DWP Budgeting Loan Repayments

Ermieox

I am an unemployed single parent in receipt of Income Support, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit. Combined income from these is £140 per week. I also receive Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit which cover my rent and council tax.

I have recently applied for a Budgeting loan of £600 which I understood would have to be paid back within a maximum of 104wks which I calculated at approx £6 per week, which I could just about afford to go without. I need it to replace a fridge/freezer and washing machine, both of which were over 10yrs old and gave up the ghost in the last two months as well as to buy new shoes and school uniform for my 8yr old.

The DWP have calculated a repayment of £16.52 per week (12% of my weekly income) but this is more than I can afford.
We don't live in any way extravagantly, I don't drink or smoke, but I do have to run a car because we live in a rural area and I have to get my son to and from school. The house was furnished almost entirely from Freecycle (and I check this daily but have not been able to secure the items I currently need) I went bankrupt last year and have recently been discharged but of course there is no point applying for credit as it will be refused.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can persuade the DWP to reduce the amount required each week to something I can afford? Or failing that, any suggestions as to how else I can raise the money? It would be cheaper for me to get the products from Brighthouse but then I will be paying a high interest rate (that is assuming they don't run a credit check which would rule me out anyway!)

Beginning to tear my hair out here so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Jeanette

joeblack066

Ermieox wrote: »

I am an unemployed single parent in receipt of Income Support, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit. Combined income from these is £140 per week. I also receive Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit which cover my rent and council tax.

I have recently applied for a Budgeting loan of £600 which I understood would have to be paid back within a maximum of 104wks which I calculated at approx £6 per week, which I could just about afford to go without. I need it to replace a fridge/freezer and washing machine, both of which were over 10yrs old and gave up the ghost in the last two months as well as to buy new shoes and school uniform for my 8yr old.

The DWP have calculated a repayment of £16.52 per week (12% of my weekly income) but this is more than I can afford.
We don't live in any way extravagantly, I don't drink or smoke, but I do have to run a car because we live in a rural area and I have to get my son to and from school. The house was furnished almost entirely from Freecycle (and I check this daily but have not been able to secure the items I currently need) I went bankrupt last year and have recently been discharged but of course there is no point applying for credit as it will be refused.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can persuade the DWP to reduce the amount required each week to something I can afford? Or failing that, any suggestions as to how else I can raise the money? It would be cheaper for me to get the products from Brighthouse but then I will be paying a high interest rate (that is assuming they don't run a credit check which would rule me out anyway!)

Beginning to tear my hair out here so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Jeanette

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-6072.aspx
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-6072.aspx
Plus school uniform and shoes £40 should be able to do the lot brand new for £460 , so why the need for £600?

You could do it for half that second hand.

And while Brighthouse may be cheaper per week you would pay far more in interest, so it would cost you a fortune.

I would try to source these things cheaper to reduce your weekly payment back, rather than try to reduce them on the same debt to the DWP.

Good Luck!

DaisyFlower

Can you not work? If your son is 8 then the bulk of the day he is at school.

If you cant afford the budgetting loan, then all other options will be even more expensive.

Go for second hand and you wont have to borrow half as much.

Orville

Ermieox wrote: »

I am an unemployed single parent in receipt of Income Support, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit. Combined income from these is £140 per week. I also receive Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit which cover my rent and council tax.

I have recently applied for a Budgeting loan of £600 which I understood would have to be paid back within a maximum of 104wks which I calculated at approx £6 per week, which I could just about afford to go without. I need it to replace a fridge/freezer and washing machine, both of which were over 10yrs old and gave up the ghost in the last two months as well as to buy new shoes and school uniform for my 8yr old.

The DWP have calculated a repayment of £16.52 per week (12% of my weekly income) but this is more than I can afford.
We don't live in any way extravagantly, I don't drink or smoke, but I do have to run a car because we live in a rural area and I have to get my son to and from school. The house was furnished almost entirely from Freecycle (and I check this daily but have not been able to secure the items I currently need) I went bankrupt last year and have recently been discharged but of course there is no point applying for credit as it will be refused.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can persuade the DWP to reduce the amount required each week to something I can afford? Or failing that, any suggestions as to how else I can raise the money? It would be cheaper for me to get the products from Brighthouse but then I will be paying a high interest rate (that is assuming they don't run a credit check which would rule me out anyway!)

Beginning to tear my hair out here so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Jeanette

Just phone them up and go over the calculations you have made and ask them if you can come to a more suitable arrangement.

Vader123

I agree that £600 for a washer and fridge is too expensive for someone who relies on someone else to pay for their rent and income.

