Advice

vluersdantine

Hi all,

My situaion is currently that I earn 16k a year, my girlfriend earns 12k. I'm 30 and she is 26.

Her daughter is 5, and currently the CSA can't contact her dad.

We rent privately, and at £495 a month, on top of the fact I'm 1 year into a five year loan for 10k, and costs associated with having a five year old, we're being crippled financially. We aren't in dire straights, and the situation isn't getting any worse - but have no money left over at the end of each month, and its getting a little depressing.

I heard the tail end of an advert on the radio about tax credits so decided to google it, and ended up here.

Can anyone suggest if we may be entitled to anything, although as we both work full time i'm gathering no?

I feel a little embarrased not knowing, but this situaion is relatively new to me and it was not anything I ever needed to look into before.

Thanks, and sorry if this isn't a great 'first post'

Loopy_Girl

Put all your details into www.entitledto.co.uk and it will tell you all you are, well, entitled to!!

alwaysonthego_2

You should be entitled to a small amount of child tax credits.

Try your figures in https://www.entitledto.com

Regarding your loan if you are struggling with the payments that are leaving you short each month you should try and negotiate with the creditor sending them a monthly expediture sheet listing your incoming and outgoings and make the a realistic offer.

mouseymousey99

It may be worth having a look at another board on here too, Old style which helps to make more of what you have.

vluersdantine

Thank you all. That website seems to suggest a figure of £10.50 a week may be available.

With regards to the loan, I don't think I can do anything as I shopped around and went into it eyes wide open following a divorce. I CAN afford the repayments, even though when they finish, I'll be £214 a month better off, and that would see us comfortable in our current situation. I just wish that the 4 years didn't seem like a sentence! I've tried to re-negotiate over a longer period (I know that's bad because long term I'd pay more) but I have no more credit available to me, this being the only credit I have ever had in my life.

Again, thanks

Loopy_Girl

Well that's £42 more than you had an hour ago! You can also get the payments backdated for 3 months. Get on to them now and get a pack sent out to you - sooner you claim then sooner you get the money.:)

Also get your partner to keep badgering the CSA to try and find her ex. They do have ways, they just don't shout about them!!

Conor_3

vluersdantine wrote: »

Hi all,

My situaion is currently that I earn 16k a year, my girlfriend earns 12k. I'm 30 and she is 26.

Her daughter is 5, and currently the CSA can't contact her dad.

We rent privately, and at £495 a month, on top of the fact I'm 1 year into a five year loan for 10k, and costs associated with having a five year old, we're being crippled financially. We aren't in dire straights, and the situation isn't getting any worse - but have no money left over at the end of each month, and its getting a little depressing.

I heard the tail end of an advert on the radio about tax credits so decided to google it, and ended up here.

'

You need to get a grip on your spending. You have more than our household coming in and our mortgage is within £30 of your rent but we manage to put away every month as well as saving for the kids as well.

Have an honest look at where it's going. Write it all down for a couple of weeks. You'd be surprised how much fags, booze,the odd take-away and sandwich from the bakers racks up.

vluersdantine

Conor wrote: »

You need to get a grip on your spending. You have more than our household coming in and our mortgage is within £30 of your rent but we manage to put away every month as well as saving for the kids as well.

Have an honest look at where it's going. Write it all down for a couple of weeks. You'd be surprised how much fags, booze,the odd take-away and sandwich from the bakers racks up.

Don't smoke, don't drink a great deal. Obviously an exhaustive list of where my money goes wasn't needed to get at the information I was after. If it was, your reply wouldn't have been what it was.

vluersdantine

Just a FYI, some of the things we are paying off include her ex racking up debts in her name, child care which negates a great deal of what my girlfriend earns and a college course so she can get a better job long term. Thanks for your advice.

rachnbri

If you're paying for registered childcare you may be able to get some help towards this through tax credits as well.

mouseymousey99

Maybe the debt free want to be board - they are all good folks too, if you post your outgoings they suggest ways you could be saving money - cheaper phone, no sky etc etc