On benefits and have a blocked drain - is there anywhere I can get help from?

qurious

The plunging may have pushed the blockage further down the drain , if its the drain in the kitchen go out the back and take the outflow drain off, clear this as this may be where the blockage is. This is what happened to mine.

SHIPSHAPE

CazGreg wrote: »

Since there's been so much speculation about me the original poster...

I find it pathetic that so many people apparently cannot tell the difference between 'benefit lifers' who simply don't want to work, and those for whom the alternative would be to starve on the streets because there simply isn't work out there.

Yes, quite obviously I worked, very hard, for many years in order to get a mortgage. Paid all my taxes. I don't think some people understand the purpose of things like National Insurance contributions...
And yes, as you point out, my JSA does not even cover my mortgage, so I am rapidly sinking into arrears.

I apply for dozens of jobs every week - for anything and everything. Ironically enough, because I have a degree from Oxford University (paid for by me not the tax payer before anyone comments), no-one will actually give me a job cleaning toilets - apparently I'm 'over-qualified'. Believe me, I'd be happy to clean toilets or work the tills - done it before, would do it again. I am spending my time on benefits doing volunteer work.

For those against benefits - what do you think the alternative is for those who want work but simply cannot find it? We let them starve on the streets? What sort of person does that make YOU???

I'm not against people on benefits, I'm against people on benefits who want extra benefits as in your example.

Nobody is overqualified to clean toilets, most people who own a property do it in any case.

As I said, I have been out of work and nearly lost my home but I got the most menial of jobs to keep my house.

No doubt, even in this current climate, I'd get something if I needed to keep a roof over my head. When push comes to shove...

The point of JSA is to give you an amount of money which the law says is enough to live on whilst looking for work.

Being on benefit does not mean upkeeping your house for free when the likes of me would have to go into debt to get the same work done simply by virtue of working for a living.

paddedjohn

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

I'm not against people on benefits, I'm against people on benefits who want extra benefits as in your example.

Nobody is overqualified to clean toilets, most people who own a property do it in any case.

As I said, I have been out of work and nearly lost my home but I got the most menial of jobs to keep my house.

No doubt, even in this current climate, I'd get something if I needed to keep a roof over my head. When push comes to shove...

The point of JSA is to give you an amount of money which the law says is enough to live on whilst looking for work.

Being on benefit does not mean upkeeping your house for free when the likes of me would have to go into debt to get the same work done simply by virtue of working for a living.

my point exactly.

Dave_liverpool

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

Yes, well I've been there and within a fortnight of losing my home but I got off my
a
r
s
e
and got work, starting off cleaning toilets.

I pay my way.

does this mean you didn't pay your mortgage for 6 months, repocession isn't a quick process.

Oh I know I don't know all your facts, and neither do we know all the facts about the OP.

SHIPSHAPE

Dave_liverpool wrote: »

does this mean you didn't pay your mortgage for 6 months, repocession isn't a quick process.

Oh I know I don't know all your facts, and neither do we know all the facts about the OP.

I was out of work for a year and my arrears were 9 months and a suspended possession notice was given to my mortgagee but I sued someone and won and was able to pay the arrears off.

Again, I lost my job and built up arrears but cleared them again by working darn hard just before my motgagee applied for eviction.

I recently missed a month (I work for myself and it's tough out there) and my mortgagee said even if I miss a month, for more than a month, they will evict me (and this is from a state owned bank).

So, in effect, just one months arrears and I go.

Yet this chap wants his bloody lav cleaned out by the likes of me paying tax!

It makes one fume!:mad:

CazGreg

So, shipshape and paddedjohn, what would you have me actually do? Come on then, apparently you have all the solutions. Otherwise why comment? As far as I can see, the ONLY option is to allow the drain to continue to be a problem, since I have tried absolutely every option in my power.

In that case, I DO hope it turns out that I live next to you, and the sewage seeps under your foundations.

As I said shipshape, actually, I apply for dozens of jobs every week - including what you call 'menial' ones. Unfortunately, in the current climate every last job has ridiculous amounts of people applying - often 50, 60, 70 people. Yes, you CAN be 'overqualified', because they won't give the job to me because they say 'you have a degree, so you won't stay in this job but will only keep it until you find another'. As you're so proud of being in work at the moment, I don't think you are qualified to comment on what looking for work is like at the moment.

Oldernotwiser - I'm sure you know how it feels to have people judge you with no knowledge of a situation, and to be on the end of basically abuse through no fault of your own. I think you too would defend yourself. I would love to 'thank' those who gave me useful information. I didn't know how to do it other than by writing it (which I did, until the abuse arrived) - I'm fairly new here - I've now found out you click. So not clicking automatically equals bad attitude huh? That's a big jump you're making there without knowing me...

CazGreg

For those who tried to actually help - thanks, have tried all those options - blockage is definitely outside in the drains rather than in the pipes from the sink etc.
I rodded at both points that I could, without finding the blockage. Also tried a wire snake thing that I borrowed. As it's an older property I believe there aren't as many rodding points as if it had been built more recently.
Tried both council and water board, no joy.
Had a look at home insurance, could possibly claim but the initial excess is still beyond me.
Guess I'll just have to go c*ap in the woods like a bear...
On a serious note though, still v worried as there just doesn't seem to be a solution. What some people don't get is that when I said I scrape by, I really do mean that I have to regularly skip meals, I haven't heated the house all winter etc. etc.
I guess whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger...

Edinburgh65

If you do end up having to pay someone to do the job for you, it might be worth posting the job on a website like Rated People (there are lots of similar websites too), where you just say what the problem is, and contractors post their best price, getting into a mini bidding war for the job. You might get it done cheaper that way.

Haven't used that service myself, but it's probably okay so long as you check the ratings for the person you choose.

pcal

what kind of bank account do you have op. oh as a halifx one which he pays 12 a month but gets 5 back. with this when we had a block one of the extras on his account covered this. if you havent got it already it might be worth seeing if you can get it , short term

Dognobs

White lies here will be needed, If the pipe is blocked off your property it is the waterboards problem call them and say a plumber told you their pipe is blocked they will come out and fix it 90% of the time the bloke won't be botherd with the paperwork and will fix it and on their merry way if the problem is more of a issue broken pipe they will fix it and bill you then claim on home insurance or say you are unemployed they will offer a payment plan key is say you will pay! They can't unfix it!