Too little to live on .I just cant manage .

mandi

Can anyone please give me some advice .

I am in reciept of ESA awaiting appeal .

My fortnightly payment has been nearly halved to £64.54 as i am now paying gas/elec directly to cover future bills /arrears . Payments are £15 a week to each .

I receive CTC & CB for one child giving me a total of just over £100 per week for all other bills, food , etc . and TBH im really struggling .

I have contacted both Gas/elec & both say they cannot reduce the payments resulting in me falling behind with other bills .

Can anyone please advise me of the maximum amout thay can take weekly . or are the figures correct .


I would be greatful for any advice


Thank you

KimYeovil

£100 is a perfectly reasonable sum to live on - that's still £154 per month extra than someone without children. Particularly as this does not cover gas, electricity and housing - they are already paid for. What do you need extra money for?

If you don't want to pay £30 per week for fuel then cut your useage - once your arrears are paid off you'll be fine.

It could make more sense to come off direct payments and pay the bills yourself - that way you can clear your debts more quickly, rather than less quickly.

AnxiousMum

This may be wrong, but assuming from your post that you are a single parent? Have you also contacted the CSA about getting child maintenance from the child's absent parent? They too have a financial obligation to ensure that your child's needs are met, not just the custodial parent. This would also add some extra much needed money to your household from the correct source.

mandi

KimYeovil wrote: »

£100 is a perfectly reasonable sum to live on - that's still £154 per month extra than someone without children. Particularly as this does not cover gas, electricity and housing - they are already paid for. What do you need extra money for?

If you don't want to pay £30 per week for fuel then cut your useage - once your arrears are paid off you'll be fine.

It could make more sense to come off direct payments and pay the bills yourself - that way you can clear your debts more quickly, rather than less quickly.

Not quite the advice I was looking for Kim , but thank you for taking the time to reply

KimYeovil

(Obviously it depends on the size of the debt - but, remember, a couple of short, sharp shocks are often a more reasonable way to tackle things than a continuous trickle - I'd much rather bite the bullet and pay £160 and live on £40 for a fortnight once or twice rather than have reduced payments of £5 taken off for years on end.)

mum2one

based on Income Support, I think if you do get any child maintance your only allowed to keep £10 of it.

Without being nosey, you say uve had your money cut to half, is that becuase of appeal or change of circumstances.

The 1st step, sounds daft but take a step back and a deep breath, do an SOA a statement of affairs, theres a link on the debt free board, (don't have the link to hand).

very basic quick example

Adults _(number of adults)
Children (number of children)
Incomings - (I would break them down (just makes it easier) -

I know you get ur ESA fortnightly, do you get CB,CTC weekly or 4 weekly?
Your SOA - could be monthly, weekly whats easier for you.

this is based on monthly (not 100% brilliant, get you started.

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 0
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 0
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 0
Partners monthly income after tax......0.
Benefits................................ 0
Other income...........................0.
Total monthly income..............0......
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property)..0
Council tax............................. 0
Electricity............................. 0
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates.............................0
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................0
TV Licence.............................. 0
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 0
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 0
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0

Total monthly expenses..................

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 0

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Mortgage...................... 00 00 00
Secured Debt.................. 00

Total secured & HP debts...... 0
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Debt 1
Debt 2
Debt 3

TOTAL INCOMINGS =

MONTHLY EXPENSES=

Sum incomings v expenses=

Available for debt repayment=

just do copy and paste - either to word document and save or to another post.

xx

MrsA1939

KimYeovil wrote: »

£100 is a perfectly reasonable sum to live on - that's still £154 per month extra than someone without children. Particularly as this does not cover gas, electricity and housing - they are already paid for. What do you need extra money for?

If you don't want to pay £30 per week for fuel then cut your useage - once your arrears are paid off you'll be fine.

It could make more sense to come off direct payments and pay the bills yourself - that way you can clear your debts more quickly, rather than less quickly.

As I said once before Kim you obviously do not know what it is like to struggle, to live keep warm, feed a and clothe a child, pay bills, and I hope some day your snotty attitude to people poorer than you comes back to haunt you

mandi

Thanks for your replies .

Child support isn't an option i'm afraid ,
Mum, thank you , but Ive done my SOA so many times I know it from memory ( spent to long in MSE ) All the cuts that can be made I have taken .

I Know what your saying Kim , but the arrears are quite an amount .
I pay off one bill and another arrives " sighs .

dmg24

How old is your child?

mandi

dmg24 wrote: »

How old is your child?

Thanks DMG I was hoping you could answer . He's 15, soon to be 16 , and heading off to college .

sarahlouise210

make sure you tell Tax Credits that he is going to college or they will stop your CTC !