If you have time to wait I would leave it for now. You need to be financially able to take the job and pay your expenses, rent, tax, pension etc. If they offer less than you expected then hold firm and let your PI work it out.

My funding included travel money set aside I did courses in the UK and US which they mostly covered. I did however have to pay accommodation cost to my last one and my Sup agreed to cover flights only

For me it's not the PhD itself that scares me about finishing but the number of first authored papers most postdocs are asking for these days. I have 2 papers and a3rd in the works but doesn't look enough

It sounds like you want them on your paper just for their name. He didn't do any of the work or guide anything you've written. Shouldn't it be your supervisor, whose given you the phd?

And at the end of all of that? You can still be penniless with no job in sight, but hey, you made it!
The UK education system is shocking, to think a friend of mine with graduate from Uni with over £20K in debt.

I think you do have a choice over how you handle this. Frankly if this is true you should spend a lot less time with him alone or do what's right and report him for it. Easy enough to record him on your phone.

Not my area at all. But do you know people/companies with the jobs you want afterwards? Or even just current job adverts. Find out what qualifications are they have/ask for and plan from there? Just a thought.

Dunham - well its a different area of science than my BSc or MSc and skill were learned without touching my sample of which there was a limited amount. Techniques aren't gained by osmosis

It's awful that you had to go to these lengths but congratulations on the outcome. And for not giving up. Well done.

Don't worry too much, this seems to be the norm. I spent 18 months in the lab earning practical experience but nothing from that will form part of my thesis. Even the reading I did moved on. I'm sure your on track.

sent you a pm

We tend to think having funding in the first place is so great but really, given the hours work by PhD students and the fact most pay their own way during write-up it's a struggle to understand why this system continues

Thank you Caro, that sounds very reasonable, there would only be two months of my funding left anyway and the postdoc would more than make up for the end of my funding. I'll speak to my supervisor.

What do you do then, between hand in and viva if not look for alternative employment. Am I expected to work beyond funding when required but when there is no work left to just do nothing? I do not understand that.

Hi guys, can you start a postdoctoral post after your thesis hand in but before your viva when you are still being funded?