Why is there no extra help?

Buggles

Errata wrote: »

Get yourself over to Weezl's thread, recipes and meal planners there which enable people to eat well on £30 a month.

Thank you. I will have a look.

Francesanne

I can understand you wanting to have your own flat but if you can't afford it, you really need to consider other options that work out cheaper. Any chance of getting a 2nd part time job to ease the pressure on your finances.

dmg24

Buggles wrote: »

oldmotherreilly, I should have worded my original post better, thank you for pointing that out

I'm looking for extra help with income. I just find it so unfair that if you work less than 16 hours, you get more help, and if you work 30+ hours, you get more help (from what I have read)

The information you have read is wrong.

terryw

Buggles wrote: »

I just find it so unfair that if you work less than 16 hours, you get more help, and if you work 30+ hours, you get more help (from what I have read)

Not in your circumstances

RAS

Have a read here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2132075

Surveys and clicks do not affect benefits.

Also have a look at the £10 a day challenge threads on DFW for ideas.

And join www.freegle.co.uk or freecycle for household stuff and clothes.

Longer term, when your tenancy ends consider a more appropriate place to live; I would have loved to have lived in my old university town but the large city had jobs, so that is where I went.

louisemichelle

I'm in a similar situation to the OP and I live in a house share situation with 3 flatmates and it isn't any cheaper than I would be on my own- the job market just now is tricky and I'm living in Edinburgh during festival time when there should be loads! I don't think relocating is necessarily an option for everyone either, especially as it involves getting a deposit togetherthat you might not see from a current landlord straight away. I can only suggest to the OP to keep looking - I'm going down the route of moving in with my parents in a few months to get some savings together and work things out from there, but I don't know if that is an option for the OP? If things get really difficult remember there is always the option of a Crisis Loan.

Jowo_2

louisemichelle wrote: »

I'm in a similar situation to the OP and I live in a house share situation with 3 flatmates and it isn't any cheaper than I would be on my own.

How's that?

Council tax is split 4 ways so there is a potential discount there of 75% of the cost, versus a single person in self-contained accommodation that is only eligible for a 25% discount (though granted that a bigger property will have a higher CT rate).

Energy consumption will be greater because there are 4 bodies in the house but heating a property will cost the same whether there is 1 or 4 people present so it can often work out cheaper. Again, more people to pitch in and pay.

Same when it comes with splitting phone line rental, broadband and any satellite packages - across the 4 of you, this can be 75% cheaper than a person living on their own.

If flatmates cook or buy food together, there's big scope for saving there through buying in bulk.

Indie_Kid

Jowo wrote: »

If flatmates cook or buy food together, there's big scope for saving there through buying in bulk.

There would generaly be less food waste too.

Jowo_2

sh1305 wrote: »

There would generaly be less food waste too.

Well probably not many flatmates buy food and cook together because of the admin involved or work schedules clashing.

But generally a single person in self-contained accommodation is more likely to struggle with expenses versus those in a flat share is because the core bills are split across more people whereas the lone person has to pay the same bills without others subsidising them.

Also, rent can be lower. For example, in my local area, a 1 bedroom flat is approx £400, a two bed £500 and a 3 bed £700 pcm. A single person pays £400 plus has to pay all bills in full, two people sharing will pay £250 and their bills are shared, three people will pay £230 rent and though bills relating to consumption can be higher, they will at least get split 3 ways.

There was a thread on the Discussion forum a few months where basically virtually all posters confirmed it was nigh impossible to survive on JSA in self-contained accommodation unless they were utterly frugal and skilled at budgeting and encountered no emergencies, such as a household repair.

debrag

how about care work? can be flexi hours