UNIT 2 Recording Planned Income and Expenditure Classifying Income: Regular and Irregular Income
Now that we have established where a household’s income comes from, let’s look at classifying income into regular and irregular income.
Regular income
It is certain that the household/ individual will receive this income and it is usually paid at agreed intervals. For example, teachers get paid every second Thursday (biweekly).
Some businesses pay out on the last Friday of the month.
Examples: • A wage or salary
• Child benefit – paid every four weeks to the parent or guardian of each child under the age of sixteen
• Jobseeker’s Allowance • Pensions.
Irregular income
It is not certain that you will receive this income as there may be, for example, conditions to be met before it is paid.
It is important not to rely on irregular income to pay fixed expenses.
Examples: • A tax refund from the government • Room for rent on Airbnb • Lotto win
• A bonus from work, e.g. for Christmas
• Overtime (working more hours than a basic week)
• Inheritance – a sum of money received as a gift or following the death of a relative.
EXAM PREPARATION!
State ‘regular income’ and ‘irregular income’. Explain each term using an example. Apply it to another unit.
A wage slip. P. 11 Recording Income
While a household may have a rough idea of the income coming in, it is important to keep records to help the household plan and manage their income. It can be done weekly, monthly or yearly. We present this information in a ‘tabular format’.