Advice please, urgently, I’m caught between a rock and hard place

mostlycheerful

not relevant

System

You need the Citizens Advice Bureau - and why go self-employed with all it's associated bureaucracy if you have failed in the past?

CAB will be able to advise you of your rights and what benefits you would be entitled to to supplement a low income.

bobblebot

Hi there...first of all deep breath and relax.....thats better.
I know how bleak things are seeming, been there and now I'm through it. If you owe so much money and haven't got it and are being forced into a job that is less than reasonable...then is bankrupcy a possibility to wipe out what you owe so you can start afresh in a new home that you can rent.
Your state of mind seems very fragile at moment so not the best time to perhaps go self employed, let alone even working at moment...sounds like you need someone to talk things over with. Perhaps as mentioned above CAB advisor or go the GP and see a counsellor.
I know its difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel at mo...but you will get through it.

real1314

OP, you've inverted the situation to blame the wrong dept.

Why should the jobcentre be bound by the situation you have put youself in / the council have put you in, in respect of your house/flat?

Should the agreement between you and the council (or indeed with any other third party) bind the jobcentre?

And why would you need £75k a year? If there's a £30k amount of work being done (on a low value flat?) it may not need to be paid off in 1 year. Also, although the £30k may be paid by the council (presumably) if you are on benefit, will they not pay any of it if you are working on a low income?

Take a deep breath, aim for the right target, find out what the options are.

Shooting bullets at the jobcentre will get you absolutely nowhere other than deeper in the mire than you are. They are not responsible for this situation.

ALIBOBSY

Firstly I am sorry about the situation you are in, unfortunately more and more people and going to end up losing jobs and being left with properties they can't afford to live in and can't sell.
I do have sympathy for your situation, but the 2 issues are surely separate. The job centres "job" is to get you back into work, any work as quickly as possible. The council want to charge you as you own the property. The Job centre aren't doing this to make you pay the council. However the effect is the same.
If you need a job of 75k to pay your bills you are overstretched, and perhaps bankcruptcy is a possibility.
Would a local housing association consider buying your flat and perhaps renting it back to you?
I assume from what you say if you are on benefits the council waive the 30k? But charge you if you are in work?
Would they expect the whole amount in one lump or could you pay it over time?
Probably time to go to citizens advice (or simular) and sit down and look at your finances to see your best way forward.
Good Luck
ali x

Purplekylie22

bobblebot wrote: »

.then is bankrupcy a possibility to wipe out what you owe so you can start afresh in a new home that you can rent.

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

However the effect is the same.
If you need a job of 75k to pay your bills you are overstretched, and perhaps bankcruptcy is a possibility.

OP - as you are self employeed, or want to be, I would strongly urge you to seek advise before you consider anything this drastic, If youare declared bankcrupt you are not allowed to run a company and you are not allowed to registed as a limited company e.t.c when self employed.

dmg24

Can someone summarise for me please?

Too many words!

Conor_3

mostlycheerful wrote: »

Advice please, urgently, I’m caught between a rock and hard place

Can anyone please tell me, which I think it surely is, if it is illegal and against benefits regulations and against government policy for the jobcentre to force me to take a relatively low paid job which will pay less than half the amount of benefits which I am currently receiving to pay the £30,000 charge re Decent Homes Scheme Major Works done on the council block which my ex council leasehold flat is in, thereby forcing me into an untenable unsustainable position, my only way out of which would be to try to sell up, which would probably be impossible as the housing market has crashed and the flat is ex council in a high crime rate ghetto and therefore probably unsaleable?

No it is not illegal. It is part of the contract you have between you and the JSA. What it is "illegal" for you to do is refuse the job if you've been signing on more than 6 months. If you refuse it, you will be sanctioned and get reduced benefits.

You say you've little skills and experience but need a £75k job. Well guess what, you're not going to be getting one anytime this side of dying.

Your debts are of no bearing on how much benefit you're entitled to or what type of job you can tell the JSA you're only able to accept. You've been signing on for a fair amount of time and not doing much looking if they've managed to find you a job TBH.

seven-day-weekend

Yes, you will need to take the job if you can do it and no, it is not illegal - it is the Jobcentre's job to get you back to work.

You will have to arrange a payment scheme with the Council for the works and they can't take what you haven't got so only offer what you can afford. You can do this even if you have a job.

If you are on a low income you may be able to claim Council Tax Benefit and Tax Credits.

Your first port of call should be the CAB who will help you through all this.

Hope all goes well.

seven-day-weekend

dmg24 wrote: »

Can someone summarise for me please?

Too many words!

IIUC, the OP has had his RTB flat brought up to a decent standard by the Council and now owes them £30k.

The Jobcentre want him to take a job which means he will not be able to pay the £30k.

He wants to know if this is illegal.

Think that's it!

dmg24

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

IIUC, the OP has had his RTB flat brought up to a decent standard by the Council and now owes them £30k.

The Jobcentre want him to take a job which means he will not be able to pay the £30k.

He wants to know if this is illegal.

Think that's it!

That's what I thought, but I thought I must have been missing something?!

Is it not the same as anybody else having a leasehold property and having a bill to pay for its maintenance?

OP, what would you do if you were already in work and received the bill?

Welcome to the responsibility of owning a leasehold property!