Will we lose our home?

TOBRUK

poormummy wrote: »

We really struggle to afford the essentials while we're on benefits, so it's just not an option to pay any more than this at the moment.

I am receiving treatment for the depression, and my doctor, therapist and psychiatrist understand that I can barely look after myself, so if needed, they would sign me off as unfit to work if I were to apply for ESA instead of JSA.

With regard to my husband finding work - you are right on both accounts - there are no jobs in his field (and if there were, he would be likely to have to live away from home again), and he also does the majority of the childcare and household management.

It may be an option for my husband to claim a carers allowance and me claim DLA, but the social worker we spoke to was not very hopeful the claim would be successful due to my illness being mental rather than physical.

It is good that you have contacted your creditors and set up agreements to pay £1 a month - this is a positive step and shows that you are not ignoring your financial situation and sticking your head in the sand. I also understand that you would only be able to buy a 'shed' with the amount of money you would have after the sale of your home!

With regard your health, if I were you I would apply for ESA and although it may be difficult to cope with (at first)I think you really need to.

You may be eligible for DLA and to be honest I would not take the advice of a social worker saying that you wouldn't have much hope of a successful claim. Many people with MH illness are successful in claiming DLA. Remember, you will always have more negative feedback than positive - as many of the people who are successful do not always post, you always get more people posting with bad experiences! It is not easy, but I wouldn't let it put you off if you believe (after reading DLA eligibility on gov site) that you are eligible. It is up to the decision maker on whether they grant you DLA. However, if successful, your husband would only be able to get carers allowance if you receive Mid Care rate or Higher.

One step at a time. Phone the DLA office and request a form - from the date you phone they will stamp the form and if claim is successful it will be granted and backdated from this date - well it used to be! The DLA form is quite daunting when you see it first but you need to take your time with it - it is doable (there are no trick questions) and there is help out there if you feel it is too much for you. When you fill it in, be honest, and whenever appropriate repeat answers/explanations.

Also phone DWP and request a form for ESA and apply - you have nothing to lose.

Good luck and hope you feel a little better soon and things get a lot easier for you.

allen35

poormummy wrote: »

Thank you for taking the time to understand my situation Tobruk - no offence caused

We have had advice from CCCS about dealing with our debts and have set up agreements with all our creditors to pay off £1 per month while we are not working. We really struggle to afford the essentials while we're on benefits, so it's just not an option to pay any more than this at the moment.

I am receiving treatment for the depression, and my doctor, therapist and psychiatrist understand that I can barely look after myself, so if needed, they would sign me off as unfit to work if I were to apply for ESA instead of JSA.

We bought 6 years ago when house prices were much lower and got a 100% mortgage. Even if were could get another mortgage (our current mortgage lender won't let us re-mortgage), we live in the South East, so £20k-£30k would just about buy a new shed.

With regard to my husband finding work - you are right on both accounts - there are no jobs in his field (and if there were, he would be likely to have to live away from home again), and he also does the majority of the childcare and household management.

It may be an option for my husband to claim a carers allowance and me claim DLA, but the social worker we spoke to was not very hopeful the claim would be successful due to my illness being mental rather than physical.

You are paying a pound to you non priority creditors per month ( alot less than others much worse off than you), you are being so negative relying on the benefit system with regards to ESA/JSA to pay your mortgage, you state:if my husband gets a part time job we won't be better off (My husband is far from opposed to getting a job, but when I try to work out our finances using just one wage, and that one being a lower figure than before - it just doesn't balance and doesn't cover the essential outgoings) where do you shop!!

Everyone has some kind of depression due to the lives we lead but we have to get on with it when in difficulties and life throws us bad cards, you talk about claiming DLA and your OH claiming carers allowance, i take it this is a long term plan then.

I am depressed ' cause of my illness, my answer was to go back to work and get on with it , cause i have kids and a family to support and debts to pay.

Get rid of sky, your landline, change elec/gas provider, shop at netto and continue paying your token payments and get husband to get a job and move on from this total negative attitude, it's your home fight for it, don't give in and blame depression, FIGHT, and work through it.

If there are no jobs in his field lower expectaions and reduce expenditure, you can both do it.

Good luck

jinky67

poormummy wrote: »

Thanks for your replies. I'm currently looking at the links that were posted to find out about working tax credit and other 'what ifs' - they don't seem to be very accurate on our income though - it's more than doubling what we actually get!

If we sold the house, it's still not clear whether we could use the money to pay our debts or whether anything over £16k would need to be used for living/renting costs (so would still owe £10k).

of course you could, you would then get HB

if the links are showing more than what you currently get, check whether to are entitled to the extra, as they may well be wrong

also post your SOA on here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76 and people will help you out

poormummy_3

From trying the online benefit checker calculators, I just can't work out how we would survive if my OH got a low paid job - we still wouldn't be able to afford the mortgage (£856 per month). So the advice frequently given of 'your husband needs to get a job to keep the house' doesn't seem to work.

I'm pleased for the people who have suffered depression and managed to feel better by getting a job - unfortunately, this wouldn't be an option for me right now.

