Things are hopefully looking up!

hayley11

I'm so fed up and I don't know what to do.

I work 25 hours a week and due to health reasons can't really work more than that, I'm also an Avon Rep/Sales Leader but I don't really "see" any of the money from that, we dip into the money as we get it and then I always end up owing it money.

My boyfriend quit his job on the 1st August. He was getting pretty fed up there, it took him over an hour to get there, didn't get on with his manager, was facing disciplinary because he couldn't reach his sales targets etc. But he quit without having another job lined up which is probably the most reckless thing he's ever done when you look at our outgoings.

I applied for jobseekers for him a few weeks after he first left, he wouldn't do it straight away because he kept saying he'd get a job. Because he quit his job they wanted a lot of info on why he'd quit and to be blunt he couldn't be bothered to fill in the forms. Then he missed his first appointment to sign on, I do believe this was a genuine mistake but still, couldn't help but be annoyed with him. So since the 1st August he has had ONE payment of £34 from JSA. He is also a steward at Manchester City and gets about £60 a month from that.

He went for an interview with a train company and it was going so well, he passed the interview and then went for a medical, so we thought it was in the bag but they'd messed up and not sent him for an assessment (should have been done before the medical) so now it looks like he's going to have to wait til the new year before he can start, if he passes the assessment that is.

Sorry i'm waffling...i'm just wanting to paint the whole picture.

Anyway my real problem is I can't afford to pay anything really apart from the rent, council tax, phones/broadband and food/travel to work. I've applied for housing benefit and council tax but they are taking forever to process the application. I've put our current SOA below but everything in read hasn't been paid for about two months.

I know everybody is going to say cancel sky/setanta and I myself I have been saying these should be cancelled but they go out of OH's account. The good news is, he only has £100 of his overdraft left so he's going to HAVE to cancel them whether he likes it or not.

I would cancel BT if I could but i'm tied in. My mobile is getting cancelled as soon as I can and then i'll switch to PAYG. My OH is saying he is going to get another contract through Dial A Phone once his contract is up, to get the cashback through quidco and get the free gift. To be honest, I'd rather he didn't but he doesn't listen to me.

Incoming:
My wage - £620
OH wage - £60
DLA - £250

Outgoing:

Rent - £475
Council tax - £86
Gas - £40 (I recently changed tariffs with Eon)
Electric - £40 (as above)
Water - £32
TV License - £11.29
BT - £40 (tied in until August 2009)
Sky - £50 £40
Setanta - £15
My Mobile - £35 (reduced from £40, can’t reduce it more than that as I need the texts and minutes, tied in ‘til December)
OH Mobile - £35 (tied in until December)
Shopping - £150 (this is approx, I have no idea how much we spend on shopping, not a lot if our cupboards are anything to go by )

Debt:

Egg Loan - 9.9% - £9052.21 - £304.20
Egg CC – 7.9% - £416.94 - £10
TSB CC – 18.9% - £989 - £15
OH TSB CC – 18.9% - £3000 - £60 (we are owed £500 from thomsons for a cancelled holiday)
OH Overdraft – 0% - £1550 - £0.00
Next – 26% - £1820 - £302
Littlewoods – 0% - £669 - £423

Total incoming - £930
Total outgoing - £2113 (this is how much I need to pay to get back up to date with everything)
Difference = -£1183

I don't know what to do. I can't go into a DMP because I don't actually have any money spare to pay them. I keep asking my OH to apply for JSA but he wont and I could pull my hair out with frustration. He keeps saying it's because he'll get a job but he's been off work for nearly 3 months now and he hasn't got one. It makes me feel sick all that money we've lost out on.

Should I write to everyone I owe money to and explain the situation? Would a token payment of say £5 each actually make any difference? I'm so scared the baliffs are going to start coming round or i'm going to get taken to court

Thanks for reading

Hayley x

minimee_2

Ring the council and chase that CTB and HB claim.
Put your foot down with OH! Make him get a job. Take him to bloody McDonalds/Asda/Tesco etc to get one! A job is a job, he can always look for something better while hes doing something crap.
If you cant work due to sickness, are you entitled to incapacity benefit?

