AN OUT-OF-WORK security guard left with just £3.14 a week to spend on food and clothing has challenged cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith to do the same.
The work and pensions secretary hit the headlines recently after claiming he could live on £53 a week if he had to during a radio interview about the Government's welfare reforms.
But unemployed Michael Johnson says he can only dream about having an extra £50 in his pocket every week.
For after paying all his household bills, the 43-year-old is left with just £3.14.
His weekly disposable income has been dramatically reduced as a result of a cut in his housing benefit because he lives alone in a three-bedroom council house in Norton Grove, west Hull.
Until her death last year, he lived there with his mother.
Now, unable to downsize because of a shortage of smaller council properties, he's facing having to pay £20.79 every week for the two spare bedrooms in the house.
"My Jobseeker's Allowance works out at £71.70 a week," said Mr Johnson.
"Once you take off the 'bedroom tax', the £10 I pay for gas, another £10 for electric and £7.50 for water, there's not much left."
As it is, most of his remaining money is already accounted for.
His TV licence fee is covered by a £5 weekly payment, while new rules mean he now pays £1.25 a week in council tax.
He is also paying £5.50 to the city council to clear outstanding rent arrears as well as £8.52 to repay a crisis loan taken out to help pay for his mother's funeral last year.
"I'm looking for a job but there's not a lot out there," he said.
"I would love to get back into security work.
"The problem is getting around. It costs £2.70 on the bus just to get in and out of town from where I live."
With no savings to fall back on, he said Mr Duncan Smith had "no idea" of what people such as him were experiencing as a result of having to pay for spare bedrooms. He said: "I don't drink or smoke and I only really go out to the library to go on the computer there to look for work.
"I don't put the heating on any more and only eat frozen stuff, like chips and pies. If I have a takeaway, it's usually curry sauce and chips."
His brother Brian, who lives nearby, said: "After our mum died, I went around to see how he was getting on.
"The only food he had in house were two tins of carrots. We help him where we can but money is tight."