It's all so complicated.

dktreesea

If you are not getting mortgage assistance, then for sure benefits are unlikely to meet even the cost of your mortgage, let alone living expenses and the mortgage. How about keeping your house but renting it out, for , say, £1,000 a month (you're in the South East so presumably this is a viable rent, then moving to a poorer area and/or renting a small place temporarily, e.g.
squashing into a 1 bedroom place, until you are back on your feet?

Maybe too, your husband could set up as self employed, in which case the DWP would pay him an extra £40 a week or so (because he has been out of work over a year, so to help him back into work). He would still get benefits, but working tax credit rather than income support, and would also claim for you as the non working spouse. It doesn't have to be anything grand. The guy down the road is a window cleaner. He had plans to only work three days a week for the rest of his life, and didn't mind topping up his income with working tax credit and the like. After all, there is the minimum income guarantee, and you and your family are as entitled to rely on it as the rest of us, including those of us who have either never needed to or no longer need to. The window cleaner , I notice, has never worked a 24 hour week from the week he started. His friends chipped in with the first few jobs and it took off from there. He's been full time and more ever since he set up.

We saw a guy at the car boot the other week who always rents a regular pitch, and comes with a couple of big drums of water and does hand car washes. Does a good job too. There's always a queue, and if you can't get to the car boot he has flyers and you can ring him and he'll come and do the car for you at your house, even on the street where there's no easy access to water. He was in the same situation as your family - got laid off and had a mortgage that needed paying.

The guy underneath us rents and is also self employed, as is his wife. They rent out their house. It's a really nice house, just four streets away. It must have broken their hearts to move out, but at least this way, as he says, he gets to keep it until things pick up a bit.

justmel

Hello poormummy,
I don't know much about the mortgage situation so i am sorry i cannot advise on that but i certainly do know a great deal about mental health problems as i have suffered years of them myself.

You certainly can get DLA if you have care and/or mobility needs from a mental illness and you have nothing to lose by applying,i get high rate care and low rate mobilty for mine and my husband gets carers allowance.

I cannot say if you will succeed in getting DLA but mental illness is as real as physical illness and there is nothing wrong with making an application if you feel you qualify.

milfield

poormummy, what is / was your husband's usual field of work? He will no doubt have plenty of transferrable skills to promote when looking at other job types.

JSA conditionality will mean his job search must be widened to 'any job capable of doing' anyway due to the length of umeployment and no restriction on wages, so if he does not apply for alternatives then you may well find JSA is sanctioned. This you most certainly do not need.

With such a debt the only real 'option' is to sell the house - at least you will have some control over that. If things progress any further then the bank will reposses and sell it off cheaply to get their money back.

Do you have no relatives or friends who can help you with living arrangements for a period of time if you rented your house?

Oldernotwiser

poormummy wrote: »

I'm pleased for the people who have suffered depression and managed to feel better by getting a job - unfortunately, this wouldn't be an option for me right now.

.

But your strategy of treating your depression by not working isn't successful as you're still depressed! What's more, you don't expect your strategy to be successful as you see it continuing long term.

If not working was the right approach then you would be feeling better now after being out of the workplace for 18 months.

I'm not unsympathetic having had to take early retirement because of depression but if something doesn't work you need to change your approach, not plan to continue with it long term!

jinky67

bestpud wrote: »

More recently, I continued working despite only 'gaining' £5 a week, by the time everything was taken into account, because of the loss in benefits.

For some of us, it's about helping ourselves as far as possible, rather than milking the state.

I know I'll be shot down in flames but my opinion is as good as the next persons and I do think the best advice for you is to stop whinging and deal with your issues. Sitting on state handouts should not be an option just because you think it's better!

I have recently returned to work after more than a year off with depression. I am a whole £7ish a week better off:j:j:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

But I can honestly say it has done me the world of good, I feel a whole lot more positive than I was before and I intend to get a full time better paid job in the next few months

I was and continue to look for ANY job, and your hubby should be doing the same, you could too, even though are still suffering. But the more you stress and worry about the situation the more depressed you are gonna be. Is that what you want?

I know its not what I wanted, and yes it did get me down for a long time, and yes there may not be much out there where you are, but that doesnt mean you shouldnt be looking incase something pops up

Blue22

poormummy wrote: »

From trying the online benefit checker calculators, I just can't work out how we would survive if my OH got a low paid job - we still wouldn't be able to afford the mortgage (£856 per month). So the advice frequently given of 'your husband needs to get a job to keep the house' doesn't seem to work.

I'm pleased for the people who have suffered depression and managed to feel better by getting a job - unfortunately, this wouldn't be an option for me right now.

It's all so complicated.

Hi Poormummy

I'm sorry you are currently in such a difficult position and it must be awful living with such uncertainty.

I agree that taking a low paid job will not give you enough income, even with tax credits, to cover the mortgage. But if you don't have the income, you wont be able to pay the mortgage, speeding up the repossession order and helping you to become eligible for the mortgage rescue scheme.

If you have already resigned yourself to the fact that a repossession order will eventually be inevitable, then taking a low paid job to speed up that process may be a sensible option?