New dfw - advice

gettingbetter

best of luck

remember baby steps

hopefully see you soon
on sealed pot

kas xx

Horace

You might be surprised with your housing benefit - they may just pay all your rent. On JSA, you also get your council tax paid as well, it takes times for councils to process these. I recently came off the dole and am now on working tax credits, so far I have waited on the council for a month and a half (they have sent me a council tax bill too:eek:) but they and I am waiting for my NI Exemption certificate. When councils do pay they make a back payment from the day of your claim. Explain to your landlady that this is the case - if you are a nice tenant then she will understand as it takes a while to get new tenants. What I am concerned about is that if you made yourself homeless and then slept on floors here there and everywhere you would be of no fixed abode which would make it difficult when it comes to getting a job.

You have assumed that the council won't pay enough to cover your rent - its ok saying what the local rates are but this may not apply and the council may pay more. Hang on and you may be surprised...in fact give them a nudge and say that your situation is becoming desperate and that you face eviction if you can't pay the rent (you have to be devious when dealing with these folks - if you are evicted then you are homeless and they have to re-home you, it is cheaper for them to pay housing benefit than it would be to find you a new home).

As others have said, your SL can be paid when you have the money and I am sure your parents won't pressurise you for repayment of their loan either - why not pay that back when you get a job?

amberowl28

I'm hoping your right, if housing benefit is backdated or more than local rate then i'll be able to stay- as long as comes through soon. Woman at CAB didn't think this would be the case. But fingers crossed they make a decision soon. Worst bit about all this is not knowing so it's difficult to plan ahead. Concentrating on jobsearch and intend to chase up council pleading if hear nothing by the end of the week.

Horace

Housing benefit is backdated..when I very first had to make a claim, they backdated it to the date that the claim was submitted.

Remember that now you are on JSA you get free prescriptions. You may also get help from the jobcentre re travel costs for interviews etc..ask them next time you sign on (they won't tell you so you have to ask).

£50 on groceries a month is good but you can reduce this slightly so make a shopping list of what you need when you go out and buy what is on the list. Drop a brand in the supermarket, buy meat from a butcher (often cheaper than supermarket meat), veg get from a greengrocer because then you can pick what you want and not what the supermarket expect you to have..again this is cheaper than buying fruit n veg at the supermarket. You can still eat well, if you get magazines then use the vouchers you get from them - if you have a Tesco clubcard use the vouchers that they send you.

Also, look on the freebies board on this forum as sometimes you can get some nice things..and free stuff is always nice.

I agree that it is hard to make plans because you are in limbo at the moment but things will come together.

Good luck.

amberowl28

Are they insane??? Why???

Nationwide have just offered to up my overdraft to £1000 - no i didn't ask.

amberowl28

Ok really weird day first Nationwide call, then after 3+ months of jobhunting i get a call from Mc Donalds about a job i applied for 2 months ago - customer care assistant and want me to come in tom.

Anyone had this job? I want to make a good impression, guess i'd better check out their website as i never had any notes just filled in an application online.

Just realised if this goes well i'll get a job offer even before first JSA payment goes through, thats how long it's taken! Wish me luck for tom as i'll be so nervous. I really need this job.

Horace

Good luck for the interview tomorrow.

Jobcentres like to be secretive over money and paying for travel expenses, when you have been on the dole for a while they will give you money to buy some clothes. The best thing about the dole is the signing off and getting your mitts on the back to work job grant of £100:D

My fingers are crossed for you - be yourself, smile, ask questions.

amberowl28

Thanks Horace really have to go get a good nites sleep now! Fingers, toes, everything crossed! lol!

judi24

Hi Amberowl - I am no expert in these matters - but I read your thread and just wanted to say good luck! I am not exactly sure what a customer care assistant is in McDonalds - they have very strange nemes for thier jobs - It part of the American corporate thing I think! - I worked for McDonalds - all be it many years ago - and they were good to work for in general. There were always plenty of extra hours going too - and they pay extra for staying late to clean after hours and paid your taxi home! (not sure if this still happens like I said it was a long time ago!) So good luck for your interview. All I remember was that they were very into team work - we were called crew!!!

Let us know how you get on x

gettingbetter

hi amber

good luck with the interview

keep posting

kas xx