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4-6 weeks no pay - help??!!

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I am really really worried about my mum and dad, but especially my mum as she is the one who worries about money.

My dad is going in for an operation sometime in the next few months and as a result will be out of work for between 4-6 weeks! :eek: He is a self-employed window cleaner and normally takes home £250 a week. My mum works full time and they barely scape by when they have full money coming in, they have crazy debts, they don't own their house so not at risk of losing it, they have really awful credit, they can't even get a normal bank account.

So...what can they do? I have no idea, all I could do was swear and open my mouth really wide :eek: I didn't know what to say, I mean what the hell are they going to do? I am so worried. We are very much in debt ourselves so we cannot lend them any money.

You guys on here are miracles so I thought I would ask your advice. How can they pay their bills/rent/eat etc for 4-6 weeks with very little money?

My mum said that after all bills and essentials are paid they are left with about £30, that's when my dad is earning.
They don't buy clothes, they don't eat out, although they do have drinks in a pub once a week, they don't have a phone line, they don't have monthly contracts on mobiles so their outgoings are mainly:

rent of £50 a week
food shopping £30 ish a week
cigarettes £50 a week
alcohol £20 a week
council tax £80 a month
car payment £100 a month
catelogue £30 a month

That's all I know. Any ideas anyone? Can he claim any kind of benefit whilst out of work for medical reasons?

Thanks
My darling boy born December 2011

Comments

  • jayne.doe
    jayne.doe Posts: 543 Forumite
    Hi if your dad pays class 2 stamps for s/employed people he can claim incapacity in his own right. If has paid enough stamps in the last two tax yrs it wont matter about your mums earnings. Other than that they could claim incap and income support but this is means tested and will look at any of your mums earnings, so after the £10 they allow you to keep, everything else comes off pound for pound so doubt they would have anything at all. They need to contact housing benefit through their local council as well to see if they can help.
  • lxpeanut
    lxpeanut Posts: 8,728 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    You need to look into what benifits are available
    take a look atdirectgov
    find your nearest citizens advce bureau
    or talk to your council
    "You are entitled to your own opinions but not your own facts" - Arthur Schlesinger

    Proud to be have dealt with my debt :D Debt Free Sept 2012
  • katchambers
    katchambers Posts: 1,129 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    my dad hasn't paid tax for about 20 years so I guess he won't be getting any benefits! That's one of the reasons I was on here last week asking whether bankruptcy would clear his tax bill.
    My darling boy born December 2011

  • chivers1977
    chivers1977 Posts: 1,499 Forumite
    Is there any way that they can stop smoking via patches (for free from docs) and not go to the pub as dad will be incapiciated. that will save £280 per month!!! £50 per wk on cigarettes. Did you really mean that much????
    There are times when parenthood seems nothing but feeding the mouth that bites you Peter De Vries
    Debt free by 40 (27/11/2016)
  • the problem is katch with any benefits they will be means tested so they will look at your mums income. You could still try for a reduction in their rent and council tax coz of low income. They might qualify for that. I dont know but no harm in trying.
  • katchambers
    katchambers Posts: 1,129 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Well I was guessing with the cigarettes coz I'm not sure. My mum said dad smokes about 30 a day, and my mum about 15-20 so it's probably about right, pack of 20 costs £5 - I think? I don't smoke.

    My dad won't give up coz his dad died because he gave up smoking, but my mum wants to, but she said the patches are too expensive so i will look into getting them cheaper or free.

    Kat x
    My darling boy born December 2011

  • carolwat
    carolwat Posts: 757 Forumite
    you dad is self employed so when you say he hasnt paid tax do you mean he has a good accountant and doesnt need to pay any although he does declare his earnings or does he not bother and just keeps what he earns without declaring it. being self employed he should have declared this to the tax office and then he could pay the £2.10 per week national insurance and he would be entitled to benefits whilst he is on the sick. if he hasnt bothered and is working on the fiddle then its here to bite him in the bum now.

    i also agree with the other poster, if if it going to cause so much worry then surely stopping smoking will be easier. wish i had £50 per week to burn.

    i stopped smoking as i have better things to spend the money on and its the best thing i ever did.
  • roswell
    roswell Posts: 2,447 Forumite
    If they have "Crazy debts" and no assets why not go bankrupt ??
    If it doesnt pay rent sell it.
    Mortgage - £2,000
    Updated - November 2012
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