I would also suggest the CCCS http://www.cccs.co.uk/
Theyre free and fantastic (we are using them at the minute.
The National Debt Helpine are also highly regarded on here too
http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/

They will give you suggestions even if you have no disposable income at the end of the month.
I will say though, RENT and COUNCIL TAX are your most important, and any secured loans. Dont fall behind on these. This will keep the roof over your head.
Any other loans/credit cards will just have to wait until you are on your feet, although pay them what you can.
If you are spiralling into an overdraft, Id suggest setting up a BASIC bank account with another bank (a basic one will have no overdraft, and no debit card, just a cash card), and moving all your ESSENTIAL direct debits over to it. This is just my suggestion though, its what the CCCS told us to do, and its helped us no end!
Someone will be along soon with more info to help.

RAS

Hayley

Welcome

One thing we desparately need to know is which debts are yours and which are OH's, and any joint.

Ditto the accounts on the utilties etc and the rent book.

milliemonster

Aww Hayley, I really feel for you, to be honest I don't think a token payment of £5 will make any difference if this is just a one off and you can't afford to pay something regularly every month

I think you need to have some straight talking with your boyfriend, he now needs to grow up and stop pretending everything is goign to be ok, you shouldn't be having to shoulder the responsibility for all this.

All I can suggest is that you ring one of the debt free charities asap and discuss your situation with them, no amount of re jigging your SOA is going to free up £1183 I'm afraid. Have you shown him this?

I think you also need to give him an ultimatum , he either needs to sign on and get the benefits until he finds a job or he's out, I know that may sound harsh but he is being completely unreasonable here, he is behaving like a teenager living at home, esp by saying he is then going to get another contract mobile when he can't even afford to contribute to the household at present, he is being selfish and acting like a juvenile

(Land_of)_Maz

oh hayley i don't really know what to say but didn't want to read and run........

it's like fighting a losing battle against your OH.... he needs a serious reality check doesn't he?

Hopefully some clever bods will come along and make some suggestions, but to be honest, you know what you have to do as you've been around the boards a while....

some would say ebay everything you can, any useless old junk you have.... but not sure you will get much for your OH, so just keep him and hope his lightbulb comes on soon!!!!!!

- hugs-

Maz
xx

minimee_2

milliemonster is right. Hes not a teenager being looked after by his mum.
You cant afford Sky.
You cant afford another mobile contract.
Does he/you smoke? That would help too if you/he stopped?
Can you ebay loads, and use the proceeds to clear one of the debts? Leave the money in Paypal until you have enough money or it.
If anyone rings you about any of the debts, they can get pretty nasty trying to get the money off you. Tell them all contact is to be in writing only. If they ring after this, just hang up.
Keep posting, were here for you, and want to help.

JimmyTheWig

What are the chances of moving in with your parents or someone? 90% of your wages go on rent and council tax. There is no way you can cope with this.

mummytofour

Are you on middle rate care for DLA???? To me it looks like you might be as you get the same as my son. IF this is the case then your dh could claim carers allowance...

angelaf_3

Hi Hayley Have you tried to claim disability working tax credit? I'm disabled and work for 24 hrs a week and get dla and I get it. It's means tested and your partner's income is taken in to account but as he isn't working at the moment this is not really going to be of any significance.

annamc75

Show him the figures in black and white - show him that you are overspending by more than your income every month!
Start listing stuff on ebay and getting rid of anything you dont need.

Does he have a car? Get ringing around local takeaways and see if they need delivery drivers. Ditto local couriers. Send an email to all friends in the local area to ask if they are aware of any local jobs.

Ring round shops and see if there is any xmas jobs going - remind OH that job centres never close their doors because they have no jobs - if you are willing to work there is work out there.

milliemonster

Also chase up the council tax and housing benefit, explain you are in severe financial hardship at the moment