It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Bargain_Rzl

Don't mind you asking at all, PenPen

I was in quite a similar situation to you, actually. Tuition was free "in my day" but I wasn't eligible for any grant due to parents being on a middle income. Grant + loan in those days was about £3,200 I think, but my dad gave me £3000p/a (£250p/m) on the basis that he didn't want me to have to take out a loan if I didn't need to. I did end up taking out student loans, but only because it was the cheapest credit I was ever likely to get - it didn't form part of my subsistence budget. It ended up funding things just after I finished university, such as the deposit and first month's rent on the house-share I moved into in London. Paid it back in a lump sum a couple of years later.

I didn't have a job at all in my first year, not even during the holidays (very tricky to find casual work in Durham, where I grew up) but worked weekends in a greengrocer's in my second year.

I agree it's a lot harder to plan for now, mainly because of tuition fees (which came in 2 years after I went to university) which means that almost all students do graduate with some debts, and most have to work. I haven't asked how my Dad subsidised my sister, who is three years younger and would have had tuition fees. And as for my brother, well my parents had split up by then and my mother's low income meant that he was fully funded by the state Don't get me started on that one - there's a big flaw in the system when a child with an "absent parent" who's willing and able to support him gets better state financial support than a child of a two-parent family which just sneaks over the threshold for qualifying for any funding...

elizabunny

sorryusernamesgone wrote: »

Back on topic ... I'm not coping at all.

. I have housing benefit to pay my rent, council tax benefit to pay my council tax, and £56 a week Income Support to live on. They stop £4 a week out of my Income Support because I receive £4 a week private pension.

Out of that £56 a week I have to pay for my electricity, gas, food, telephone, tv licence on DD, mobile phone, water rates, diesel, car tax, car insurance.

There's no public transport near me, as I live in a rural area, so a car is not a luxury. The nearest shop is 5 miles away.

It's impossible.

I contacted Gordon Brown, DWP, my local Liberal MP (who wasnt interested), CAB who said I wasnt entitled to anymore as I'm a widow and have no children, and finally contacted the local PPC for the Conservatives who's actually trying to do something (but only because she wants my vote in the next election - but at least she's going to try and help).

I dont have any debt (yet), no HP or Finance and have never owed anyone a penny, but things are about to change. I can't survive now as I've used all my life savings on existing and now they've all gone.

So sorry for your dilemma but you've come to the right place for support and hopefully there are some knowledgable people here who may be able to offer you advice as well. A good thing is that you have no debt and that's a good place to be in. I hope someone here can offer you more advice than I can.

mardatha

Sorryusername thats terrible pet. I do know a lady who is supposed to live on IB only and run a house with it --I think if you have children then you get lots of help. If not then you're left to get on with it. I hope somebody who can help you comes on soon. x

Charis

sorryusernamesgone wrote: »

There's no public transport near me, as I live in a rural area, so a car is not a luxury. The nearest shop is 5 miles away.

I live in a rural area and have discovered that many of them are covered by a ring and ride scheme, operated by volunteers. They will take people who have no other transport to places they need to go, shopping, hairdresser, doctor etc and although there is a charge it is minimal as the service is subsidised. It may be possible for you to solve the transport problem.

Also, if you are over 50, Age Concern is wonderful for finding out your entitlements. They may even send someone to you if you can't get to them. You can find your nearest branch here. If you are not in England, there is a link to find Age Concern in the rest of the UK.

Have you visited the Benefits forum on this website to find out how others in your situation cope? I hope you find a solution soon.

ceridwen

mardatha wrote: »

Sorryusername thats terrible pet. I do know a lady who is supposed to live on IB only and run a house with it --I think if you have children then you get lots of help. If not then you're left to get on with it. I hope somebody who can help you comes on soon. x

Very true Mardatha. One of the things that strikes me now is that its getting even harder on that front - with the way a lot of employers are now currently getting back the hours of their staff. A childless person HAS to work at least 30 hours a week - or they wont get any Tax Credit they are eligible for. So - if you're childless and your working week gets cut back from 30 or more to 29 - then you dont just lose wages, you lose that benefit as well - double whammy! Obviously those with children might end up in this position as well - but its less likely, as they are only required to work 16 hours a week to get that Tax Credit.

ceridwen

sorryusernamesgone wrote: »

Back on topic ... I'm not coping at all.

. I have housing benefit to pay my rent, council tax benefit to pay my council tax, and £56 a week Income Support to live on. They stop £4 a week out of my Income Support because I receive £4 a week private pension.

Out of that £56 a week I have to pay for my electricity, gas, food, telephone, tv licence on DD, mobile phone, water rates, diesel, car tax, car insurance.

There's no public transport near me, as I live in a rural area, so a car is not a luxury. The nearest shop is 5 miles away.

It's impossible.

I contacted Gordon Brown, DWP, my local Liberal MP (who wasnt interested), CAB who said I wasnt entitled to anymore as I'm a widow and have no children, and finally contacted the local PPC for the Conservatives who's actually trying to do something (but only because she wants my vote in the next election - but at least she's going to try and help).

