The 'I'm In Debt, Help Me' Thread

kathfisch

Why be embarrassed to go to the job centre? You've lost your job and are looking for another, thats why its called job seeker's allowance. Its what you pay your NI contributions for and there should be no shame in claiming it, even if it is just for a month or whatever until you get a job. You really can't afford to be picky about where the money comes from, get some courage up and go to the job centre!

skintchick

kathfisch wrote:

Why be embarrassed to go to the job centre? You've lost your job and are looking for another, thats why its called job seeker's allowance. Its what you pay your NI contributions for and there should be no shame in claiming it, even if it is just for a month or whatever until you get a job. You really can't afford to be picky about where the money comes from, get some courage up and go to the job centre!

Agreed, but having said that it an be such a hassle to get the damn money that you just give up (like I did when I lost my job in the summer). But if I hadn't found another job I'd have kept on at them.

jackieb

I'd claim all that you're entitled to. I do admire you for not wanting to take the benefits but needs must in your situation. Are you scared you'll be seen as a scrounger?

THE_LONE_RANGER_4

i do see his point i had not been unemployed ever then lost 2 job in 8 weeks ,tied to sign on they kept me waiting for hours as stated by me i cant sit here on my arss all day im of to look for a job so never got any payments i drew the line when i was kept waiting for 2 hours my turn came they pulled the shutter down and said they were short staffed and it was lunch thats what it was like in a small market town got knows what it would be like in a city

queenofthedump

I am sorry but I am going to be to the point. Get off your !!!!!! and get yourself to the jobcentre, you have paid your national insurance so therefore you are entitled to claim. So what if the people in there look at you if your scum. Are you? No! well then what does it matter what a few civil servants think they dont care who comes in and out they can tell the difference between spongers and genuine people. If your that bothered Dress up a bit and look like you are serious about getting back to work. I have had to sign on several times in the last 7 years and I hate doing it but at the end of the day do you or do you not need the money and if you cant pay your bills the answer is yes you do need it. I have to do it everytime we move because of husbands jobs plus you need you NI stamp paid to protect your pension. So take a deep breathe walk in and make your claim.

Verbatim

Also you won't be paid any "back money". So don't lose any more of the money that you've already paid for. It's called National Insurance Contributions cos that's what it is, Insurance. You've paid the premium and now you have a claim on your policy. Make your claim!

And good luck with the job hunting.

amosworks

marieb wrote:

So take a deep breathe walk in and make your claim.

I signed on recently after losing my job and you don't claim in the job centre, you do it via an 0800 number which you could phone from the job centre but you don't even have to (don't have the number to hand I'm afraid). They go through lots of questions (including some silly ones) and tell you all the benefits you're entitled to, send you a form to your address and organise a time to go to the job centre with with a claim advisor. Fill in the form, turn up on time and an hour later you're effectively done. It seems to take a VERY long time from starting your claim to seeing a single penny,m so get it done now and not later.

It's money you're entitled to and there are other benefits to signing on at this time, from free prescriptions to being able to PROVE that you're unable to pay your debts The sign on sessions take 20 minutes typically for about £90. 20 minutes isn't a bad hourly rate for doing this regardless of how you feel about it.

Good luck with it all!

CLAPTON

Just to summarise and and a few observations

you have about £4,000 of debts on various Credit Cards
you have access to about £4,000 from your childhood saving (well in Oct or so)

You are currently unemployed but expect to get a job soon.
You aren't claiming JSA because of the embarasssment fact.
You plan to send them a letter offering a token payment whilst unemplyed.
You plan to offer your creditors a 'full and final settlement' once back in work ..presumably you expect this to be considerably less than you actually owe.
At year end you wish to go travelling with the (childhood savings ) money plus any savings.
you understand that it will affect your future credit ratings but are not two worried about that:

my observations
i think you creditors may query the fact you arent claiming JSA.
i think it most unlikely that the credit card companies will accept a deduced final payment as full settlement....why should they, you will be working so they will expect full settlement. If you dont pay they will probably pursue you through the usual routes and shoot your credit rating to pieces and may involve baliffs coming to your home.
Although you say you dont want credit in the future, a bad credit record can affect all sorts of things....utility companies may decline to provide a quarterly meter but insist you have a token meter instead, landlords often refuse people with poor credit ratings, etc etc.

travelling can be a very stressful and can involve lots of embarassing and sometimes frightening moments. if visiting the Job Centre presents a problem for you, you might want to think very carefully about which countries you are to visit

whatever you decide best of luck with the travelling.

aaarrrggghhh

ding debts.

CLAPTON

great news on the magazine column...best of luck