help and advice need, as government are not helping!!

emanaid

Hi all, I'm currently on JSA and have been since november 2010. Along side looking for jobs in any admin or CAD technicians positions, I have been volunteering as a learning coach with 14-19 yr old youths with behavioural problems to do motor vehicle and GCSE maths and english. I have now been taken off contribution based JSA to income based JSA, which with my wifes student loan ( which is mainly for her and our 2 teenage sons) and her child tax credits (where im not taken into consideration for) they have deemed £11.31 a wk fit for us to live on. my wife is a full time student in uni to become a DT teacher (after 15yr in engineering) and I'm hoping to start the same course in sept with my simular background. Most of her student grant is used for bills and clothes for the kids and also dinner money as we dont get much help there either. By the time her student loan comes through, it has all been designated to one bill or something. Can ANYONE offer any advice on this as with this reduction in JSA (which was keeping us just above water) we are on the verge of not making our rent as well as leccy gas and water bills and really dont know what to do.

I really cant see how the government can implement these strategies with out giving them any thought.

HELP!

Horace

Have you applied for housing benefit and council tax benefit? You need to apply for this yourself from the council because the jobcentre won't do it for you.

In the meantime, you could try looking for a temporary job to cover you until September, so try registering with some agencies because there are definitely some admin jobs about..Pertemps, Manpower, Office Angels, Randstad are all pretty good when it comes to finding some temporary work. I also know that Pertemps in particular, are pretty successful in finding work for unemployed people - far more successful than the sausage factory that is the jobcentre.

emanaid

thanks for the quick reply, I am however registered with all those agencies but after chasing each of them at leas twice a wk, it seems in Wales they just use name to boost business portfolios and never actually get anyone, or most of the people registered with them any work. Ive never been one to sit around on my !!! as I hate wasting time, hence why I do the volunteer work. We are currently in receipt of housing benefit and council tax benefits but even that was offset againts £120 a fortnight from JSA. I have asked if it will have any effect on H.B. but they said no it stays the same.

is there anything else anyone can think of help wise? we only have to last until sept whereby I'll be going back to uni to do teaching, and its not as if they're selfish professions we will be heading towards. They'll be jobs giving effectively back to the community.

Thanks again for the reply though...

P.S. I'd like to see david cameron or nick "bum boy" clegg live on this kind of income!! (and no didnt put capitals in their names because the dont hold enough respect to have them)!!

stephyt23

I have the same problem with agencies, also registered with all of them and have emailed most weeks to say I'm still available for work but I never hear anything.

Jowo_2

You can double check your entitlements on the Turn2us online benefit calculator. At the moment, your household is claiming child tax credits, HB, council tax benefit, JSA, council tax benefit, child benefit (I assume) and I'm not aware of any other benefits you could be entitled to as you've pretty much got the full suite.

Check how the future proposed changes to HB/LHA may affect you.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/housing-benefit

Some types of student income (grants/loans) do get included as household income and taken into account when calculating benefit entitlements but you can double check this on the benefit board.

Your wife's student loan is not considered to be just for her and your children - benefits are premised on couple's providing mutual support and assistance so it is irrelevant to the DWP/HMRC if you demarcate your personal finances in the way you do as they will always regard it as household income, not individual.

Many University's operate a hardship fund - does your wife's?

If you are a private tenant, and your HB doesn't cover your rent, you can ask for discretionary housing benefit.

Perhaps it's not wise for you to go to Uni if there is any overlap with your wife's course and postpone it until she finds employment?

Download the MSE budget planner that is available on the free tools section of the website and work through the site to find ways to make household savings, such as cheaper tariffs, cheaper recipes and so on. There is also an 'up your income' section.

You say your teenage sons get lunch money but it would be cheaper if they made themselves a packed lunch - that's what the ultra frugal MSE members do. There's even an MSE member who has published a recipe website that feeds a family of 4 like yourself for £100 per month for all meals. The old style board is best for these kinds of tips.

http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/

If you aren't entitled to more benefits, and can't secure employment, then if you can't increase your income, you will simply have to become even more thriftier.

Rent is a priority bill - here is some info on why in debt management terms, non payment of it is considered serious. This site provides good info on how to deal with debt, so too will the members on the Debt Free wanabee forum who can look at your SOA (statement of affairs) and suggest ways for you to trim your budget.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/ManagingDebt/index.htm

starrystarry

emanaid wrote: »

we only have to last until sept whereby I'll be going back to uni to do teaching, and its not as if they're selfish professions we will be heading towards. They'll be jobs giving effectively back to the community

Can I ask what you would class as a selfish profession?

emanaid

thank you JOWO for your comments and advice, which we are going to have a good look through now. can I ask, why should I leave my joining uni till my wife has finished? I'd still get grant/bursery so should be better off than currently.

As for the "selfish profession", I didnt actually mean other professions are selfish, just the job I'm aiming for is a job giving back to the community. No offence was intended, but really sorry if I did. wasnt meant.:)

any other advice would be MUCH appreciated.

starrystarry

emanaid wrote: »

As for the "selfish profession", I didnt actually mean other professions are selfish, just the job I'm aiming for is a job giving back to the community. No offence was intended, but really sorry if I did. wasnt meant.:)

None taken then

I just feel that all jobs give back to the community, some appear more obvious or more direct than others but they all contribute.

Jowo_2

emanaid wrote: »

thank you JOWO for your comments and advice, which we are going to have a good look through now. can I ask, why should I leave my joining uni till my wife has finished? I'd still get grant/bursery so should be better off than currently.

.

You indicated that currently you can't meet your rent and that you are generally struggling with household finances, including potentially getting into debt with your utility bills.

So will your migration off a miserly rate of JSA and onto student finance leave your household in a much better position?