what to do next

dancingfairy

o.k you need to get some food in - that's your priority. Even if you have to spend on a credit card to get some - you can't think straight or get organised with no food in.
You will need to arrange a brand new bank account as soon as possible away from your creditors and get your benefits and husbands wages paid into this. This will be used to pay your bills - you should have 200-300 hundres pounds after your essential bills have been paid.
You should not pay your other creditors as you will just add another 500 punds to you debt each time which can't continue.
You should write to your creditors and send them 1 pound and let them know you are seeking help with your financial difficulties and that you will be in touch with a plan - they will not like it but they can't have what you haven't got.
Then with the help of the people on here / your local CAB/ National Debtline you can see if a DMP will be suitable for you or whether you need to consider bankruptcy - if you do a dmp your credit rating will be trashed but you will have the opporunity to pay back what you owe at a rate you can afford or bankruptcy where again your credit rating will be trashed anyway - the point is you can't continue as you are and your credit rating will be trashed whichever option you take so don't worry - your health and your childrens is far, far , far more important.
df

dancingfairy

Seriously the banks and companies aren't going to lose sleep over you not paying and they certainly aren't going to let it get to them. First you need to keep a roof over your heads and FEED yourselves, the banks will just have to wait.
df

WASHER

Op, take Dancingfairy's advice, you must get food in otherwise your health will suffer more. If you can only offer a £1 a month to the creditors, well thats all you can give them, they cannot have what you haven't got.

dancingfairy

If you want to pay back every penny you owe then great - that's a good trait but you need to take action to break the cycle and then you can sort out a repayment plan but you need to take control back and prioritse yourself. Yes it will be scary but it is the first step on the way to getting it sorted and you will show great strength of character and show your children that things can be sorted.
Maybe having a chat with National Debtline will give you strength?
df

budget_2

Thanks dancing fairy I am going to give them a ring now.

dancingfairy

I guess it's quite a shock for you to have everything laid bare and to realise that you just can't carry on like this and I can understand not wanting to trust people you haven't met that just exist on the internet. I can understand wanting to get impartial professional advice.
I hope you can get it sorted. I'm afraid I haven't been through it myself but I am sure there are loads of other people who have been there and can empathise with you and can let you know what it is like.
Best of Luck
df

ricll

Petrol/diesel........................... 400

that's quite a lot, I don't think you can afford 2 cars to be honest as there's only one of you working, and certainly not 400 on petrol. I would sell one car for yesterday and cut this 70 for insurance. Also, I don't think you can afford cable tv at this price - I do well without cable tv, I can still watch most programmes online though, including live football, almost anything really, broadband is all you need. Anyway, good luck with the finances.

budget_2

the ptrol costs of 400.00 was for my OH car to get him to and from work each month mine at most 10 pm the satalite includes my telephone as well I have a good deal with them broadband is free

Ames

If you're only spending £10 a month on petrol then I really don't think it's worth running a car, if you add on insurance, tax and maintenance it's probably more per journey than a taxi would be.

budget_2

Yes I understand that but I use my car to take my children and myself to hospital appointments quiet regulary and have worked out that it would cost me more if I used a bus or taxi for example it cost me 8.00 to get a taxi from tesco to my house which is only 4miles away, but the hospital is 10.
this also saves my husband having to take time of work as he would lose money and also would cost him more in petrol as well.