I dont have any debt (yet), no HP or Finance and have never owed anyone a penny, but things are about to change. I can't survive now as I've used all my life savings on existing and now they've all gone.

Sorry to hear of this situation. Two practical thoughts here - it is possible to watch t.v. programmes on "catch-up" on a computer without being required to have a T.V. licence - so that would be a tiny bit of money you could save. Also - I'm wondering if you have a garden and could grow some food - that would help out on the food bill.

But - yep - it IS a terribly low amount of money to live on - and I can sympathise. I have been cutting and cutting my basic living costs for years - in case - and I know in your situation that I would have to rely on my savings to subsidise the benefit money just in order to survive (and - right at this moment - I dont HAVE any savings, as my income has been too low to get any) - and be panicking about what to do when those savings ran out. This - when I dont even want a car and would have very little use for one if I had one.

So - I guess its a case of think and think again about any further savings you can make on the one hand - and keep publicising that this money just isnt enough to live on on the other hand. It is stupidly low now - after all the cuts in benefit there has been in recent years and with the level of benefit given to childless people now it is a case of having to either use savings to subsidise benefit income (wondering what you do if a "rainy day" turns up - as your rainy day money will have vanished on everyday living and panicking that those savings will run out before you get another job or retire) or getting a bit of income "on the side" and panicking in case someone tells the DWP.

EDITED to add: I'm not advocating anyone does a full job and claims. Just a "bit" extra may be necessary - as what childless people get in benefit just wont pay the bills and one has to ensure that you can keep using your fuel and water. I totally disagree with honest people being put into this sort of situation where they have to consider this as an option.

mardatha

Or Sorryusernamegone, you could make things and sell on ebay, then use the paypal to get things with. A lot of big shops now take paypal inc Boots.
Wee jobs on the side are very dodgy now, there's always the worry of suspension of benefits but I think you're allowed to earn £5 a week, I know we are on pension credit (Woopeee, the excitement ! ) So get a dog to walk or plants to water for one hour a week ....
Maybe an unofficial arrangement to look after kids in return for a big dinner or a bag of shopping ? You need to be clever & sneaky nowadays ! ...

wigglebeena

sorryusernamesgone wrote: »

Back on topic ... I'm not coping at all.

. I have housing benefit to pay my rent, council tax benefit to pay my council tax, and £56 a week Income Support to live on. They stop £4 a week out of my Income Support because I receive £4 a week private pension.

Out of that £56 a week I have to pay for my electricity, gas, food, telephone, tv licence on DD, mobile phone, water rates, diesel, car tax, car insurance.

There's no public transport near me, as I live in a rural area, so a car is not a luxury. The nearest shop is 5 miles away.

It's impossible.

I contacted Gordon Brown, DWP, my local Liberal MP (who wasnt interested), CAB who said I wasnt entitled to anymore as I'm a widow and have no children, and finally contacted the local PPC for the Conservatives who's actually trying to do something (but only because she wants my vote in the next election - but at least she's going to try and help).

I dont have any debt (yet), no HP or Finance and have never owed anyone a penny, but things are about to change. I can't survive now as I've used all my life savings on existing and now they've all gone.

I take it that any earnings will be stopped out of your pension too. Have you tried online sales at all? I know Ebay is expensive to list but it might be worth trying your more saleable items on there and as it's personal items they wouldn't be taxable, all legit and nothing to do with any benefits you get. You can pick up a bit of knowledge this way if you want to pick up stock to trade later on.

Alternatively Gumtree and Freeads online etc., you don't have to accept PayPal that way and no listing fees. I think Bonanzle and Atomic Mall are free to list too, possibly with conditions. If you have anything you could class as vintage (80s or earlier), clothes, jewellery etc, Etsy is very cheap to list or Artfire is free for the first ten items. You can't beat free!

Sorry if these are obvious suggestions and you've already tried them. Just brainstorming. Very windy inside my brain, lots of hot air!

KittyBoo_2

mardatha wrote: »

Sorryusername thats terrible pet. I do know a lady who is supposed to live on IB only and run a house with it --I think if you have children then you get lots of help. If not then you're left to get on with it. I hope somebody who can help you comes on soon. x

I am in that situation too.
I have been on Incapacity Benefit of £63.75 since last July and live alone.
I have used all my savings to live on e.g. pay mortgage etc. It really is hard especially with the cost of fuel but I know others are in the same boat too.
I love reading the posts on this forum and some of the stories are very inspirational.
Times are hard but I always find that there's someone worse off.
My lads have grown up and fled the nest but it's the young families I feel sorry for.

wigglebeena

I think Ebid.net is quite cheap to list also even if you don't take out the £50 subscription (plus any fees you do pay count towards it if you decide to go for the lifetime subscription later, e.g. if you've paid £15 in fees then after a year want to sign up for free listing, it will only cost you £35).