Iain Duncan Smith thinks he can live on £53 a week.

You —

So Mr Iain Duncan Smith has stated on Radio that he can survive on £53 a week. I think he should try it. For a prolonged period of time.

While having to live a week or two or a short period of time on such a figure is doable, especially if you have help and support from family and friends, if it is long term or if you are the breadwinner, it is nothing short of a disaster.

For a responsible person paying their way, living on £53 a week is not enough to live a dignified life.

I'd like him to try living on that amoung without handouts and charity for a meaningful amount of time so that he can see the codswallop that he talks for what it is.

Many in the Tory party have been born with a silver spoon and I doubt they could even understand every day concerns let alone living on such small sums of money for prolonged periods of time.

There was a documentary commissioned by the BBC titled "Britain's Hidden Hungry" which was quite a shocker.

Many people have found the remarks of Iain Duncan Smith as ludicrous and a petition has been started. Which has been signed by over 400,000 people so far. Might as well add your signature:

"£53 a week? Prove it!"

Hummus — Sat, 6 Apr 2013 - 14:03

Our family's weekly shopping adds up to just under 100 quid a week. That's excluding any clothing shopping on the weekends, any last minute corner shop buying and any school-canteen payments for all the children in the house. Seems impossible at the minute. 

TPOS — Sat, 6 Apr 2013 - 15:22

Not like anything's going to happen because of it, but I signed that petition the other day too.

Talking of injustices disabled people are going to be hard, I think, with the new cuts, as well. And then there's that bedroom tax thing

What's the point of the new class system?

You — Sun, 7 Apr 2013 - 02:16

[quote=TPOS]

What's the point of the new class system?[/quote]

Nothing other than classification.

It is some persons attempt to put people into groups. It may have some uses, and will be stupid in other cases.

The 7 classes thing will probably be forgotten in short order until some other student comes out with "there are 8 classes!" and then we may get another article, but these things dont really change anything other than potentially inform people about what exists and potentially allow the ruling "class" to make laws to benefit various of these groups (or they could find the classification stupid and ignore it...).