How can I live on 3p a day?

RagingGoose

So I managed to find a job. Yey. So that's no more JSA for me.

But I have only 83p in my bank account to last me a month. Can someone explain to me how I'm supposed to live on that?

I may as well quit the job sign on tomorrow. At least I'd have food in three days time!

yvonne13_2

Are you being serious? Go to the bank and ask if they can give you an agreed overdraft of £50 or so just to help you until you get paid. Also check with JSA as I think they might be able to help.

clairec79

when did you last get JSA and when did you start the job? you may have some JSA due to you as you get paid up to the day before you start.

Some employers will give you a mid monthly advance on your first pay if you are paid monthly (ie pay you fortnightly for the first month to help tide over if you ask)

Pee

Do you have a credit card? Do you have food in your store cupboard? Even the old style board won't be able to help you live on 3p a day, but I'm sure they will manage £50 a fortnight.

Pee

It might be worth asking about an emergency grant, usually a loan that you have to pay back from the Local Authority if your bank or family really can't help. (It'll be more hassle than either of those alternatives.)

Spirit_2

Congratulations on getting a job.

Sources of a small sum to tide you over:

Can you borrow a small sum from family or friends,

When you start ask your new employer for an advance against your first months pay? I have done this quite often when I was responsible for a lot of recruitment.

RagingGoose

Didn't think the bank would offer me an overdraft but they have.

£50 will put food in my belly but looks like I'll have to cancel and late pay my phone and broadband DD's

Still, progress! Thank you all for your suggestions

(I still think the system is crazy! :rotfl:)

yvonne13_2

Speak to your service provider and explain the situation, they could help you with a payment plan without having late charges ect.

eyelinerprincess

The system is crazy. What I found worse was that I received a letter after I signed off basically saying "congratulations on finding a job so quickly! Now, because you found one in less than six months, the lovely grant we were going to pay you, we're now not going to pay you. See ya later, bye!"

yvonne13_2

So if you got the grant was it given or were you supposed to pay it back?

eyelinerprincess

No, it was basically a letter saying that they had submitted an application for the grant (which I knew nothing about), but seeing as I had gotten off my backside and found a job (with no help from the Job Centre or the Job Seekers Classes), I was getting nowt.