anymore hours as I'd then be in the higher tax bracket and couldn't afford that".

    I have known people to say it wouldn't be worth their while to work extra hours as they'd be taxed at the higher rate but never heard anyone say they couldn't afford to earn more.

    It was a good thing she didn't get that pay rise she had originally thought she was going to get. Sure she'd be bankrupt twice over by now.


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    #49
    GetWithIt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,081 ✭✭✭GetWithIt


    tayto lover wrote: »
    The other woman on the programme was taking home 2 k a month and had childcare bills of 2 k per month. Madness. She would be better off staying at home minding her own kids.
    Another crazy situation, and one of herself and the husband was a financial advisor.


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    #50
    kippy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,064 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    Does anyone know what the true figure was?
    29K Gross public sector wage = roughly 22498 Net.
    http://taxcalc.eu/
    Without knowing how much her other expenses are and what they are it's pretty hard to determine how much actual disposable income she has.


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    #51
    Tiddlypeeps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Tiddlypeeps


    Vizzy wrote: »
    Right,so she is single and getting €240 nett a week after the mortgage is paid.On her income she won't qualify for medical card,FIS etc.
    And someone on social welfare will get all these on top of €188 p/week.

    A single person will very rarely get a medical card unless they are absolutely crippled with debt, and even the it's unlikely. Same with rent allowance. Being on the dole doesn't automatically qualify you for them, they are means tested on a case by case basis.


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    #52
    Vizzy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,624 ✭✭✭Vizzy


    Tiddlypeeps wrote: »
    A single person will very rarely get a medical card unless they are absolutely crippled with debt, and even the it's unlikely. Same with rent allowance. Being on the dole doesn't automatically qualify you for them, they are means tested on a case by case basis.

    OK,assume that the typical single person on the dole doesn't qualify for the either.
    She's still working 35 hours for €50. But hey,as another poster said she probably "sitting on her hole and posting on Boards and Facebook all day"


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    #53
    phoenix999
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 581 ✭✭✭phoenix999


    Think she said she was working in Social Welfare office.


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    #54
    tayto lover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 57,077 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    Rodin wrote: »
    And this is why social welfare is too generous. Particularly when compared to the UK.

    This country must reduce it's costs.

    Why not compare us to other European countries instead of the U.K.?


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    #55
    Tiddlypeeps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Tiddlypeeps


    Vizzy wrote: »
    OK,assume that the typical single person on the dole doesn't qualify for the either.
    She's still working 35 hours for €50. But hey,as another poster said she probably "sitting on her hole and posting on Boards and Facebook all day"

    Wait... what?

    400 - 188 = 50 :confused:


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    #56
    Rodin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,130 ✭✭✭Rodin


    tayto lover wrote: »
    Why not compare us to other European countries instead of the U.K.?

    Because the UK is next door and the obvious comparison.


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    #57
    tayto lover
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 57,077 ✭✭✭✭tayto lover


    Rodin wrote: »
    Because the UK is next door and the obvious comparison.

    What is their VRT, Car Tax charges, ?
    Do they have free doctors ?
    Free buses to school etc ?


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    #58
    kippy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20,064 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    Tiddlypeeps wrote: »
    Wait... what?

    400 - 188 = 50 :confused:

    I think he/she was factoring in the mortgage payment as well.


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    #59
    Reloc8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,857 ✭✭✭Reloc8


    Tiddlypeeps wrote: »
    Wait... what?

    400 - 188 = 50 :confused:

    The 450/400 is taxed. So its really about 310. Hang on...you're stil right.


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    #60
    Tiddlypeeps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,103 ✭✭✭Tiddlypeeps


    Reloc8 wrote: »
    The 450/400 is taxed. So its really about 310. Hang on...you're stil right.

    The 400 was after tax.
    kippy wrote: »
    I think he/she was factoring in the mortgage payment as well.

    Why don't the unemployed payments get a mortgage factored in too?


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    #61
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 23,497 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    smcgiff wrote: »
    It's also scary how many people think if they move up onto the higher tax bracket they can come out with less money overall. I think she was suggesting as such and she wouldn't be alone.

    Unless her part time job is cash in hand she'd presumably be paying some tax in the higher bracket unless she's only doing 3/4 hours a week in the 2nd job.


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