Have you tried charity shops / ebay?

I think you could get kitted for half that money if you looked second hand.

Vader

MrsManda

Why do you need £600?

You can get a washing machine and a fridge/freezer from Currys (not necessarily the cheapest place but used as an example) for £329.98 and there's no way school uniform and shoes costs £250.

welshmoneylover

Ermieox wrote: »

I am an unemployed single parent in receipt of Income Support, Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit. Combined income from these is £140 per week. I also receive Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit which cover my rent and council tax.

I have recently applied for a Budgeting loan of £600 which I understood would have to be paid back within a maximum of 104wks which I calculated at approx £6 per week, which I could just about afford to go without. I need it to replace a fridge/freezer and washing machine, both of which were over 10yrs old and gave up the ghost in the last two months as well as to buy new shoes and school uniform for my 8yr old.

The DWP have calculated a repayment of £16.52 per week (12% of my weekly income) but this is more than I can afford.
We don't live in any way extravagantly, I don't drink or smoke, but I do have to run a car because we live in a rural area and I have to get my son to and from school. The house was furnished almost entirely from Freecycle (and I check this daily but have not been able to secure the items I currently need) I went bankrupt last year and have recently been discharged but of course there is no point applying for credit as it will be refused.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can persuade the DWP to reduce the amount required each week to something I can afford? Or failing that, any suggestions as to how else I can raise the money? It would be cheaper for me to get the products from Brighthouse but then I will be paying a high interest rate (that is assuming they don't run a credit check which would rule me out anyway!)

Beginning to tear my hair out here so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Jeanette

Err, can you not work and pay for it yourself?

Ermieox

I was forced out of work due to ill health last year. I have been looking for a part-time job to fit around my sons school times but haven't yet found anything which pays enough to actually be able to do it. Job Centre Plus did the calculations for me and unless I can find something close to home paying well over the minimum wage then I just can't afford to go back into work just yet. They've offered me some retraining and hopefully that will improve my longer term prospects, but doesn't help me now.

I applied for the budgeting loan on advice from my Job Centre Plus advisor and was told to make sure I over-estimated the amount I required incase they reduced what they offered me. I allowed £450 to replace my 7.5kg load washing machine and large fridge/freezer (based on a local supplier who will deliver) and £50-60 to buy shoes/trainers and school uniform for my son. The intention being that if there was anything left over it would go onto my gas and electric pre-payment cards to help with my winter fuel bills.

I have explored secondhand options for the white goods - Ebay, Gumtree, Tradecycle, freecycle etc etc but without much success and previous experience with secondhand electrical goods has made me very very wary of buying anything without a decent warranty.

I will try speaking to them on Monday and hope they can reduce the weekly payment slightly otherwise will have to think again.

Thanks for your input.

Orville

Ermieox wrote: »

I was forced out of work due to ill health last year. I have been looking for a part-time job to fit around my sons school times but haven't yet found anything which pays enough to actually be able to do it. Job Centre Plus did the calculations for me and unless I can find something close to home paying well over the minimum wage then I just can't afford to go back into work just yet. They've offered me some retraining and hopefully that will improve my longer term prospects, but doesn't help me now.

I applied for the budgeting loan on advice from my Job Centre Plus advisor and was told to make sure I over-estimated the amount I required incase they reduced what they offered me. I allowed £450 to replace my 7.5kg load washing machine and large fridge/freezer (based on a local supplier who will deliver) and £50-60 to buy shoes/trainers and school uniform for my son. The intention being that if there was anything left over it would go onto my gas and electric pre-payment cards to help with my winter fuel bills.

I have explored secondhand options for the white goods - Ebay, Gumtree, Tradecycle, freecycle etc etc but without much success and previous experience with secondhand electrical goods has made me very very wary of buying anything without a decent warranty.

I will try speaking to them on Monday and hope they can reduce the weekly payment slightly otherwise will have to think again.

Thanks for your input.

Ermie, don't listen to this lot. Jees if you want to get a new fridge just get it. It has nothing to do with these guys. After all you are paying it back so i don't see the problem. Ignore them i would.:D

dmg24

Orville wrote: »

Ermie, don't listen to this lot. Jees if you want to get a new fridge just get it. It has nothing to do with these guys. After all you are paying it back so i don't see the problem. Ignore them i would.

But clearly you don't as you wouldn't be posting if you did! :rotfl:

Orville

dmg24 wrote: »

But clearly you don't as you wouldn't be posting if you did! :rotfl:

Hmm ya ok...........