A STRUGGLING academic says she can’t afford rent anymore – so will commute 230 miles by plane and train to work.
Dr Jennifer Cassidy, a lecturer in diplomatic studies at Oxford University, was working three jobs to get by in the studious city.
Dr Jennifer Cassidy can’t afford rent anymore – so will commute 230 miles by plane and train to workDR Jennifer Cassidy
But after 12-years, “heartbroken” Dr Cassidy has moved back in with her parents in Dublin, Ireland.
She told the BBC: “There’s no other way I would have been able to afford to live [in Oxford] on the salary alone.
“I have a roof over my head, food to eat, I have a job, I get to commute… but it hurts, I wanted to stay.”
Oxford has an average rent of £1430 per month, according rental experts Rentoo.
The national average for a room is £700, according to figures obtained by The Guardian.
The 36-year-old spent seven years with a supplementary income as an assistant dean at one of the colleges.
But it meant she had to be on shift from 7pm til 7am three nights a week – leaving her struggling.
Dr Cassidy – who does not drive – will now fly to Birmingham from Dublin and travel by train to Oxford three days every fortnight.
She will cover all her face-to-face lectures on these days and work remotely the rest of the time.
The academic will stay with a pal in London in between university commitments.
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Universal Credit calculators
TRYING to work out how much Universal Credit you can get can be overwhelming.
There are so many different elements that can affect your claim that it makes the whole process even more complicated.
There are a number of free calculators that you can use to help you get an estimate, such as Gov.uk, Citizen’s Advice, MoneySavingExpert, StepChange and Turn2Us.
You will need:
Details of all your income, such as existing benefits, tax credits, earnings from employment and your pensions,
Details of your partner’s income if you’re married, in a civil partnership or living with someone as a couple. You will be assessed as a couple’
Information on any savings you have,
How much you pay in Council Tax per year and whether you get any discounts, reductions or exemptions,
Details of your rent or mortgage payments,
Employment and income information about anyone else living with you, such as grown-up children,
Details about your Carer’s Allowance if you receive it.
You need to make sure that the information is as accurate as possible so that you can get the truest estimate.