Update on going bankrupt!

Jumanji_2

I know you're trying to help but let me put it this way (and I'm only uptight because I've been asked it so many times).

Lets say you have nothing left. You're home with depression and anxiety, sometimes you're so scared you can't even leave the house. And even when you can go out 50% of the time you end up having a panic attack where you vomit, can't stop shaking, can't breath, cry non-stop and don't know how you'll going to survive. Because of this you're stuck in the house 90% of the time. What are you going to do it you don't have tv or internet? TV/Sky being a great way to escape the situation you're in. Internet being your main contact to people outside your front door!

With regards to the smoking, it's not me, it's my partner. I'm not sure how you would feel if your partner turned around and said she/he would no longer allow you to smoke/drink/eat certain foods etc. I'm not his mother and I can't tell him what to do. As it is, he has informed me that tonight he is going to look at quitting smoking. At £24 a pack which lasts a week, that will cost us £104 a month. Should he hold off quitting until the 3 year AOE order is up, or should we look after his health now?

With regards to the haircuts at £20 per month!!!!! I would like to inform you that I haven't had a haircut in over a year!!!!! I wasn't even going to budget for a haircut except it is allowed for in the OR's budget!!! They also give us a clothing allowance!!!

I'm sorry for being snappish, and harsh but I have to admit I do get really annoyed. Yes we got into a hole and we're having to go bankrupt, yes at the minute we're completely broke, and when we're bankrupt we're not going to be brilliantly off.

Just because we're going bankrupt doesn't mean we can't have haircuts, clothes, basic sky and hobbies. If we can afford it why is it a problem?

Even in !!!!!! street there's a certain standard of living!

scroogey

If you go to your giving up clinic at docs you'll get 4 weeks of patches on one prescription (£6.40)

Turning_into_scrooge

Just because we're going bankrupt doesn't mean we can't have haircuts, clothes, basic sky and hobbies. If we can afford it why is it a problem?

Even in !!!!!! street there's a certain standard of living![/QUOTE]


I have been following your plight for some time time now even though i haven't posted before. I think considering all the stress you've got you're doing a great job and I agree with all you said above.

Debt_Free_Chick

Jumanji is right

Bankrupts are allowed to live and, indeed, are expected to produce a budget for living expenses to the OR. The OR will decide what is and is not reasonable. The OR will not insist that the budget only covers "essentials" and a certain amount of personal discretionary expenditure on stuff like Sky, tobacco etc will be tolerated - even expected.

The point of bankruptcy is to free those who cannot pay from the burden of debts that will never be settled. Bankrupts do not get a life sentence - in fact, bankruptcy is likely to last 12 months under the Enterprise Act 2004.

Mads13

Hi Jumanji

My heart goes out to you! We were made homeless about 4 years ago by our landlord-he wanted his property back as he said him and his wife had split. Our local council was very very slow too, but they offered us a flat the day we were evicted....talk about leaving it till the last minute :mad:

We pestered the homeless unit at the council daily and I think they got fed up of us, we also got our local MP involved and that did help with the housing situation. My advice is to keep pestering and harrasing them...what have you got to loose. I also suffer with severe mental health problems, I got letters from my GP, pschytriast, mental health nurse etc etc and took this all to the council too.

We were given a lovely 2 bed flat which we lived happily in for 2 years, then as my daughter is partially sighted the offered us a 2 bed semi :j as the flat was on a 1st floor and she had fallen down the concrete steps :eek:

I have never been bankrupt or been in a situation where it may be a possiblilty so I can not comment on that...sorry.

I wish you good luck, but please keep your chin up..life will get better..I promise!

Mads13
xxxx

WiseSteward_2

Hi Jumanji

I know your thread is primarily about Bankruptcy, and I have advised on that in several other post on this board so I wont duplicate, but just a comment re. the smoking issue.

Your local Health Care Trust will most likely run a Quit Smoking advice and support scheme. Your GP's surgery should have info. on it.

If you are getting any means-tested benefits, such as Income Support, prescriptions are free.

There's plenty of advice, help & support on the Internet. Just type Quit Smoking in the browser address bar and pess <Enter>.

Here are a few sites I've found which may be helpful:
Quit www.quit.org.uk
Quit Net www.quitnet.com
Quit Smoking STOP www.quit-smoking-stop.com

Very best wishes with everything, Graham B

downandout!

I have noticed you have mentioned on a couple of occasions that you do not wish to duplicate. Would it be possible if you could have a sticky thread with some brief tips and links on it. Having read through several of the threads on this board it appears certain points come up time and time again. i.e. referring individuals to national debtline and ccs online. Then you could simply just refer them to the sticky thread.

Just a thought

downandout!

Jumanji_2

scroogey wrote:

If you go to your giving up clinic at docs you'll get 4 weeks of patches on one prescription (£6.40)

I did not know that, will get my partner to make an appointment with the doctor. If we can get presciptions for free as well this will definately help us alot. Thank you very much.

downandout!

Jummanji,

My heart goes out to you. I really hope that in a few weeks time a huge chunk of your worries will be behind you and you can start to lead a somewhat normal life once again.

I don't think you should take offence to Walrus's comment. As they stated they only read the last page and were only making observations and I'm sure they didn't mean to touch a nerve. They obviously don't know the full story and YES you should still be allowed a certain amount of non-essentials. On several threads about cutting costs many folk have advised dropping sky tv or tobacco costs but their situation is different as this will be a temporary measure until their debts are sorted. I must admit I would have been inclined to say "is £20/month haircut costs necessary" but if this is allowable in the OR's budget then fill your boots.

Just thought I would post this as you will obviously be stressed and looking at your reply Walrus's comments obviously upset you. I am sure everyone is only trying to help and in the not so distant future I am sure you will be able to offer your words of wisdom to other unfortunate folk who will be in the mess you were once in.

Keep your chin up and all the best in the future.

downandout!

Jumanji_2

Thank you all very much for your support. I was quite worried, thinkint I was going to get backlash from my post.

There are people out there who believe that as we're going bankrupt, and not paying our debts therefore we don't deserve anything other then the bare essentials! And I have to admit it upsets me. We haven't killed anyone, we haven't plotted against the country. We're had bad luck and made a few mistakes and the result has been that financially we are going to have to start from scratch.

Because of this, the OR is giving us enough money for the essentials, and a few extras. Basically enough to live on. Then he/she is splitting almost in half what is left. The half they take will pay their fees and pay off some of the debt. The other half we spend on the other things we need, tv licence etc.

Having looked at it, we thought things were going to be really tight, but technically we're going to be better off! We've never budgeted for MOTs, Tax, Insurance etc because we've never had any money left to put away. We've had to really cut back the month coming up to when the payments are due. Now it will be, "Oh, the MOT is due, lets take the money out the MOT account/savings etc" - so we won't be struggling to make the large payments like that.