Over ⅓ of Southport couples admit rushing into living together to save on costs

MOVING in with a loved 1 is usually a pretty major decision; yes, it will be great to be able to spend more time together, but this has to be weighed up against what they're actually like as a living companion. While many people take the plunge after taking a significant amount of time to get to know each other, sometimes other factors such as money can influence the arrangement…

As the cost of living increases, it's no secret that rent magically becomes cheaper if it's split between 2 people. So, to find out if finances are a factor on British couples moving in with each other sooner than they might have otherwise, leading supplier of candle making ingredients, Supplies For Candles surveyed 2,100 of them…

Interestingly, the study found that overall, 30% of co-habiting couples in the UK moved in sooner than they had intended to, for financial reasons. When you break it down across the UK, it seems that Southport residents are the most eager to save on living costs, as 41% of cohabiting couples admit to moving in with their partner earlier than they would like to save on living expenses. The couples least likely to cohabit for love rather than financial reasons are in Wales. Whether it's because Welsh couples are more mindful of the risk of relationship break ups, or the significantly lower rent prices there, only 16% of them move in with their partner early to save money.

Supplies For Candles also probed couples to find out how soon they would move in with their partners. Overall Brits move in with their partner 13.3 months after the relationship began.

The survey also found that 54% of Brits believe that rent and bills should be split down the middle, 50/50. However, this can cause friction if, or when, 1 partner earns considerably more; or less; than the other…

When asked what is the biggest source of friction for newly cohabiting couples, the results were as follows:-

1st place:- "Needing your own space" - 33% said it was an issue.

2nd place:- "Money" - 25% said it was an issue.

3rd place:- "Eating Habits" - 16.7% said it was an issue.  Yes, it's hard to keep loving someone who chews noisily or eats with their mouth open, for example.

4th place:- "Sleeping Habits" 167% said this was an issue.  Yep, snoring must be a pretty big issue for some...

5th place:- "Cleanliness" - 8.3% listed this as a major issue.

So what are your issues?  We would love to know... Please email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com and have your say... Do you agree with Supplies For Candles findings?

Often when moving in with a partner, you may see your friends less, as nearly ½ of cohabiting couples admit (42%). However, it is important not to neglect friendships; after all, who are you going to moan about your messy partner to? Setting aside time to see friends is just as healthy after you moved in together as it was before, if not more so. And it's equally as important to make quality time for your partner, and go on date nights. It's easy to take someone for granted if they're there all the time, but over ½ (53%) of couples admit they're not happy with the amount of date nights they get with their significant other since moving in together. That aside, 82% of Brits say cohabiting actually strengthens the relationship.

Nicky Story, from Supplies For Candles, in a press release, said that:- "Whilst it can be challenging living with a new partner for the 1st time, it's clear that these trials and tribulations strengthen the relationship. Just remember to keep the romance alive. A candlelit bath or romantic dinner are a perfect little surprise or date night to keep that flame burning!"

Universal Credit is now fully operational across the UK

AS the rollout of Universal Credit reaches the last few Jobcentres across the land, the Department for Work and Pensions highlights the changes  and what they mean for people making a claim to the new controversial benefit. Since 12 December 2018, people making a new claim to benefits, at Jobcentres, in the whole of the UK will be able to experience the full advantages of a tailored welfare system.  The party line is that Universal Credit is changing the culture of welfare support nationwide and replaces the complex mix of 6 legacy benefits, with 1 simple monthly payment. It sounds good on paper and should work well, but people are increasingly getting deeply divided about after wide spread issues that have left vulnerable people without vital cash, for weeks on end and pushed people into poverty.  But the Government is still saying:- "For people who are able to work, Universal Credit provides employment support tailored to each person's needs. Universal Credit also supports people who are unable to work due to a disability or health condition."

If done correctly, the Universal Credit payments, on paper, will reduce gradually the more someone earns, meaning people can take on more hours without fear of seeing their benefits suddenly stop entirely, like they could in the past. The Universal Credit rollout began back in 2016 and now all Jobcentres will be able to provide Universal Credit to all new claimants. Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said:- "Universal Credit is a force for good, and everyone that visits a Jobcentre, from now on, will be able to access a better, modern benefit with personalised support. Universal Credit is working for the vast majority of people and I will continue to monitor closely and make improvements where needed."

So what are your views on this?  Please do email us to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com on this topic, as we would love to know...

In the latest press release sent to us from the Jobcentre, they commented that:- "People receiving legacy benefits will continue to receive payments, as usual and won't be asked to make a claim for Universal Credit, unless they have a change in circumstances. During 2019 a low number of legacy benefit claimants will be moved over to Universal Credit, by DWP, as part of a carefully managed process, and this will be communicated to people in advance. Jobcentre Work Coaches across the country continue to provide 1 to 1 support in order to help people move back into and progress within work. In addition to the additional benefits for claimants, Universal Credit is also having a positive impact for UK businesses. 1 of many companies working closely with the DWP and Jobcentre Plus, is Build London, who are seeing Universal Credit, in action, 1st hand, by connecting job seekers with vacancies in major infrastructure and construction projects."

