TL;DR: What is it technically possible to do with benefits? You can become a literal space agency in the UK, even with no money or income from your work. And buy a house as well.
Introduction
Hi, I just want to give some inspiration to those who want to do things they think are valuable, that they see the value of, but others don’t. It’s related to benefits. If you are confident and secure that you are helping people and are just failing to turn it into money, don’t lose hope, read on.
The Basics
In the UK, in technical terms, you can optimise the income from Universal Credit for low-income work whilst self-employed, doing any work you want to do. If you believe in your work, you can still survive with no income at all, whilst living in a single room with bills included, and eating the cheapest possible.
If you are dead set on being an author, musician, open source researcher, or an artist, and you are not sure if you will ever make money but want to follow your passion, don’t despair. The UK system is here for you (for the time being). If you are over 25, there is technically enough to live on; you just need to know what you are doing. (Please spare a thought for those under 25, for whom it is almost entirely impossible.)
You can technically afford all necessary rent and bills (included) for a room in a shared house, toiletries (basic soap and toothpaste, etc.), basic vaping or a couple of beers, basic clothes, a cheap second-hand phone and 5GB plan, and a cheap old Chromebook or tablet PC. (Priced below.)
Yes, honestly. It will just require serious care and thriftiness. You won’t actually need donations.
Available Tools
It is technically possible to do a lot with benefits. You can then afford some tools as well: combine two or three of the following:
- A decent computer every 4 to 5 years
- Rental of a small field to store things or run courses
- A personal assistant at a living wage in some cheaper economies (such as Cuba and Nigeria), nearly full-time
- Membership of clubs or occasional courses
- A hire car for 1.5 days a month
- A Vaping habit
- 4 to 5 train trips
- 20 local bus trips
- One holiday every 6 months
- 1 or 2 Netflix or software subscriptions
- £30 monthly spending money
Yes, I know you won’t believe me, so all the prices are below.
This is with extreme optimisation, but actually, you can! Don’t be a negative ninny and say otherwise. If you spend on nothing you don’t need, you can technically micro-optimise the entire thing (without needing a job at all) in the UK. You simply use the low-income benefits, with no disability or mental illness or extra care.
If you skip 2 or the 3 things above, there are even houses, occasionally a tumbledown house in Durham or South Wales, for £5,000 (yes, regular prices mostly exceed £20,000). It probably won’t have windows, but you could in theory afford this using a credit card in 5 to 10 years with poor credit (which you will need a 550+ score on Credit Karma for). Yes, scientifically, if you control your life with clinical military precision, you can technically afford to get on the property ladder without housing benefit, on poor credit in the UK. (😅 LOL!)
All of this is without any kind of job, whilst having your full-time hours to work on whatever you want (as long as it doesn’t cost). The benefits require you work a job the job centre approves of (technically for long term benefits) and they don’t say what job, just that you work. If you earn a low income from this job, you can still claim them.
If you get a part-time job, earning up to £400 per month, you can technically get one of the following:
- A mortgage for a relatively sound house (with windows) in County Durham
- Hire a team of 3 call centre staff and rent an office in Bangladesh or Nigeria
- Hire a junior doctor in India. (If you are careful and work with freelance contractors, you can do this legally.)
Shopping List That You Can Technically Afford With Benefits
1 Month
| Income | £400 + £350 housing = £750 |
| 10 kg rice | £15 Amazon |
| 5 kg split lentils | £7 Sainsbury’s |
| 5 kg chickpeas | £7.50 Amazon |
| 24 tins of beans | £10 Amazon |
| 1 kg pumpkin seeds | £4.50 Amazon |
| Toothbrush | £1 |
| Toothpaste | £1 |
| Misc toiletries | £2 |
| Council tax with reduction | £9 |
| Rent bills + internet included | £350 Options on Rightmove |
| Phone bill | £2.50 Lebara |
| Total Monthly | £409 |
Universal Credit Income: £750
Monthly Expenses: £409
Remaining: £341
3 Months (additional)
| 50 g Italian herbs | £3.50 Amazon |
| 240 × 200 mg caffeine tablets | £7 Amazon |
| Total 3 Months | £10.50 |
| Monthly Average | £3.50 |
Running Total Monthly Expenses: £412.50
Universal Credit Remaining: £337.50
1 Year (additional)
| 365 vegan multivitamins | £12 Amazon |
| 5 t-shirts | £22 |
| 10 boxers | £15 |
| 24 socks | £15 |
| 2 jogging bottoms | £24 |
| Hoody × 2 | £16 |
| Poncho raincoat | £5 |
| Shirt and tie | £10 |
| Smart trousers | £7 |
| Shoes × 2 | £20 |
| Soap multipack | £5 |
| Total Annual | £151 |
| Monthly Average | £12.58 |
Running Total Monthly Expenses: £424.08
Universal Credit Remaining: £325.92
Optional Section
Vaping
| Vape liquid 18 × 10 ml | £18 Vapeclub clearance |
| 6 pods | £10 Vapeclub |
| New vape | £21 / 3 months = £7 monthly Vapeclub |
| Vaping Total Monthly | £35 |
Transport
| Bus trips | £3 × 10 = £30 monthly |
| Car hire 1.5 days | £30 monthly |
| 4 train trips | £35 monthly |
Leisure and Learning
| Computer fund | £480 / 48 months = £10 monthly |
| Field rental | £30 monthly and up |
| Netflix + Pycharm | £20 monthly |
| Karate club | £35 monthly |
| Holiday fund | £300 / 6 = £50 monthly |
| Spending money | £30 monthly |
Setting Up An Office (Personal Assistant, Equipment, Communications)
| Personal assistant (5 hours × 4 days) at Bangladeshi living wage | £75 monthly |
| Office Setup Total (with 1 personal assistant) | £75 monthly |
Individual Option Breakdown:
| Vaping | £35 |
| Bus trips | £30 |
| Car hire 1.5 days | £30 |
| Computer fund | £10 |
| Field rental | £30 |
| Netflix + Pycharm | £20 |
| Karate club | £35 |
| 4 train trips | £35 |
| Holiday fund | £50 |
| Spending money | £30 |
| Personal assistant | £75 |
| Total of All Options | £380 |
| Average per option (380 / 11) | £34.55 monthly |
With 2 optional selections at average rate (£34.55 × 2 = £69.10):
Total Monthly Expenses: £424.08 + £69.10 = £493.18
Universal Credit: £750
Remaining: £256.82 monthly
You have technically eaten, rented, clothed yourself, and have approximately £260 a month spending with benefits.
