Please help...don't know where to turn!

dancingfairy

Hi. You can get this sorted one step at a time.
With regards to the council tax it is based on how many adults live there as has been said so make sure you get the single person rate. It might be worth writing a letter and letting them know your partner left on x date and could they backdate the discount please. They probably won't but it's worth a shot.
You do need to get the benefits sorted - it sounds like a nightmare- hopefully the people you have been advised to contact can help.
Regardding the credit cards etc- it depends on whether they are with the same people you bank with. I would write to Littlewoods and explain you are on a low income and having problems getting your benefits sorted and make them an offer of what you can afford. Paying your rent, council tax, etc is far more important and the credit cards are at the bottom of the pile.
It is slightly more difficult with the credit card as you are using it and I presume that one is with the same person as you bank with so they may need to be dealt with differently.
The sofa and next can also be written to and offered repayment plans if needs be but if you can manage to keep paying them then this will cause less damage to your credit rating.
df

podperson

Call up council tax department, ask them to change your bill to single person discount and also explain to them that you are waiting to hear from tax credits which will affect the amount you have to pay so would you be able to have a hold put on it until then. If you haven't already filled in all the forms for housing and council tax benefit get them done and handed in with a note on that you are waiting for awards letter from tax credits. This will allow them to start processing the claim and means you won't have to start right from the beginning when you do get a decision.

Next ring up tax credits, make sure they have received everything they need from you, explain to them that you are in financial hardship at the moment and ask for a definite timeframe for when your claim will be processed, am sure they have government guidelines that they should be following and this is one of them.

Write to all your catalogues and other debts (might need to leave the cc out if you are using it at the moment), advise them that you are having financial problems at the moment, if you can afford to include a token payment of a £1 then do so, if not just say that you are hoping this will be resolved soon and then you will be able to start paying again. I did this with my ccs when I was unemployment and at least bought me about a month of peace from the letters and phone calls.

I have recently moved as well (though not as far as you!) and know you can feel isolated away from family and friends. Are there any groups in your area you could look at joining, maybe a mums group? - local churches often run them for free or if you have Homestart or surestart in your area they do free or reduced rates for people on benefits. Just remember that although it seems bad at the moment at the end of the day it is only money and is not worth damaging your health over so make sure you take care of yourself x