Will we lose our home?

SingleSue

Op, I do have sympathy for you for your depression, been there, done it and got the T shirt but push has come to shove now and you both need to work together to get out of the situation you find yourselves in.

Your depression is probably not being made any better because of the situation...there is nothing more depressing or stressful than worrying over the bills, bills that would still be there (CC debt) even if you can get on a mortgage rescue scheme..yes you would be able to stay in your home but the bills don't stop just because you are in social housing or on benefits.

A lower paid job probably looks uninspiring for your other half but it would be a start, a help to make you both feel better, feel more pride in yourselves and you never know....that lower paid job could turn into a higher paid one in time.

Before you start to think I have no idea what depression is like, I had PND after all 3 of my boys and then had a complete breakdown in 2005. I still struggle with my moods even now and am not the same person as I was pre breakdown...so I do know how hard it is to get the oomph to start a day. In my situation though, my now ex husband, didn't believe in depression, thought it was just an excuse to have time off work so there was never any question of him being my carer....I just had to get on with things and that included caring for disabled children and working after a short time off sick.

But you have to help yourself get well, you need to get your brain in the right place (ok this probably sounds like pull your socks up advice - something I hated) because until you do, your situation will create a downward spiral for the both of you.

The grass is not always greener on the other side, it may appear to be but believe me, it is not....please do not think you have to give up your life because of depression, you can beat it, don't let it rule you but turn the tables and you rule it.

Jowo_2

poormummy wrote: »

Having a dependent child and mental health problems will 'help' us be a priority, but we need the letter from the bank before we can apply.

.

I don't understand why you don't qualify for the Mortgage Rescue Scheme in your current position because you have a dependent child and this already classes you as a priority, even without the ESA.

Here's what Shelter say - is it more likely that it's the last two steps that are missing? You say that the lender has to have taken steps to repossess the property but I don't see this listed as a criteria on their summary. Instead it wants proof that you've tried to work through your options with them, not that it's dependent on a possession order. Phone the Shelter homeowner line to have an initial assessment.
Who is eligible?

You may be eligible for the scheme if someone in your household is in priority need. This will be the case if, for example, you:

• have a dependent child
• are pregnant
• are elderly
• are disabled, or
• are considered to be vulnerable for other special reasons.

In order for your application to be considered you must also have taken steps to tackle your mortgage arrears. This includes:

• working through all the possible options with your lender, and
• having a financial statement prepared by a specialist debt adviser. Many Shelter advice centres offer specialist debt advice, as do Citizens Advice. Use our directory to find an adviser in your area who can help you.

The council cannot consider your application until you have done this.

joeblack066

OP you really need to look at your life from another perspective, because this is why you are winding people up!
You want your mortgage payments paid out of the public purse ad infinitum so that you have a house paid off when you retire?? Excuse me?? I have 2 long term health conditions, the symptoms of one is depression, on top of everything else that I deal with on a daily basis. My 1st DH p****d off and left me and 3 small children, and my 2nd was abusive. I have always always worked, I have scrimped, scraped, lost a house due to the extortionate interest rates in the early 90's, lost another one due to a partners lies and manipulation, and each time I get up, get out there, and work. I am currently self employed, and I have 3 contingency plans so that I know what I will do if x, y or z happens. I am constantly exhausted but I know that I have raised my 3 sons with an excellent work ethic. My DD also understands. I may or may not have a house to retire to. I may or may not have the work that I ma doing now by next year. But you can bet your bottom dollar I will always be doing my darndest to be working, like I always have.
Now, back to your situation.
If your DH got work for 24 hours a week then you will get tax credits. (I think its 24 for a couple, but nat having been one for so long I'm not sure!). Could he not do some evening work, or night work? 4 x 6 hr shifts is all he needs, and then you will be out of this trap that you see yourselves in. If he worked whilst your child/ children are in bed then the caring would not be such an issue. You could go onto a proper DMP with CCCS, repay your debts in manageable amounts, and this will help with your depression. You could action plan yourself so that you can start to look for a small job once you begin to get better, and that will help again. Within a relatively short space of time, your troubles would seem a lifetime ago.
Thats what I would do.

Jowo_2

joeblack066 wrote: »

...You want your mortgage payments paid out of the public purse ad infinitum so that you have a house paid off when you retire?? .

SMI pays the interest part of the mortgage, not the repayment, so it never does pay off the capital. It doesn't reduce the sum owed, it remains static. Therefore there is no opportunity for someone to have a house paid off through the schemes that are operated to prevent repossession.

Jowo_2

I am a bit disappointed with some of the responses on this thread, tbh, so I am digging out the forum etiquette.

"This board is here for help and support for those on or looking to claim benefits, not for judgement.

It’s ONLY focus is helping people with their money.

It's here to help people find out what they are entitled to under the current system, and to help them get it.

Benefits provide a lifeline for many, and this site is here to help people with their money, and not to judge. ...ensuring you're getting your entitlement is exactly what it’s about.

We all know the benefits system is a mess – but that’s for the discussion time.