Military Precision Section
Scenario 1: Credit Card Renovation House
| Credit card purchase price | £9,000 (£5000 plus £4000 renovations) |
| Interest rate | 18.0% (good credit) |
| Repayment period | 10 years |
| Total repaid | £12,000 (£90 monthly) |
| Caravan (on house land with planning rights for renovation) | £120 / 12 = £10 monthly (replaces rent using solar) |
Monthly Position:
Basic Expenses (adjusted without rent): £74.08
1 Optional Section Option: £34.55
Caravan: £100/12: £8.33
Credit Card Bill: £90
Scenario Cost: £98.33 monthly
Total: 206.95
Universal Credit: £400
Remaining: £193.05 monthly
Scenario 2: Satellite Launch Project
| Satellite design cost (home built with water jets and gyroscopes) | £4,000 |
| Satellite mass | 500 g |
| Satellite launch cost per kg (SpaceX) | £5,000 |
| Launch consulting | £3,000 |
| Total satellite project cost | £12,000 |
| Over 10 years monthly cost | £12,000 / 120 = £100 monthly |
Combined Monthly Position (Credit Card House + Satellite + 1 Optional Selection):
Basic Expenses: £74.08
Credit Card House: £98.33
Satellite Project: £100
Optional Selection: £35
Total: £306.95
Universal Credit: £400
Remaining: £93.05 monthly
With benefits, you have technically paid everything from what you are meant to have, eaten, bought a house and launched a satellite in 10 years, and become a space agency, with no charity.
With An Additional £400 From Part-Time Retail Work
Total Monthly Income: Universal Credit (£750) + Part-Time Work (£400) = £1,150
Scenario 1: Hire A Junior Doctor (India)
| Junior doctor full time in India | £390 monthly |
Monthly Position with Junior Doctor:
Basic Expenses: £424.08
Junior Doctor: £390
Total Expenses: £814.08
Total Income (UC + part-time work): £1,150
Remaining: £335.92 monthly
Scenario 2: Mortgage on County Durham Property
| Mortgage on £25,000 property in County Durham (poor credit) | £155 monthly |
Monthly Position with Mortgage:
Basic Expenses: £424.08
Mortgage Payment: £155
Total Expenses: £579.08
Total Income (UC + part-time work): £1,150
Remaining: £570.92 monthly
Scenario 3: Setting Up An Office (3 Call Centre Staff)
| 3 × personal assistant | £75 × 3 = £225 monthly |
| 1 × office rental | £40 monthly |
| 1 × VOIP subscription | £0.02 per minute × 14,400 minutes of work = £288 monthly |
| 3 × tablet PCs | £90 (once) / 12 = £7.50 monthly |
| 3 × headphones | £2 once |
| Office Setup Total | £560.50 monthly |
Monthly Position with Office Setup:
Basic Expenses: £424.08
Office Setup: £560.50
Total Expenses: £984.58
Total Income (UC + part-time work): £1,150
Remaining: £165.42 monthly
Scenario 4: Combined Office Setup with Scaled Operations
| Basic Expenses | £424.08 |
| 1 × personal assistant (part-time) | £75 monthly |
| Mortgage payment | £155 monthly |
| Office rental | £20 monthly |
| VOIP | £14 monthly |
| Equipment costs | £5 monthly |
| Optimised Total | £693.08 |
Monthly Position with Scaled Office and Mortgage:
Total Expenses: £693.08
Total Income (UC + part-time work): £1,150
Remaining: £456.92 monthly
What is it technically possible to do with benefits? You have set up a business with call centre staff, acquired a house with a mortgage, and have significant financial flexibility.