We need some advice!

bottleofred

Hi Mirjam,

I definately agree with not too bad yets comments. If you can get an overdraft facility then use it, as it will definately help in the short term. It doesn't mean you have to spend wildly, but just buy the basics you need to survive for the next few months and when your partners pay returns to normal, it can be paid back.

Good luck

joeblack066

I am always full of admiration for anybody who has been brave enough to uproot themselves in search of a better life. I have met many EU Nationals through my work, and have seen the frustrations that you are dealing with. I also realise that qualifications don't migrate with people, and have met many a Graduate working in very basic jobs, as their quals count for nothing here. My point is, this is only a temporary situation, and things WILL get better. You have had some excellent advice on here, and this will tide you over a tough couple of months. Then your partners salary will revert to normal, and eventually you will find work, so you will then be fine. In the meantime, stick it out, fill your days walking, using the library, anything free, so that you don't end up cooped up in your flat alone all day. If you would like to PM me, I coud arrange for you to email me your CV to see if there's anything that could be done to improve it (I do them professionally). Obviously you would remove all the personal details first!
Above all, good luck! Things will be ok in the end. If they're not ok, it's not yet the end. Joe.

MirjamL

Tomorrow we will see how much we could increase overdraft and will take that into use. And to joeblack. sent you a message

HappyMJ

CIS wrote: »

very bad advice - your forgetting that a) your looking at least £60 in extra costs , depending on authority, b) there is no requriement to agree a payment arrangement - many authorities go straight to bailiff's or to attachment of earnings and c) the court cannot make any payment arrangement, its the council's discretion.

I would never suggest not paying - ask the local authority if they can stretch the payments to March instead.

You may consider it very bad advice. I don't. I would rather eat than have a few council demands drop on my doorstep. So A) There will be £95 in costs with Redbridge Council. OK a bit high. Much higher than my council. Council can't have what a debtor doesn't have. The OP has admitted there are no assets to seize so a bailiff would be useless so they would go for a attachment of earnings. A deduction on the £754 of income would result in a payment of 7% being £52.78 per month. That payment rate is set in law. Much more affordable than what they are paying. I never said court makes the payment arrangement. Council's never seem to me to want to make a payment arrangement unless they have a liablility order then they seem to me to be so much more considerate.

I come from a position of not being able to pay all of my council tax for many years. I can pay part of it but not all. The end result is the same whether I pay part or none so I choose none. My council gets their liability orders then they send a bailiff. The bailiff visits a few times gives up as I have no appreciable assets and returns the debt back to council. The council then admits that I can't pay and there it remains and has done so since the last payment I made in June 2003.

So my advice stands and I'll make it clearer pay less of the rent maybe £500 of the £600 due then buy food £100 for the month is fine. Then with the rest it's up to the OP. They said they did not to lose the sky/internet/telephone so they said they would pay that first before food.

As for using the overdraft to pay the bills. Well I have taken advice myself from CAB and they never advise this. They say to me all bills can be negotiated without resorting to overdrafts, credit cards, payday lenders or doorstep lending.

And take JoeBlack066's wonderful offer of a CV review.

Hannah_10

MirjamL wrote: »

Other assets............................ 150 (don't own much)
Total Assets............................ 150

MirjamL wrote: »

We don't have much to sell. Maybe some old clothes, one pair of shoes, printer, tv (old and big and used one). Haven't gathered any assets to sell, since we are relatively new to UK.

If you're talking about household goods then the answer is you have no assets. The normal essentials of life like shoes and the TV do not count.

MirjamL wrote: »

Thing is that the next month will be the same amount of income. And so how can we not pay council tax, tv licence and other bills. they will pile up, send notices to pay and then start interest? don't they?

No, council tax and TV licence do not charge interest.

MirjamL wrote: »

Ofcourse we should eat, but we also can't afford not paying the bills and facing even more sums in few months time :S

Paying creditors (people/organisations you owe money to) comes AFTER paying your essential living expenses. I don't know how they work it where you come from but here we tend to think starving debtors to death to be somewhat of a false economy. In fact, ever since 1945 there has been little of that around anywhere, something about the Geneva convention on human rights I am led to believe...

