23 yrs old, with partner, trying to get a home

ViolaLass

OP, could you give an indication of where you live? It's just that you appear to be in a less well off area - low wages and fairly low house prices - but you pay £700+ per month on rent (I assume that's joint and not £700 each). How big a place do you have?!

I lived with my husband in a nice one bed in Zone 1 of London until last year and our rent was £750ish a month. Any chance you could downsize to save money?

Also, not declaring that level of earnings is not cool, in my view, but I suspect you already know that.

Radiantsoul

ViolaLass wrote: »

Also, not declaring that level of earnings is not cool, in my view, but I suspect you already know that.

Professional gambling seems to be a bit of a gray area, as the revenue will not allow you to offset loses. Therefore it seems that it does not need to be declared based on this http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/bimmanual/BIM22017.htm

Probably I would write to the local tax office to check though.

carefullycautious

:eek::eek::eek:

Is this a wind up?

Radiantsoul

carefullycautious wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

Is this a wind up?

Perhaps, but I kind of think not...

Jowo_2

Obviously any forum is subject to trolls but there is nothing uncommon about someone on low wages, or on benefits, or unable to prove earnings, who enquire about homeownership, expecting there to be some kind of miraculous subsidised home ownership programme for those on limited incomes.

Also, there's nothing uncommon about people enquiring how to change their personal circumstances to manipulate their way to being considered a priority case for social housing, nor people hankering to get their mitts on social housing purely for the Right to Buy opportunity.

We've even had a thread from a chap where the couple earned 45k who planned to present themselves as homeless once his partner became pregnant because he resented the cost of private renting, in order to get a council flat - he was confident of getting one.

mumcoll

When the couple mentioned in the above post presented as homeless, they would have been found intentional and sent on their way! The Homeless team do investigate people who say they are homeless, they don't just take their word for it.

Jowo_2

mumcoll wrote: »

When the couple mentioned in the above post presented as homeless, they would have been found intentional and sent on their way! The Homeless team do investigate people who say they are homeless, they don't just take their word for it.

Yes, they do, but they are unable to prove it if it results from collusion between landlord and tenant. This is where the landlord agrees to 'evict' the tenant at their request in order to be able to show that they've been given notice to the Homeless team.

jonboy31

poppysarah wrote: »

MY OH used to write software for fruit machines (The code that runs them rather than hacks or anything like that)
He also doesn't think it likely you could make a living without spending an awful lot of time in casinos and other places the high payout machines are.

It'd be the worst sort of job I could imagine!

That is interesting. What company did he work for?
I can remember the program of every machine I've played (I have not said this before - I am on the autistic spectrum, and you might call fruit machine programs my obsession). It would be interesting to have a conversation with him some time.

I have never played fruit machines in casino's for profit, they are more like the random machines, and the only way to profit on them would be by illegal means (and I would never empty a machine illegally).

I agree with the posters that say it must have been a bad job, it was in many ways. Lots of travelling, staying in travelodges. Then you get the few arcade owners that think you are stealing off them if you win. I once got mugged by an arcade owner in the Liverpool area because I had won on a machine of his.

There are nice arcades too, and the money was good so I cannot complain. It's bought a house, and gave me something to do for many years.

Now I have stopped playing there is a bit of a void in my life, I have still yet to find something to fill it that keeps my mind occupied to the extent that playing fruit machines did.

John

Edit - Radiantsoul, you do not have to pay tax on any income from legal gambling, as it is already taxed at source. There was a test case years ago (so I was told, I have never looked for it) which concluded that you could not be taxed twice on it.