What help are we entitled to? Low income couple

dark_lady

Aimees Mum when the girlfriend gets a job she will be paying towards rent bills etc AND helping him pay off the loan either directly or indirectly. One of the reasons they are struggling is that they (well at the moment he) is paying back £255 a MONTH. He has also admitted it was due to his own frivolity and then says "well the past is the past" But its NOT the past is it because it is impacting on the present AND the future in a BIG way. And the OP works for a financial institution!!! And its bloody wrong that the girlfriend will be feeling extra pressure on top of the usual pressure because of his previous irresponsibility.
Ive never taken out a loan or got a credit card because i HATE the idea of owing money. I wouldnt be able to sleep at night. I was brought up to believe that if you cant afford it you go without. My husband and i had a period of unemployment in the late 1990s and could not afford three meals a day. We put up with having two meals a day and sometimes one meal rather than get into debt. I signed off and took a job in a sex chatline office. What if the girlfriend got a job and God forbid the OP lost his. Would she then be expected to pay off his debts? Luckily my husband and i share the same principles and values which is important in a relationship. I get the impression from the OP using the phrase "the past is the past" that he is quite flippant about owing so much money and i sincerely hope that hes not showing this attitude to his girlfriend.

debrag

kingfisherblue wrote: »

In my area, there is an organisation called Starting Point, which helps people get into work. They have a base, but they also hold appointments, workshops and job fairs in local libraries and community centres. Maybe your girlfriend could ask at your local library or community centre to see if there is a similar service in your area. This would enable her to improve her CV and interview techniques, apply for jobs not advertised in the job centre, and avoid any fares as she should be able to walk there.

One of the most commonly available jobs at the moment is care work, looking after people in their own homes. My daughter attended a job fair at the community centre (this job fair was held by the local social housing organisation - they do about two or three a year). She was studying with the Open University as she wanted to teach, but not get into student debt or move away from home). She was accepted by an agency, and has been working for them for sixteen months. Pay isn't great (£6.50-£7 an hour), but is considerably more than minimum wage for her age group - she's 19. She has now decided to apply for nursing in a couple of years time, as she enjoys her work so much. In the meantime, she's got a second job with another agency and also works for two families with disabled children (Direct Payments scheme). She is learning to drive and is saving for her future studies.

Maybe care work is something that your girlfriend could consider. It doesn't suit everyone, but it could help in the short term.

Thats more than min wage for any age group. I consider that a good wage.