Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2016 September 11

= September 11 =

National Insurance Question
Firstly let me state that I am not asking for financial advice, I am merely seeking references and information to help me understand the following hypothetical situation.

To claim Employment and Support Allowance in the UK a person must satisfy the following two conditions;


 * 1) have paid Class 1 or 2 contributions on earnings of at least the lower earnings limit in 26 weeks, which need not be consecutive, in one of the last two complete tax years before the relevant benefit year


 * 2) have paid or been credited with Class 1 or 2 contributions on earnings 50 times the lower earnings limit in each of the last two complete tax years before the relevant benefit year

Someone who is self-employed earning less than £8,060 a year would pay Class 2 National Insurance at a rate of £2.80 per week. Lets say they've been self-employed for two years, so they have paid £291.20 (£2.80 x 104) of Class 2 National Insurance. Does £291.20 of Class 2 National Insurance satisfy both of the conditions for claiming Employment and Support Allowance? I am having trouble understanding what "50 times the lower earnings limit" means, and whether or not £291.20 meets this threshold. What exactly would 50 times the lower earnings limit be for a self-employed person?

Thank you for your help
 * This page has a calculation of the sums in question. I won't repeat the results here, to avoid falling foul of our prohibition on giving financial advice.  Anyone who intends to make a claim should seek advice from an appropriate professional (such as the Citizens Advice Bureau). Tevildo (talk) 01:02, 11 September 2016 (UTC)

How to remove/peel dead/dirty body skin
"Nails" seem to do the trick with warm/hot shower; require something alike. Any ideas? 103.230.104.5 (talk) 11:28, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * Try a loofah Wymspen (talk) 11:50, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * See Exfoliation (cosmetology) for our article. Pumice stone is another traditional implement. Tevildo (talk) 13:02, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * Having tried both a pumice stone and a loofah, I recommend the pumice stone. The problem with a loofah is that it stays wet, with skin cells inside it, which is the ideal breeding ground for all sorts of nasties, so you have to frequently replace it.  I tried using bleach on one, but it just fell apart.  On the other hand, I've had the same pumice stone for years.  It doesn't tend to stay wet as long, but if anything does grow on it I can just soak it in bleach and it's clean as new again.  My comments regarding a loofah also apply to sponges, whether natural or artificial.  You might wonder why people use them, if they require frequent cleaning yet are nearly impossible to clean.  Well, being flexible, they are better at reaching concave areas, like the armpits.  But I'd just use a washcloth for that, which can at least be cleaned easily.  If you do want to try to clean a loofah/natural sponge, I suggest soaking in a retail 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.  That's going to be be more expensive than a pumice stone, but less expensive than replacing it every time if gets smelly and dark.


 * As for when to use the pumice stone, it's best at the end of a bath, when the skin is soft from absorbing bath water. Another device I've seen for exfoliation, especially of the heels, is a grater, similar to a cheese grater, but with smaller holes.  I can't recommend that device, as it's too harsh.  With a pumice stone you can vary the pressure to control the exfoliation rate, but that doesn't seem to work as well with the grater.


 * Then there's chemical exfoliation, which seems downright dangerous, to me, so I've never tried it. StuRat (talk) 13:10, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * Try "How to clean a Loofah" - http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Loofah-or-Natural-Sponge Wymspen (talk) 18:15, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * I should point out that, despite the wording of that article, a loofah is not a sponge - persons of high moral principles might object to using the latter, as it's an animal product. Tevildo (talk) 19:51, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * I notice they repeat my advice to give up and use a washcloth instead. :-) StuRat (talk) 20:45, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * Those ingenious Romans used a strigil, a bit like a curved paint-scraper (don't try that at home). Alansplodge (talk) 14:54, 11 September 2016 (UTC)


 * That reminds me, a razor also incidentally performs exfoliation, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it for areas that aren't being shaved anyway, due to the risk of cuts and abrasions, which can possibly become infected. (Of course, this risk is also present in areas that are being shaved, but you've already made your decision on the risk versus reward there.) StuRat (talk) 15:45, 11 September 2016 (UTC)
 * FWIW, I've successfully used a disposable safety razor to pare down excessive callus on my heels, but one does so at one's own risk. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.202.211.191 (talk) 11:04, 13 September 2016 (UTC)