[mmarq]

> However, as a resident of the UK, I have to ask - how does it have a non-existent safety net?

Jobseeker’s Allowance is one forth of the average rent in London and I’m not sure you are entitled to it if you have any savings.

If you lose your private insurance you’d have to rely on the NHS, which is not as bad as what happens in the US, but it’s not in the same league of the French, German or even the Italian healthcare systems.

[antisinguIarity]

>Jobseeker’s Allowance is one forth of the average rent in London

Tricky issue. I do know that where I live (Wales), there are huge numbers of people living relatively comfortably on a benefit-funded lifestyle.

There's also a whole lot more to the UK safety net than Jobseeker's Allowance.

>If you lose your private insurance you’d have to rely on the NHS

If you don't mind me asking, are you a UK native? That's a fantastic turnaround of the typical sentiment about the NHS, which is that it's a shining example of what the wonders of socialised care can do, and how we can do without the evils of privatised healthcare. FWIW I agree with you - it's actually a stinking dump of a money pit, and an embarrassment to anyone who has experienced any other 1st world health care.

[mmarq]

> There's also a whole lot more to the UK safety net than Jobseeker's Allowance.

Fine, but given what I pay in income tax and NI (~80K£ last year), I’d expect a lot more than 4-500£ per month plus (maybe?) 500£ of housing benefit and access to a food bank. I would expect at least 2–3-4 times that for at least one or two years, no questions asked. I understand this money may be enough to live in Wales, but I can’t be expected to relocate there because I lost my job.

> If you don't mind me asking, are you a UK native?

No, I’m not. Hence I’m immune to the NHS cult. :)

Unfortunately several members of my family have battle tested the Italian and the German healthcare systems. Half of them would have died horribly in the UK.

[antisinguIarity]

>given what I pay in income tax and NI

That's how socialised safety nets work - those who earn more, pay for those who don't. Otherwise, it would just be a savings account ;)

Who exactly should be paying for you to get 3k a month for several years, because you lost your fancy London job? Not me, that's for sure.

[mmarq]

Not necessarily, in Germany you get a higher unemployment benefit if you used to earn more (because you paid more taxes and contributions). If I remember correctly, you get 60-70% of your salary capped at ~2-3K€ per month (plus some money for the kids and pension contributions), which is enough to live comfortably everywhere in the country.

If I lost my job in London, I’d fall instantly into a form of poverty that doesn’t exist anywhere else in Europe, notwithstanding the exorbitant amount of taxes I pay every year. Yes, you get some pocket money, that’s why I said the safety net is almost non-existent and not totally non-existent.

[antisinguIarity]

Well, here we've just picked a different set of winners and losers. Can you imagine the outcry if here we changed our benefits system to something like that Germany? "I've been out of work for years, and now this schmuck gets 40k a year for free?"

Again FWIW, I prefer something like that.

Then again, it seems you are aware of the rules of the game you are playing.

[mmarq]

Whatever, but the result is that in London you don’t have a safety net. You lose your job, you get a section 21 notice the day after you miss a rent payment and you are in the streets with a child to feed.