JSA (IB) refused - Rental income too much, yet no money to live on! Advice welcomed.

KoalaElf

briona wrote: »

Hi KoalaElf
I'll see if I can come up with any other ideas...

Briona

Some really great ideas there thanks Briona. I am keeping my eyes peeled for any admin type jobs in 'creative' industries [mainly in Bristol since there aren't many in Bath that i know of] - nothing yet but Ill keep trying! I think I might need to approach them directly since a lot of creative industry jobs seem to be advertised internally or something. Im also a bit worried about admin jobs - I have no experience in them since i've always been worried my dyslexia would hinder my ability to do the job and it would become apparent very quickly! But maybe I should just blag my way in and find out the painful [hopefully not!] way. ^_^

That link looks really useful thanks, I suspect stock is definitely something to pursue.

I've already put an advert up at the Vet's in the area - I'll try a few of the rescue centres and the PDSA shop in town.

Thanks truly for your suggestions, it really helps to have someone else pepping up your ideas - makes me feel a little more upbeat and is spurring me on with my search.

Oh - and no worries about the male assumption - people mistake me for a guy on most forums online - and in real life i get told I have a 'male' brain all the time! [very analytical, take risks, adrenaline junky, good at traditionally male subjects such as maths and science, enjoy computer games blah blah blah...] The funny thing is I have blonde curls, blue eyes and hardly look masculine at all so some people are quite disconcerted... :T
:rotfl:

KoalaElf

LizzieS wrote: »

Renting out rooms falls under the 'rent a room' scheme which is subject to income tax if you exceed the annual capital gains tax allowance. I don't think you can offset mortgage costs on this one, hence the downside is that Income support account for the income only.

Last time I read the belurb on HMRC website regarding letting rooms in your home, you were able to decide which was better for you:

-to claim the £4200 odd Rent-a-Room allowance [which stacks with your personal allowance] - I cant remember exactly but icomes to something in the region of £9500ish altogether.

-or to offset the correct percentage of expenses incurred in the rental of your rooms [ie. all included bills, landlords insurance, mortgage interest, advertising costs, 10% wear and tear allowance etc...]. In this case this would be 75% of the expenses would able to be offset against my income from the property, because there are 4 of us here - 1 being myself [hence I cannot offset my own living costs obviously!]

whichever is better for you - is up to you to decide as I understood it. This year I would definitely be better off offsetting my expenses since my mortgage repayments have gone up so significantly.

KoalaElf

mummytofour wrote: »

Well Mrs how about Art teacher?? Art tech at a school??

Yeh - got all excited when I saw a position advertised for a Art / Photography technician at a local school, but I didnt' even get offered an interview! [I've had my uni's career department look at my CV and they can't see a problem with it]

Yeh - I think i might try out the volunteering thing, it would help my confidence I suspect. :j

Thanks for the suggestion.

KoalaElf

LizzieS wrote: »

Not just you. Strange to see two dyslexic women with fine art degrees in such a short space of time.

OP, for job ideas, I suggest looking through the thread by Tatieirregular.

@LizzieS

Thanks for explaining bestpud's "Deja vu?" comment.... I was slightly perplexed. I had not seen the other dyslexic fine art greaduates post - I will check it out for ideas.

I doubt my situation is entirely unique, when I started my course, the tutors informed us that approx 80% of Art students are dyslexic! Sounded bizarrely high to me but maybe there is something in it...

It doesn't seem impossible to me that two different people with Fine Art degrees [where they give you little to no career guidance and your prospects are dire unless you know the 'right' people] AS WELL as being dyslexic, have difficulty finding employment and both seek advice on these forums.

Can I just search for this "Tatieirregular" under the search function of the forums? Is her post in the benfits section or elsewhere?

Sugarfree_Babe

KimYeovil wrote: »

You are 24 and unemployed and want the benefits system to subsidise your purchase of a quarter of a million pound four (?) bedroom home where you and your father only have to contribute £50 per month?

There is no reason why this is a bad thing. But you have to accept you have to contribute something workwise to buy such an expensive home and cannnot expect the benefits system to provide for you. Even if you qualified, a young person is only entitled to the single room allowance and £45 per week - about 430 to 500 pounds. You already have an income more than double that.

You only need to find ten hours work a week. Are you really saying there are no rubbishy agency jobs that you can put up with one month in four to earn the money you need?

NO. Her tenants are paying for the house, and there is nothing wrong in that. She wants help to tide her over with things like food and the basics until she is able to find a job.

I bought my first house when I was 22 and rented out a room to help with mortgage. When interest rates went up, I got a part time job in a pub. But that was in the 1970s when jobs were plentiful.

In case you had not noticed, there are thousands of people being laid off or made redundant just now and it will get worse.

I recently advertised a part time post in my very rural part of mid Wales and got 27 applicants, 26 of whom were not successful

System

KoalaElf wrote: »

Technically I need to be paying £580 into a repayment vehicle in order to be in a position to repay my mortgage in 15 years [that is all they would give me since my father is 65], which up until recently I have been doing. .

Where does your father fit in to this? Is it a joint mortgage or is he guarantor?

KoalaElf

!!!!!! wrote: »

Where does your father fit in to this? Is it a joint mortgage or is he guarantor?

He is a guarantor. The mortgage is in my name and the house belongs to me.

cw18

KoalaElf wrote: »

If i *could* sell my house [which looks to be near to impossible - three houses on the street have been on the market for 6 months] not to mention I have sitting tenants, then I would be straight onto the DWP to claim JSA *and* housing benefit wouldn't I?!

Unlikely you'd get though....

With such a huge deposit on your property I very doubt that you'd walk away with less than £16k in the bank.

From your comment about your Dad acting an guarantor I assume his name isn't on the mortgage? But you say you're spending your inheritance now -- so does that mean he stumped up some/all of the deposit? If so you could have problems ahead, as you'd need to prove that money was his before the benefits offiices would allow you to discount it should you sell..... it's not simply a case of repaying him, as they would see that as capital deprivation.

Oldernotwiser

Is thereany flexibility in the arrangement of your house that would allow you to let out another room? For example, is there an unused dining room or study that you could use whilst you let out your current bedroom?

skint-student-nurse

Have you tried any job agencies? many seem to offer temp-to-perminant oppertunities and some even pay weekly. i hope things look up for you soon,its a shame the goverment are reluctant to help those who are in genuine need and help those who cant be @rsed to help themselves. if you are feeling yourself getting depressed, pls see your doctor. Also ,have you tried the CAB to see what help they can provide you with this situation?