Serious trouble

Rubyshoes_3

They will argue that you can't be homeless if you are able to refuse accomadation. Has your uncle said when he wants to start renovation, perhaps you could get in writing that you are on notice?

Yes that's it, and it sounds stupid but I would sooner be on the streets than go into a hostel where I have to share a bedroom with a stranger. After past experiences when I was younger I couldn't go anywhere like that, I just wouldn't feel safe at all.

Hi Ruby,

Honestly hang in there, you'll get lots of good advice in here.

A survey site that pays in cash is www.onepoll.com you need to log in to see if they have any surveys (they usually do approx 10p each) they are so quick to do. Payout is at £40, which does take you a while, but a nice easy bonus for you when you reach payout. I've been paid by them once and am nearly at my second payout. I check daily to see if there are any new ones. They are a good reputable company aswell.

Also are you able to fit in any other work in the evenings? Supermarkets often have people stacking shelves at night, and while it may not be the best paid or most exciting job it could help you up your income to tackle your debts for a bit. It might be a bit knackering aswell, but it would get you out of the house, which would also be a bonus. Might be worth ringing and asking.

HTH

Luc xx

Thanks for that, Lucy, I'll sign up. I've tried all the supermarkets, I'd much rather be doing that than what I am doing ! I worked on the foods floor at M&S so could easy do it, but nobody's taking anyone on, think Asda, Tesco, Lidl and Sainsbury's are sick of me ringing ! (and Lidl pay £7.25 an hour !)

TCM wrote:

Hi Ruby

What type of cards do you make? I have a shop and i could maybe take some of them if you have any that are animal related (would fit in with what i have already).

I don't know what way things work in England, in NI we have "council houses" that are owned by the Housing Exec. There is housing benefit available to those on a low income thus reducing rent. The situation you are living in will not be helping with the depression. i know its easy for me to sit here and say you should do x, y and z but it is not that easy when the road seems to be blocked for you. Or is there student accommodation available through the college? Or some students to share with?

Maybe if you could get away from Mr Grumpy Boots it would make life a little less stressfull. I don't know.

I make anything and everything, just whatever comes into my head. I do have some with animals on but I don't know if you'll think they're good enough for a shop ! I'll put some pics up in a minute.
I think ours works in the same way but being a student I'm not entitled to housing benefit, or any benefit it would seem. There is accommodation for NHS students but you're not allowed pets there which counts me out, my pets are my everything.

RAS wrote:

Ruby

Can you go down to Metro (the main office is near the rail station so walkable at lunch-time) and ask about a Metro card. I pay for travel by bus and train throughout West Yorkshire and it costs less per month than you are paying just for your daily journey. Not a lot of help with the Harrogate bus but unless you are travelling onwards in Harrogate, there is a reduction. I think it was £3.90 from the border last time I used it.

If you have a student card (which you have if you use the library) then the cost of the pass is about half mine.

I assume that you did a CRB check when you started the course and have done fire, health and safety and lifting and handling certificates?

Go round and sign up with the care agencies and chase them up. You might well be able to get a weekend shift at about £6.30 per hour for that. if you are good at caring for animals, then you may find people OK too?

I know the Dental School is away from the main campus building but the Student Union is walkable - near the main entrance on the Otley road (Woodhouse Lane). They have student welfare Officer, who can and will help you. They will have loads of experience helping students in debt.

You may not be eligible for the standard student hardship support but they will be able to push your own tutors who sound a little less than helpful. Do the tutors know anything about the circumstances in your family? Amongst other things, if they ask the University's main contact for the Department of Health contract, they can put in a special plea for hardship support for you directly with the Strategic Health Authority. Even if that only sorts out the library fine it would be useful.

I do not know what sort of hours you have to do to get your professional registration, but can you ask your tutor to get this information and let you see the records of how many hours you have actually done? I am very surprised that you study and practice components do not allow you to take time off to see the doctor.

The other things are -

Was the deposit on your rental protected by the new law on deposits?

Did you take a meter reading when you left?

The Student Union can also help regarding accomodation.

I used to get a bus pass when I was living in Armley and it saved me quite a bit but now I use the Transdev buses to get from here to town, and from here to Harrogate, would the Metro one cover that ? My bf gets a bus pass but they won't take our student ID as proof because it's not a university one and doesn't have an end date on.
I do have a CRB check, we've done training in those things but don't have certificates or owt like that. I applied at an old people's home not long ago for a job like that but didn't get it. I do keep applying but often the ones I see in the caring sector, you need a driving license for.
My head tutor knows my living situation. I'm doing a BTEC National Diploma, apparently you have to do so many hours (just full-time, 37.5 a week), to get your qualification, but I was off a lot in my first year, missed loads of time, so I always get it in the neck if I take any time off even when I'm ill.
Thanks, I'll go to the student union then !
I don't know, I would assume so, we went through the estate agent, I was given the inventory by them to write on anything else I noticed and return to them signed and dated, and there was plenty of paperwork.
I don't think the meter was read when I left, I don't know if my dad might have done it, I know I didn't think to, I never read the meter while I was there, wouldn't have even known where it was.

Ruby

This thread list a whole host of ways of getting small amounts of money from clicks, surveys and mystery shopping.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/protect/make-money

Thanks for everything, I'll have a look.

RAS

Hi

Yes Metro cover Transdev buses. You have to watch out for a lot of the other deals which are companies specific. I use both on my pass. The border for the Harrogate bus is the Harewood bridge on the all areas pass.

Get your student office to type you an official letter stating that you are a full-time student. It is what is used for claiming council tax relief.

