[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.

[antisinguIarity]

Then don't live in London if you are concerned about feeding your child.