I'm stuck and don't know what to do next!!!

pooh0306

Hi hope someone can help .........

I've got so many problems I don't know where to start......

Problem 1 I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant with two other children and due to start maternity leave this time next month. Take home around £950 per mth which will all start to drop off in a few weeks time....

Just calculated I have around 13k in debt. Within that are 2 CCJ's and some defaults as well as current credit that I have repaying.

~The 2 CCJ’s were registered at my old address and I only found about them because of a financial screening at work (oh yeah I work for a large bank!!!) and I am repaying £20 a month on that, an old store card debt and the other is a CCJ for Severn Trent again that I knew nothing about.

~My computer loan has defaulted as they messed up the D/D and then I fell into arrears and they would not set back up the monthly D/D without taking back everything I owed first...

~I owe GE money too that again was old debt that I currently cannot pay anything on

~I have another old debt with MBNA, from when I was a student that is again also being repaid at £20 per mth.

Problem 2
My partner has been out of work for over a 18 mths and they keep on stopping and starting his incapacity benefit. Our financial situation started mainly when he lost his job because of his unreliability due to his health. His benefits are not paid at the long term higher level and cannot be relied upon. In terms of benefits, we can just about get some tax credits but apparently my income is too high!!! to get any other benefits like housing and council tax benefit...... even been told my income will be too high to claim the surestart maternity grant (is this correct)

Problem 3
I am renting from the council and last month they told me that they are demolishing our maisonette block. My initial reaction was YES!!!! but then they advised us that, though they will pay out a sum for compensation, this will not be paid until 8 weeks after we vacate the property.

We have to basically look for another council property, and pay for all our initial cost such as getting BT, SKY and stuff disconnected and reconnected and pay for the cost OURSELVES and once paid the council will reimburse us (oh, and refunds will take a while to be processed).
Knowing my condition, they did say that if we found a property, they would not expect us to move into that property straight away, but we could wait until it was decorated (again paid for by us)without paying two rents.!! (How considerate).

How will I be able to pay upfront all of these associated costs, if I wasn't expecting to be moving at all??
All our savings have gone and at the moment I am paid and by the following week, once I done a good mthly shop and bills are paid, my account is empty.
I am MORE THAN STRESSED; my partner doesn’t know what to do. He is desperately looking for work, though the jobcentre and get an income rather than getting benefits, but the stress is making him worse……
I have just tried to get a staff loan but have been Declined due to the CCJ’s and account conduct…….
I need help!

EllieB_2

Hi
You mention you are paying your current credit debt - not sure what that is that you are paying - you have a lot of unexpected costs due to moving - think you should offer your creditors no more than £1.00 per month each. For the ones that have a ccj, ask your local court for a form N245 and offer them £1.00 per month on the form. Longer term, maybe you should think about about bankruptcy to clear your debt. Check about the surestart grant with your local advice centre, if I get an answer I will post it here. Sounds like there is not enough money to go round so dont offer anyone more than £1 per month token offer.

pooh0306

When I mention current credit I meant things like my store card, welcome finance loan, 3 catalouges. All the CCJ's are historical that have all come to light, or that I ahve been repaying, but currenly now not managing.
Bankrupcy is not an Option!!. I work for a large bank and that would be suicidal to my career.......

stellagypsy

Re your housing situation - seek help from someone like CHAS (Catholic Housing & Advice Service) - I work for a Housing dept and know CHAS to be wonderful in helping in situations like this. They know your rights and make sure you get them. They will also push for your OH's benefits to be sorted and give you the right advice to maximise your income, negotiate with creditors, etc.

HTH, Stella xx

pooh0306

Now that this loan was declined though work, my manager says thy will get involved to write an appeal, but this would then open up all my financial difficulties.

Even then I've still got the housing issue to deal with. I'm not too worried that I won’t find a home, just more how I'm going to pay for all the expenses.
I was looking on the DSS website and all the help there is linked to higher paid tax credits or other benefits, where I'm getting none of. Grants or crisis loans are out of the window.

Are their other grants or benevolent funds out there?

pooh0306

Ellie B, you mentioned the token payment....

The CCj's that I know are registered are being dealt with by a collections agency, will I still be able to offer this token payment to them?

sammy115

Hi

I am sure you will get the maternity grant. I did! When you have your baby call the child tax credit helpline, in fact call them now and get them to reassess your situation, tell them that your income will go down due to being on maternity leave (if it does) - they don't class the first £100 per week of statutory maternity pay towards your earnings so you should be entitlted to more money virtually straight away. Your tax credit award is based on what you expect your earnings to be this year. Then when you have your baby call them up and add on the baby to your child tax credit award. I am sure in your circumstances that this will take you onto the higher child tax credit award, and you will then be entitled to the surestart maternity grant.

I have been through a lot of problems this year due to being made redundant illegally whilst on maternity leave so I have a lot of knowledge of sorting these kind of problems out. If you have any problems feel free to PM me.

As to your other worries, I feel that you are trying to please everyone (ie the people you owe money to and your work) the thing to keep in mind is you are pregnant and need to look after yourself. Try to negotiate the £1 payments until you get over this rocky period of moving. Whilst I understand that this might be bad for your career at the moment, you need to get things sorted. I know I feel better for having sorted myself out.

You should also post an SOA - I am sure people will be able to look at your incomings and outgoings and help there too.

Good luck

Floss

Also get in touch with Shelter - the Council may have a duty to re-house you as a priority because of your "condition" and Shelter will be able to help.

http://england.shelter.org.uk/home/index.cfm
0808 800 4444 - 8am-midnight, 7 days a week

You may have to go & register as homeless with the Council Homeless department, but don't worry, they are there to help you to find a home, and they will do their best for you.

straws

To be blunt, it's unfortunate that you have to move out of your home, but that happens to plenty of people who rent privately - they have to find huge costs upfront and nobody reimburses them!

beanielou

pooh0306
Sorry , but I dont think you will get the Surestart mat grant as you are not on a qualifying benefit.
Are there any benevolent funds that you could apply to for help ie banking links, hubbys previous employment ect.
Sorry cant help more
Take care n try to relax just a wee bit

MCBIRNIE25

Hi Pooh,
I am pretty sure you will get a crisis loan.
This is to cover that kind of situation, and you can be eligible evn if you do work. THey are repayable 90% of the time, I can send you more info on this, and Stat maternity pay and the grants if you want.