[stagbeetle]

Living off $12k is not in any realm of "impossible" in a first world country. It may come as a surprise (halfly sorry for the snark), but most of the world (60%) lives under less than $1800/yr. The dreadfulness and despair of it goes away when it's a personal choice to live frugally.

There's a lot of things you can get for free or dirt cheap, when you choose to see the deals.

[gaius]

But they are not paying First World prices for anything. $12k/year between two people, owning no other assets than their $300k capital is not really do-able in the West. You could if you already owned 40 acres and were mainly self-sufficient.

[stagbeetle]

I believe 13% of people+families survive under $12k/year in the U.S, i.e poverty. Stretching $7k with one person living in a city, is by no means impossible. Extremely uncomfortable by what you may have become accustomed to? Of course.

You can buy a day's meal at Walmart for $2. You can also couch surf indefinitely. And repair all of your current possessions, instead of replacing them. Such as clothes and electronics. There is a world of possibility.

[gaius]

You can buy a day's meal at Walmart for $2.

There is a misguided individual here in the UK called Jamie Oliver who says things like that... It's true if you have the money upfront to buy in bulk. And somewhere to store it all, somewhere clean and dry, and a freezer. And a kitchen, and energy to boil water and run the oven. And know how to cook and have the time to do it (easy if you are "retired", not so much if you are working several minimum wage jobs). Etc, etc, etc.

I could spend very little on actual ingredients and have tasty, nutritious food every day, because everything else is taken care of. But I would never be so facile as to extrapolate that to someone without all the prerequisites that make it possible.

[lr4444lr]

They're usually receiving significant government benefits in terms of healthcare, rental, and food subsidies. They're earning $12K/year, but certainly not living on that.

[gaius]

With £200k in liquid assets in the U.K. you would be unlikely to qualify for many benefits - especially if you had chosen to quit your job for no particular reason.

[walshemj]

the reason doesn't matter for the DHSS