Chris Dransfield's Build London Programme Director said:- "We believe Universal Credit could help recruit new talent. Its flexibility and work coach support, combined with our projects paying the London Living Wage, should help to attract those in work, but claiming Universal Credit."

Real wages still down over ₤100 a week in some parts of the North West

PAY packets are worth over ₤100 a week less in some parts of the North West than in 2008, according to new analysis published by the TUC. The analysis shows which local authority areas have suffered the biggest hit to real wages (wages once the cost of living has been taken into account) since the crash. People working in Fylde have the most ground to make up. They are still earning 23% less in real terms than a decade ago; the equivalent of ₤153 a week. The next worst areas are Blackburn and Darwen and Ribble Valley where real wages are still down by 15%, followed by Trafford (-13%) and St Helens (-13%). There have been sharp falls across the region in both poor and affluent areas. Real wages are still lower than a decade ago in 34 of the region's 43 local authority areas. And only 4 areas have seen the value of wages increase by 5% or more since 2008. The analysis shows that as a result of pay not keeping pace with the cost of living, the average worker in the North West has lost out on ₤14,230 in real earnings since 2008. UK workers are suffering the longest real wage squeeze in more than 200 years, with average pay packets not set to recover to their 2008 level until 2024. The UK is only of 2 advanced economies (along with Italy) where real wages are still lower than a decade ago. TUC Regional Secretary Lynn Collins said:- "The Government has failed to tackle Britain's cost of living crisis. As a result many families across the region will be worse off this Christmas than a decade ago. While pay packets have recovered in most leading economies, wage growth in the UK is stuck in the slow lane. Ministers need to wake up and get wages rising faster. This means giving all public sector workers the pay rise they have earned and giving unions the right to bargain in more workplaces. And it means boosting the minimum wage to ₤10 an hour as soon as possible." The numbers in the North West also tell a story; local economies that are trying different things, such as Preston and Salford are starting to see improvements in pay. Places like Fylde, having suffered during the recession, have now taken a 2nd hit, as well paid jobs in manufacturing and public services have been lost."

Safe as houses

A Liverpool City Council plan to provide people who sleep rough with a 'bricks and mortar' solution to their accommodation issues is getting real results. Since September 2018, the Council's Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) has taken 51 people off the streets and into accommodation. This includes 34 people who have gone straight into a place of their own. In June 2018, the Council received a ₤280,000 funding boost from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), to support people off the streets and into long term accommodation.  Working with Liverpool YMCA, New Start, Excel Housing Solutions and the Whitechapel Centre, the money has been used to recruit 5 new members of support staff to work with people who sleep rough; to help them find accommodation and thrive in their new housing by ensuring they can access the services they need.

Liverpool's Director of Adult Services, Martin Farran, explains:- "We adopted an approach that put the needs of the individual at the centre and developed a strategy that was both flexible and personal.  We wanted to give people the hope and reassurance that they were coming off the streets and into a place where they could find safety and stability on a permanent basis. We worked closely with our partners to identify properties that would meet the needs of the individuals. It's also important that support staff gain the trust of individuals and give them a sense of ownership over the process.  The most important factor was that we had to provide these solutions quickly to ensure that people were settled in their new accommodation before the winter. Thanks to the efforts of our delivery partners, we are delighted to say we have achieved this."

The RSI project worked with a variety of people in need, including those currently in temporary accommodation or using the Labre House Rough Sleeper night hub, those who would not consider temporary accommodation and people with no recourse to public funds who were ready for work.  The Council invests ₤11m a year on services specifically targeted at people who are at risk of homelessness. The Labre House Rough Sleeper night hub opens every night of the year and takes anyone rough sleeping in Liverpool who wants to come inside, regardless of their background or circumstances. The Council also funds more than 700 temporary accommodation spaces and last year provided help and advice to over 5000 households at risk of becoming homeless.  In October 2018 alone, Council funded outreach workers encouraged 55 rough sleepers to come inside and seek help, whilst 115 people were placed in temporary accommodation.

Liverpool City Council Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Lynnie Hinnigan said:- "The immediate support we provide to people who sleep rough to get them off the streets and into safety is the very visible side of what the Council and our partners do. In fact, this is only a relatively small part of the work taking place. We want to provide lasting solutions to the issues that the City's people on the streets face and that means supporting as many as possible to make the transition from the street to temporary accommodation to long term accommodation.  Our aim is to go much further than supporting people out of rough sleeping. We are putting the mechanisms in place to keep them off the streets for good and to turn their lives around."