turned down for support fund, now in serious money trouble

metalgal

I have just been turned down for the student support fund at my uni. situation is full loans and grants, 1 child aged 19 months in full time child care at £150pw, own home 544pm mortgage payment husband on just under 16k pa. Everything was going well but due to the frost at christmas there was a lot of damage done to my house and the repairs cost a fortune, home insurance wouldn't cover it. so basically money went into fixing house. after 2 years we finally got ourselves back on out feet and then giant expense comes along. tried to sort ourselves out again, but ran out of money and i applied to student support fund but they have turned me down.

basically now what? im desperate. bank refused overdraft due to !!!!! credit from when i was made redundant. i need ideas. at the absolute minimum i need to find £700 to do me until the next loan instalment. bills and expenses down as far as they can. (:money:) i'm doing some census work at the minute but will get £100 this month and then £150 next month. next student finance instalment due in may. jobs are tough to find at the minute and even if i did find a job to fit in with m studies, child and health issues, my need is now, although im still hoping.

i can't believed i got turned down! (esp when my friend at a different uni got over £800 when he !!!!ed his loan up a wall buying a new laptop and clothes.)i know we have some debt repayments but we were coping ok until the !!!!!!! frost. the repairs could not have waited. a few bits of the outside plastering actually came off and there was mould in my daughters room. even put photos of damage in with my application to prove it.

i need MSE experts now!

liney

I assume you get the Childcare Grant and Parents Learning Allowance?

metalgal

i do. i get 80% childcare grant and £1500 p.l.a.

MrsManda

Is your husband claiming everything he can? As your partner he may be able to claim income based benefits for you both.
Fill out the turn2us benefits calculator to see if you're entitled to claim any benefits.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10034876

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

metalgal

yes we get £7 working tax credit a week and then £50 ctc and £20 cb. it does sound like a lot, but its the money we live on food electric etc. definately not enough to cover nursery costs as well.

Oldernotwiser

metalgal wrote: »

yes we get £7 working tax credit a week and then £50 ctc and £20 cb. it does sound like a lot, but its the money we live on food electric etc. definately not enough to cover nursery costs as well.

But you said you claimed for childcare costs.

NMSE12

So have you spent your childcare grant on house as aposed to childcare??
Have you tried reducing hrs LO spends to nursery?? is there a nana etc who can look after for 1 or 2 days?
Are you able to take holiday breaks from your mortgage?
Can you apeal against the desicion from the fund?

melancholly

i recommend that you go onto the Debt Free Wanabee board and write up an SOA (statement of affairs). it's worth listing everything out and then there are some brilliant people on there who can find ways to make your budget go further.

metalgal

yes i spend the childcare grant on the house repairs. i know how much of an idiot i am, please don't make me feel any worse than i do already. it just seemed to have slowly disappeared with costs.

reducing nursery hours will not do much to help. its £150 pw full time or £140 pw part time. i think the full time places are subsidised by the university.

mortgage company won't let us take a holiday break. we do not have the correct mortgage product for breaks apparently.

i have made an appointment with funding advisor to appeal the decision, but don't know how long this will take.

i did not make any "improvements" to my house, just fixed the damage. there was damage to the outside plastering and bricks, the roof and because of this damage then there was moisture damage/funny mould growing in my daughters bedroom which needed treated and replastered. its not like i fancied redecorating and bought new wallpapers and furniture. i just brought my house back to a fit state to live in, and it sucked all my money up.

liney

metalgal wrote: »

yes i spend the childcare grant on the house repairs. i know how much of an idiot i am, please don't make me feel any worse than i do already. it just seemed to have slowly disappeared with costs.

reducing nursery hours will not do much to help. its £150 pw full time or £140 pw part time. i think the full time places are subsidised by the university.

mortgage company won't let us take a holiday break. we do not have the correct mortgage product for breaks apparently.

i have made an appointment with funding advisor to appeal the decision, but don't know how long this will take.

i did not make any "improvements" to my house, just fixed the damage. there was damage to the outside plastering and bricks, the roof and because of this damage then there was moisture damage/funny mould growing in my daughters bedroom which needed treated and replastered. its not like i fancied redecorating and bought new wallpapers and furniture. i just brought my house back to a fit state to live in, and it sucked all my money up.

Wasn't that kind of work covered by your buildings insurance? Well the outside damage and possibly inside if caused by the outside damage.

Sorry, I just noted your said the insurance wouldn't cover. How come, just out of interest?

I'd start with a clear out and see what you can Ebay, then a freezer/cupboard inventory to see what you can live on, next cancellation of anything non essential: downgrade TV package if you have one, same with mobile phone etc. If you can't increase your income then you will have to decrease the outgoings even if only temporarily.

Would a childminder be cheaper than the creche?

curlytop12

come on over to the DEBT FREE WANNABEE board,post up your incomings and outgoings (A Statement of Affairs) and the experts will come to your aid in reducing costs/increasing money.
good luck