How much does it cost to survive?  Not to live in any degree of luxury, that is, but simply to get by.  According to the most recent report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the British public believes £13,900 a year will just about suffice. The figure may seem meagre, but compare it to the annual income of a jobseeker over 25 and its appeal grows - it dwarfs the yearly JSA total by precisely £10,597.

Life as a claimant is less about getting by than it is subsisting. Ironically, the vilification of claimants seems to be increasing exponentially with the number of people for whom dependence on benefits is a necessity.  High profile media campaigns threaten "cheats" and "fraudsters" with prosecution, while almost no attention is paid to the tax fraudsters who cost the country fifteen-fold. This campaign seems to be an example of the government failing to see the wood for the trees.  By focusing on those attempting to supplement their £65.45 per week (£51.85 a week for under-25s), the bigger picture of a flawed benefit system is lost.

The Conservatives are flaunting their plans to take the campaign against "cheats" further and none of the major parties are contemplating benefit raises after the election.  But can they really maintain, in the wake of recession, the image of claimants as scroungers? The three main leaders came face-to-face yesterday with the campaign for a "living wage" and all were keen to throw their weight behind it, yet none have yet acknowledged the need for living benefits.  Those who are ready, willing and able to work but unable to find a job are being punished and this, surely, is a system that has to change.