Your priorities are wrong, have another think.

dizzybuff

OP For you hope this helps

The Salvation Army
Ilford Corps
15 Clements Road
Ilford
IG1 1BH Contact details
Major Jane Ward
Tel: 020 8478 2961
Email: [EMAIL="ilford@salvationarmy.org.uk"]ilford@salvationarmy.org.uk[/EMAIL]






Launch of the Redbridge foodbank

Sep 06
On Friday afternoon I attended the launch of the Redbridge foodbank.
The life changing community project was launched by King’s Church, Ilford and City Gates Christian Centre and is aimed at helping people in crisis through the provision of emergency food supplies.
Redbridge foodbank partners with frontline care professionals identify people in crisis and deem them eligible to receive a foodbank voucher. On taking the voucher to the foodbank centre, people will receive a warm welcome, refreshments and a food box which will contain enough food for 3 days.
It was a pleasure to have been invited to the launch of such a worthwhile project which will make a real difference to the lives of those in crisis.
The foodbank team will be trying to reach as many people as possible in the community to help with this much needed service. If you would like to volunteer your help or give a food donation please contact the Redbridge foodbank Team on 020 8554 5850 or email: [EMAIL="info@redbridgefoodbank.com"]info@redbridgefoodbank.com[/EMAIL].
The emergency foodbank mobile number is 07905 820537

Finally Salvation army about foodbanks.xx

Food Parcels
We are able to provide small, emergency food parcels on request. These include basic non-perishable foods such as soup, tinned vegetables, tea bags etc. and are intended to help people through a brief period of need such as benefit payment delays.

We are not able to check benefits or other information, so we operate a referral system where people will need to speak to Fife Council Social Work Department, the YMCA, or other relevant organisation who will contact us and request a food parcel on their behalf. Clients will then need to collect their food parcel, bringing with them a "with compliments" slip proving their identity. This precaution is in place to prevent food parcels being collected by people other than the correct recipient. When we receive a request we will agree a suitable time for collection from The Salvation Army, Caskieberran Road.

Please note that food parcels are intended for emergency situations only and, generally, only one parcel will be given per person.

Hope these help hunny . xxxx

Hannah_10

MirjamL wrote: »

will look into salvation army and food bank. not sure if we are entitled to it

You're not "entitled to" charity, no one is. That's the whole point of charity. So ask.

MacsReturns

MirjamL wrote: »

For breakfast we figured could do with fried egg on a toast (30 eggs 1.99 on corner shop and loaf of bread in sainsbury was under 50p). So for a week we bought 5pounds worth of food items. for now. hope to manage somehow. ofcourse it's not healthy. but at the moment it's not about being healthy, but more of survival. (wish i could go to the forest hunting... craving some meat...). And i am gonna miss veggies and fruit. but have to handle somehow for a while. (for two months), and hope that our bodys will cope with that.

Hi Mirjam - if you want to get your 'dose' of fresh fruit and veg, then you should read this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2246819

'TasteRadar' is a company that will pay you to eat fruit and veg! All you need to do is spend maybe 2 hours a month on the internet answering a few questions about the fruit and veg, and send them your receipts - they then pay back what you've spent, up to £25 a month.

So really you can get £25 of FREE fresh food every month. I signed up for it a few months ago now and I have a good healthy diet - every day I can have apples, bananas, grapes, plums, strawberries with my lunch, and know at the end of the month I get my money back. It's definitely worth applying, because it could make a big difference to your finances and health if you're trying to eat on only £5 a week now.

Good luck :beer:

MirjamL

MacsReturns wrote: »

Hi Mirjam - if you want to get your 'dose' of fresh fruit and veg, then you should read this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2246819

'TasteRadar' is a company that will pay you to eat fruit and veg! All you need to do is spend maybe 2 hours a month on the internet answering a few questions about the fruit and veg, and send them your receipts - they then pay back what you've spent, up to £25 a month.

So really you can get £25 of FREE fresh food every month. I signed up for it a few months ago now and I have a good healthy diet - every day I can have apples, bananas, grapes, plums, strawberries with my lunch, and know at the end of the month I get my money back. It's definitely worth applying, because it could make a big difference to your finances and health if you're trying to eat on only £5 a week now.

Good luck :beer:

That's also such a great thing! will consider once we have more money to spend on food. Thank you for that.

MirjamL

trying to get to working tax credit people is impossible. they say they work seven days a week. besides automated machine, and hold-on music, no one seems to work there to pick up the phone... seems impossible to get through