aarrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!!

emilyxxx8

Hi Guys,

I take home £936 a month.
I am living in a rented bungalow with my boyfriend who has recently became unemployed.
The rent is £475 a month
Council Tax works out at approx. £111 a month, however, we moved in a few weeks ago and recieved a letter today saying we need to pay £214 by 01.01.11????
Water is approx. £20-£30 a month, letter we recieved this week says they want a payment of £90 due now??!!!
Electric about £40 a month
TV License until March is £29 a month
BT Broadband/calls £15 a month
Orange £50 a month
Car Insurance £40 a month
I think this is all major outgoings...

Then i have debts of...
Capital One Credit Card £350
TxtLoan £110 (repayment due today, can't pay it so will incur charges)
Lloyds TSB overdraft £100 planned overdraft facility, gone £200 over and incurring charges everday

Question is... what the hell do i do??? I have no money left until i get paid and charges are gonna be huge by then????
I feel a loan is the only answer but i can't get one as got bad credit...
Feel like i'm drowning more and more everyday

Emily xx:o

RAS

is your BF entitled to contributions based JSA? Has he signed on?

How old are you both and how many hours do you work?

emilyxxx8

I'm 21 and he hasn't signed on yet as he is waiting to hear back from two interviews he's been for..

Tixy

Hi

What benefits is OH receiving? is he claiming JSA? has he checked if he is entitled to anything else? have you checked to see if you are entitled to tax credits yourself?

Certainly on just your income its going to be very difficult to pay everything you need, especially with your rent such a high proportion of your income.

What period is the council tax for? have you not paid anything so far? I would contact them and see if you can arrange to pay it in equal installments to the end of March (they are unlikely to go further than March).

What is the water payment for? is it on a meter or unmetered?

You'll also need to do a full statement of affairs to see all your outgoings (eg petrol, road tax, groceries etc) to start coming up with a plan.

Can you work any more hours/do any overtime in your job?
Do you have room to take in a lodger to help with bills until your boyf finds work?

emilyxxx8

Oh and i work 35 hours a week, and i do have a part time job working as a barmaid 3 evenings a week and on a sunday... this money is just used for day to day living...

RAS

Your BF needs to get signed on as a priority. that does two things; one is hopefully enable him to claim JSA but more importantly it covers his NI contributions, which means that if he becomes unemployed in a couple of years he does not lose his entitlement then.

emilyxxx8

What are tax credits and how do i check if i'm entitled to them?? Boyfriend hasn't claimed anything yet...

The council tax is £214 by 01.01.11 and £220 by 01.02.11, from Dec to Mar.

The water is unmetered.

There is no room for a lodger and i already have a part time job as well.

JasX

emilyxxx8 wrote: »

I'm 21 and he hasn't signed on yet as he is waiting to hear back from two interviews he's been for..

sign on from day 1, waiting till you find a job to claim an allowance purposefully designed to tide him over while he's job hunting/interviewing/waiting to hear back is madness.

Tixy

Hi

Tax credits are a benefit paid to low earners to top up their income. To check both your benefits entitlement have a look here - http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx (your age may affect your ability to get working tax credit - I cannot remember if it starts from 21 or 25).

RAS

You need to be over 25 to get WTC, I think. And if you are under 25, the LHA rate is for a room in a shared house, not a flat.

Emily

How old is BF?

When does the rental agreement end?

HappyMJ

It looks like your council tax is the problem bill. It's £214 due to the way they calculate it assuming you moved in 1st Dec you would need to pay for 4 months at £111 but from that date. As you have missed that and as March is skipped then the £444 is split into 2 payments and it works out at £214 per month but only for Jan and Feb. The council actually do understand that this calculation can cause hardship and will usually allow to to spread it over a bit longer. You need to call them and offer at least what the bill is normally i.e the £111 plus a bit more to cover the arrears so far.