If you are doing a BTEC National, I cannot for the life of me think why you do not have proper student cards. After all it is the same level as a foundation degree or a Dip HE (which the nurses get).

Despite what you think, the fact that you are NHS funded does not make you not a proper student. You are up there with nurses, midwives, occupational therapists, speech therapists etc.

Even doctors and dentists get bursaries in years 4 and 5. Is this some lovely folk being snooty?

If I was doing an audit on your course I would be very unhappy with the way you were being treated.

Lexxi

Rubyshoes wrote: »

Yes that's it, and it sounds stupid but I would sooner be on the streets than go into a hostel where I have to share a bedroom with a stranger. After past experiences when I was younger I couldn't go anywhere like that, I just wouldn't feel safe at all.

Thanks for everything, I'll have a look.

I can understand that completely. What I meant was could you get your grandparents to write you a letter saying you are on notice say 2 months that you could hand in to the housing people. It could make you a higher priority and help you get re housed. We accepted them when I worked in housing from people who were lodgers and private renters (it's a legal requirement if you're a renter)

Deep_In_Debt

Can't help much and apologies if this has already been mentioned - re the card sales. I work for a large company who regularly have card sales etc in the restaurant at lunch times or in the sports and social club in the evenings - might be worth contacting a few large companies in your area and offer your services (so to speak!). Your neighbours/friends may be able to take a selection of your cards into their work places - worth a try, perhaps? Happens all the time at my place and we do buy.

Forris

Hi, just wanted to add my support. The one thing that struck me was that sometimes you are lucky to break even on your 'job' selling keyrings in pubs. I would be very tempted, especially in the current economic climate, to jack this in. You will get a bit more Ruby Time and you could sure use some of that by the sounds of it!

Its great that RAS knows your local area and a bit about your situation. Their posts are always informative and helpful. Definately someone worth listening to.

Rubyshoes_3

RAS wrote: »

Hi

Yes Metro cover Transdev buses. You have to watch out for a lot of the other deals which are companies specific. I use both on my pass. The border for the Harrogate bus is the Harewood bridge on the all areas pass.

Get your student office to type you an official letter stating that you are a full-time student. It is what is used for claiming council tax relief.

If you are doing a BTEC National, I cannot for the life of me think why you do not have proper student cards. After all it is the same level as a foundation degree or a Dip HE (which the nurses get).

Despite what you think, the fact that you are NHS funded does not make you not a proper student. You are up there with nurses, midwives, occupational therapists, speech therapists etc.

Even doctors and dentists get bursaries in years 4 and 5. Is this some lovely folk being snooty?

If I was doing an audit on your course I would be very unhappy with the way you were being treated.

No I don't know either. It annoys me because it seems we are students when it suits them (like when I try to claim benefits, or get a private rent, which I can't do as a student), and aren't 'proper' students when it suits them, like when I try to take advantage of the things students get, like discount and university services. Our course is run independently by the dental institute. Our year is the last year of BTEC, and all the new students are doing some sort of university diploma, and their student cards mean they can get on the university computers (which we can't), and get student discount etc., which we also can't do ! It's silly. The university deals with everything to do with them and they study at the institute, whereas the university has nothing to do with us, even though it says 'University of Leeds' on our cards. I don't know how they work it out, it's not a very organised course ! It's all run by the Head of Dental tech education and you never know which mood you'll catch her in. Some days she'll come in screaming and shouting at everyone for no apparent reason, the slightest thing will set her off. Other days she's all compassionate and understanding. Which is why, when she says things like, 'you need to go to your doctor's appointments, even if it means taking the morning off college', I don't, because through past experience with her where I've done that, she's had a big go at me, and there's no telling her.

Lexxi wrote:

I can understand that completely. What I meant was could you get your grandparents to write you a letter saying you are on notice say 2 months that you could hand in to the housing people. It could make you a higher priority and help you get re housed. We accepted them when I worked in housing from people who were lodgers and private renters (it's a legal requirement if you're a renter)

I will do, fingers crossed it gets me somewhere !

Deep_In_Debt wrote:

Can't help much and apologies if this has already been mentioned - re the card sales. I work for a large company who regularly have card sales etc in the restaurant at lunch times or in the sports and social club in the evenings - might be worth contacting a few large companies in your area and offer your services (so to speak!). Your neighbours/friends may be able to take a selection of your cards into their work places - worth a try, perhaps? Happens all the time at my place and we do buy.

Lol, yes, good idea ! I'll try it in the main lab at the hospital, I made cards for the departments in there at Christmas and they all commented on them. Thanks for the tip !

Forris wrote:

Hi, just wanted to add my support. The one thing that struck me was that sometimes you are lucky to break even on your 'job' selling keyrings in pubs. I would be very tempted, especially in the current economic climate, to jack this in. You will get a bit more Ruby Time and you could sure use some of that by the sounds of it!

Its great that RAS knows your local area and a bit about your situation. Their posts are always informative and helpful. Definately someone worth listening to.

Yeh, I've been considering it a lot lately because half the time it just isn't worth it. I think I'm gonna give it a couple more weeks and see if it improves and keep looking for another job in the meantime.
RAS has been very helpful ! It's always really useful when someone knows the area and the way things work here, I'm really grateful to everybody who's posted so far.

Rubyshoes_3

Sorry TCM, forgot to post pics of the cards the other day. I'm just posting them all because most of them have animals on in one way or another anyway. They're all up on Ebay at the minute. You can tell my early ones cos they look like a 5 year old's made them, haha.

kdalwayskint

I dont have any advice to offer Ruby, but have read all the way through. Hope you get sorted soon hun.

By the way, your cards are fab

kd