[mlthoughts2018]

Keep in mind that in my brother's state in the Midwest, there is nothing comparable to the social safety net options offered in Britain.

I'm not saying those people have it easy on £16K, but e.g. consider the insane costs for treating depression that my brother faces, with few assistance options, which he has to balance out of such a low salary already. This kind of thing can also vary greatly state to state, with some states practicing much worse forms of social austerity than others -- and my brother happens to live in a particularly bad state for this.

Many of his coworkers, earning the same or slightly less, also are the sole providers for their family and have dependents they have to support out of this wage too. It's a situation where your car breaking down can be an unmitigated life emergency, and people avoid getting serious medical conditions treated because they can't even afford a copay or afford to fill a prescription.

So you might be surprised that the real cost of living after accounting for this kind of thing translates into a pretty dire situation for someone earning $18K in the US.