Will we lose our home?

dmg24

poormummy wrote: »

I didn't come on here for a benefit bashing :eek: but some open-minded empathy and friendly advice to help me out of a serious predicament. I would not choose a life of poverty and humiliation by being on benefits.

Of course, if life were that simple my husband would have got a job 18 months ago and we wouldn't be in this situation. He has been the full time child carer while I have been sick.

Even if I were well enough to care for my son on my own full time (or care for myself for that matter), one income would never cover all our outgoings, even if he were to earn the money he was on before being made redundant - and certainly wouldn't cover any childcare. There are no other well paid jobs around that he is qualified for (and the government no longer offers payment towards training for long-term unemployed).

I feel we are stuck, and feel our situation is hopeless. The simple 'get a job' advice just doesn't solve all the issues.

If the suggestion that an ablebodied person gets a job is benefit bashing then you really need to change your perspective, especially as he is claiming Jobseekers Allowance. If he gets a job that is not well paid and you claim ESA you will qualify for help with childcare costs. I really don't see why that would not work?

viktory

poormummy wrote: »

I can see that selling our house would be an option and we could live off any equity (maybe £20k-£30k) until we could claim housing benefit, it just feels like we are being punished for being made redundant (and the whole financial mess and insecurity triggered the depression). It would feel bad enough having to lose our home to use the money to pay off debts that we can no longer afford to pay back, let alone having to lose our home to use the money to pay someone else's mortgage while renting. Once we lose our house, we'll never be able to afford to get another, and have to be back renting forever. Then what happens when we retire?

This attitude really annoys me. Seriously, things are bad and you may have to move out of your home - but you will have a LOT of money available. You will effectively be able to ignore any non priority debts. You will be able to rent a nice home, in a decent area. You won't have any immediate worries about claiming benefits and the delay in receiving payments.

Unfortunately, because your husband is unable to find a suitable job you lose some of the choices afforded to the employed. Yes, you may have to 'pay someone else's mortgage', but you have clearly demonstrated you cannot pay your own so you have little choice.

When you retire you will hopefully have had time to save, perhaps a pension? If not, you'll have to depend on benefits. The tax payer has been paying your mortgage for long enough now. Time for you and your husband to face up to your situation.

welshmoneylover

Can't your husband widen his job field? In addition, have you thought perhaps that you could help your depression by looking for work in a different area too?

Good luck.

poormummy_3

The thought of losing our home that we had worked so hard for, is gut-wrenching, and I feel such a failure. Maybe it is a wake up call that I need, but I'm sure there are kind ways of saying things. Maybe I will never feel well while I have this insecurity and debt round my neck.

But long-term, I can't help wonder if we would be better off waiting for that notice of reposession so we could be eligible for the mortgage rescue scheme and have a housing association buy our house, and then rent it back. It would feel a bit more secure than renting privately, and we would pay 80% of market rents.

dmg24

poormummy wrote: »

The thought of losing our home that we had worked so hard for, is gut-wrenching, and I feel such a failure. Maybe it is a wake up call that I need, but I'm sure there are kind ways of saying things. Maybe I will never feel well while I have this insecurity and debt round my neck.

But long-term, I can't help wonder if we would be better off waiting for that notice of reposession so we could be eligible for the mortgage rescue scheme and have a housing association buy our house, and then rent it back. It would feel a bit more secure than renting privately, and we would pay 80% of market rents.

A house is bricks and mortar. A home is wherever you choose to make it.

Oldernotwiser

Surely if your husband gets a job and your house is more secure this will help with your depression?

If you were working up to 18 months ago when you were made redundant, it sounds as if unemployment is the cause of your depression rather than the solution.

dogfish12

I know what I would do in this position if I lived by the seaside (which I do). I would sell the home, cut my losses, buy a static caravan and live in it. Be free of that home and worries of its upkeep for a while at least until you can get back on your feet. You would still have to pay any ground rent ect. Extreme I know. But repossession, selling to councils, you will be done.

bestpud

This is a classic case of people being 'better off' on benefits and it's why the benefit changes are being brought in.

As I see it:

You were (both?) made redundant 18 months ago.

Your debts started to mount and you became depressed.

Your OH can't find work in his chosen field so you've looked at what you receive from the state and decided a poorer paid job isn't for him.

You realised the mortgage benefits will be stopping soon and started looking at ways out.

The mortgage rescue scheme looks ideal but you need to stay depressed to claim it.

Am I right so far?

So, you have no incentive to find work as you have to be ill. Your OH has no incentive to find work as he has to show he can't work because he 'cares' for you.

Seems clear to me you are deliberately sinking yourselves to gain state help and that seems absurd to me. For a start, think of your child!

If your OH gets himself a job, you can still claim ESA if that's appropriate (but I somehow think you will recover when out of this pit you've dug yourselves into).

Or how about you both look for part time work? You can share the childcare and it might do you good to get out of the house? Or how about you look for a job and your OH stay home with your child?

It's just not viable to stay out of work for years on end and it's just crazy when to make yourself ill in order to claim more!

You will have 'lost' your home if you have to rent it from a HA so if it means so much to you, get off your butts and save it! Sorry to be blunt but (as someone who struggles with depression) I cannot understand why anyone would knowingly prolong their depression to receive benefits!

milfield

Don't know how large your house is, but had you thought about renting a room out? Maybe not ideal, but that should generate a few quid. Your husband could then look for a job at a lower salary in a different field to his usual one.

Certainly speak to Shelter as advised in a previous posts. Most of their work now is financial rather than the traditional homelessness issues, although they still deal with that of course. They have their own bank of solicitors who can advise on legal matters also.

Jowo_2

Caz3121 wrote: »

... you would not be able to claim any means tested benefits (and you cannot decrease your cash by paying off non-priority debts - eg credit cards)

To be honest, I've never seen the term 'non-priority debts' used in the context of deprivation of capital from the DWP decision makers guides that I have browsed.

I've seen it used as a term for debt management strategies to help someone identify payments of debts that can lead to bad consequences for them, such as rent (losing their home), council tax (being taken to court).

The DWP DM guide does speak against the early repayment of loans where there is no legal requirement to do so, and I interpret this as actions like paying off loans, including a mortgage, ahead of the mortgage term, for example.

But I don't recall any specific guidance on the DWP DM guides relating to credit card debts, for example, and certainly not the use of the term 'priority'.