What will happen next April?

kingfisherblue

You might also want to post a Statement of Affairs on the Debtfree Wannabe board - you don't have to have any debt to ask for help there. £200 a month sounds a lot for two adults to spend on food. Some families live on that amount. I don't spend much more and there are three children plus myslef - but when I say children, one is 21 and the other two are 14 and 12. One of those is built like the proverbial brick toilet and has a good appetite, so I'm buying for three adult appetites and one child's, but spending about £70 a week when you include washing powder, loo rolls, cleaning stuff, etc.

You could also look at how much you are supporting your boyfriend. Do you pay for his mobile? Sky? His clothes and toiletries? If the answer is yes, then you need to point out to him that the OU is designed for studying whilst working or bringing up a family - and any job will do in thew current climate. It is also easier to get a job when you are already employed.

Don't take on all the worry yourself. Spell it out to your boyfriend that you are in this together and as such, you both need to contribute and to make savings where possible.

Froom2

Ah you guys are wonderful, thank you for being so constructive.

I will definitely spell things out to him. He really doesn't ask for much, he doesn't buy clothes, he doesn't go out at all, all I pay for is food and the odd fill up of the van, and the van insurance. The rest is things that I would be paying for myself regardless of if he was living with me.

One thing I did recently was sat him down (god I sound like a mother now) and ask him to write down what he owes me, my thinking being that I could write it all down but then he might not really understand that he owes me.
I may take this a step further and ask him further to write down everything that him not having a job has cost us, while reassuring him that I am not asking him to pay it all back. (I lent him money for his MOT, and have been paying his insurance, all of which I expect him to pay back, but I haven't counted things that I would have spent anyway).
I have been afraid of doing this, incase he freaks out... but then the sensible part of my mind thinks that he has to be able to deal with that. I need him to really understand how things are financially. It will be good education for him perhaps. And if he does freak out, then maybe he really isn't the right guy for me afterall.

Thank you again, for your responses!

~Froom~

DannyboyMidlands

If you have £600 a month spare from your wages alone and after supporting 2 people then you are doing really well in my opinion. No need for WTC. You could maybe even stretch to a bottle of beer every Friday.

Having said that if your rent is £300pcm, £400pcm in essential bills seems pretty high.

He need s to get a job. He can't expect to sponge off you.

lyniced

£600 spare!!!!!!!! £60 spare would be a bloomin miracle in our household. I seriously can't believe you are concerned. That's more than some people take home each month.

Mara69

Froom2 wrote: »

people work anything while studying...

Yep, I work full time and am studying at the OU. I think your boyfriend is being bloody unreasonable and it's time you put a rocket up his @rse.

pmlindyloo

Froom2 wrote: »

I'd like to apologise in advance for this rant. I'm horribly worried about the future and I just need to vent everything. I figure if I post it here, there is a chance that someone can point out any errors in my knowledge.

I earn 1149 a month. I live with my unemployed boyfriend, who is studying for a degree with the OU.
Currently we get £97 a week working tax credit. Essential bills including rent come to £700. Adding tv license internet, and the gold card that gives us breakdown cover, and allowing 200 a month for food (we don't usually use that much though!) takes it all to £950.

Currently that leaves me with about 600 spare each month, which is fine - more than enough. So I am saving as much as I can because....

Our rent is stupid cheap. We are very very lucky and have a superb landlord and on top of that only pay 300 a month. The average for where we live is 500 a month for a 1 bed flat.

Next year, our working tax credit will drop and virtually disappear because I will have had a year on 16.5k a year.

Now, as I tend to do, I am planning for a worst-case scenario here, basically 'What would happen if we had to move house for any reason, and my boyfriend still can't find work?' Which is actually possible because I'm only on a year fixed term contract.

Given that I'd be getting a maximum of about £10 a week WTC, and assuming I have to pay £500 a month in rent (I'm praying we wouldn't have to move further south), and still 200 a month in food, we'd literally have the £40 a month from the WTC left over. I'm not even counting the cost of diesel here.
If I get zero WTC, we'd have nothing left, and still wouldn't be eligible for any help because of my salary.

What the bleep am I supposed to do. I'm already on anti-depressants because of money stress from before I discovered WTC. I was crying when I found out I'd get WTC, it meant so much to me.
We do not live extravagantly. We hardly eat meat because it costs too much, we don't go out, we have a bottle of beer each every other friday or so as a treat, we don't get takeaways unless it's a treat, we don't go on elaborate holidays. We don't do anything. This does not feel like life. I am supposed to be able to save for a family and to have a little family home. I have a degree for crying out loud. So I don't know what will happen next April when I lose the WTC.

I know I am not entitled to anything - anything I do get is a bonus and I certainly do not take it for granted. But still, I feel like we are going to fall into a gap and it is very very hard, and I am really terrified of next April.

Unless there is something I'm missing? I'm really hoping that the man gets a job of course. Then things would be fine. But it has been six months, so I'm not counting on it.

Not going to repeat all the good advice but just want to say that I totally agree that you should not be supporting your boyfriend in this way:)

Second thing is - do post on the Debtfree wannabe board and also have a thorough read of this website. There are so many moneysaving ideas here.
For example one of the things that stood out for me was the gold card that gives you breakdown cover - look at Martin's spiel about this. I don't know how much you are paying for the gold card but if you are only using it for breakdown cover then you are paying way over the odds.

good luck!

Russe11

£97 a week WTC has to be wrong, I thought the maximum was 51.84?

Dunroamin

Froom2 wrote: »

A lack of job offers. But don't even get me started on that one, it isn't straight forwards and involves some pickiness and stubbornness on his part. Mostly, he is very unwilling to take advice. He is very proud. A plasterer by trade, and sadly it seems to be tough to get work of that kind currently in this area. I have tried to talk to him about it many times, and how he could get part time work in a bar or anything. Anything to help.
.

But not too proud to cadge off his girlfriend, is he?

Russe11

^yup the days of £1000 a week price work have gone, its day rate and £120 will what he will have to get used to taking.

Anubis_2

Next year, our working tax credit will drop and virtually disappear because I will have had a year on 16.5k a year.

Can you explain that one further? Do you mean next years will be based on 16.5k ?