Please be nice to all MoneySavers. That’s the forum motto. Remember the prime aim is to help provide info and resources. If you don’t like someone, their situation, their question or feel they’re intruding on ‘your board’ then please bite the bullet

Please be sensitive : This may be a web forum, but you’re still talking to other human beings. Repeatedly or harshly saying someone’s wrong, especially on boards like DebtFreeWannabe, Bankruptcy or Benefits, can lead to upset.

We’re proud that many people whose financial problems exacerbate mental health issues seek help in the forum, but this means you may be berating someone who’s clinically depressed. Please think twice before posting judgmental comments."

dmg24

Jowo wrote: »

I am a bit disappointed with some of the responses on this thread, tbh, so I am digging out the forum etiquette.

"This board is here for help and support for those on or looking to claim benefits, not for judgement.

It’s ONLY focus is helping people with their money.

It's here to help people find out what they are entitled to under the current system, and to help them get it.

Benefits provide a lifeline for many, and this site is here to help people with their money, and not to judge. ...ensuring you're getting your entitlement is exactly what it’s about.

We all know the benefits system is a mess – but that’s for the discussion time.

Please be nice to all MoneySavers. That’s the forum motto. Remember the prime aim is to help provide info and resources. If you don’t like someone, their situation, their question or feel they’re intruding on ‘your board’ then please bite the bullet

Please be sensitive : This may be a web forum, but you’re still talking to other human beings. Repeatedly or harshly saying someone’s wrong, especially on boards like DebtFreeWannabe, Bankruptcy or Benefits, can lead to upset.

We’re proud that many people whose financial problems exacerbate mental health issues seek help in the forum, but this means you may be berating someone who’s clinically depressed. Please think twice before posting judgmental comments."

People have given sound advice. **Hugs** are not going to make the situation any better!

RAS

Caz3121 wrote: »

I don't thing selling your house would make you ineligible for housing benefit itself. It may affect being rehoused by the council.
However if you have more than £16k from the sale then 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)

Inaccurate information about deprivation of assets again.

silvercar wrote: »

Totally agree with this.

The classification of intentionally homeless is used to decide that the council do not have an automatic obligation to rehouse you.

The money from the sale is also an issue that would effect benefit entitlement -though by the sound of it SMI will anyway stop soon. If any of your other benefits are means tested they would go if the sale of the house put money in your bank account.

Inaccurate information about deprivation of assets again.

joeblack066 wrote: »

You want your mortgage payments paid out of the public purse ad infinitum so that you have a house paid off when you retire??

Since SMIO does not contribute towards capital, this is wrong, again.

I apprecaite that the OP is depressed and cannot see the wood from the trees right now but making him/her even more depressed by making inaccurate statements and allegations is not helpful.

Please read Jowo's comments above.

Jowo_2

dmg24 wrote: »

People have given sound advice. **Hugs** are not going to make the situation any better!

I'd have like to have seen the sound advice about her housing options and where to seek further advice on this thread.

And a separate post in Discussion Time about the weaknesses in the mortgage rescue schemes, plus perhaps people's theories on how depressed people can magically cure themselves with the application of will power.

And this comes from someone who would prefer that all govt/local council property ownership rescue schemes were scrapped, with the onus put on property buyers managing their own risks through compulsory mortgage insurance.

dmg24

Jowo wrote: »

I'd have like to have seen the sound advice about her housing options and where to seek further advice on this thread.

And a separate post in Discussion Time about the weaknesses in the mortgage rescue schemes, plus perhaps people's theories on how depressed people can magically cure themselves with the application of will power.

And this comes from someone who would prefer that all govt/local council property ownership rescue schemes were scrapped, with the onus put on property buyers managing their own risks through compulsory mortgage insurance.

Sometimes the solution to a problem is indirect though i.e. getting a proper income would solve the housing problem.

Whilst I did not comment on this earlier, the suggestions regarding the OP's depression are valid. She has described a classic reactional depression, and evidence does point to work having a positive effect on such a condition.

What you are describing is not against the site rules, just that some of us are offer more constructive advice in our posts rather than repeatedly telling people to contact Shelter.

Jowo_2

dmg24 wrote: »

Sometimes the solution to a problem is indirect though i.e. getting a proper income would solve the housing problem.

What you are describing is not against the site rules, just that some of us are offer more constructive advice in our posts rather than repeatedly telling people to contact Shelter.

Yes, I agree it's possible to provide a solution that an OP hasn't considered - answering a question that they've failed to pose.I also agree that employment is largely beneficial to prevent and reduce MH issues - there's plenty of research that proves its merits. But instructing an unemployed person to find a job is pretty much on par with telling a depressed person to pull themselves together.

Both could be achievable but the OP is on the cusp of being repossessed and this might happen before her household income increases or her MH issues resolve.

The OP did not list Shelter as an advice organisation that she had consulted. They are one of the few organisations that have a specific homeowner helpline and they themselves specifically have an assessment process to help those wanting to apply to the Mortgage Rescue Scheme.

As her household have no current active job offers and depression tends not to vanish overnight, I do actually think that she should prioritise contacting Shelter who have specific expertise in preventing repossession and who are unlikely to hector her about failure to find employment and give amateur MH advice.