How the fuck is anyone earning minimum wage, or anywhere close to it, in the UK actually supposed to live on their own?
The maths just doesn't work anymore.
You can work full time, every week, and end up with roughly ยฃ1,700 a month after tax, National Insurance and pension contributions.
Then take ยฃ800 for rent if you're lucky enough to find somewhere that cheap, ยฃ120 for council tax, around ยฃ350 for your other household bills, and another ยฃ80 a week just to put food in the fridge.
And that's before you've paid for your phone, transport, clothes, toiletries or anything unexpected.
By the time you've paid for the basics, there's practically nothing left.
No meaningful savings. No emergency fund. No money to actually enjoy your life.
And we're still told to be grateful because "minimum wage is going up."
Going up to what? A wage that still leaves you broke after you've paid for the privilege of existing?
Work full time, do everything you're told you're supposed to do, and somehow you're still one unexpected bill away from being fucked.
At what point are we going to admit that something has gone seriously wrong?