Can I afford to live alone?

93123

PasturesNew wrote: »

Rent is just the start of it, as, by the sounds of it, you're going for somewhere self-contained.

You'll have council tax, electricity, gas, water, food, cleaning materials, loo roll all to pay for... before you even start to get to landline, internet, etc.

£366-£164 = £202.

Bills alone would be £100, council tax £100, food £100 ... for example.

No chance.

Where is the £164 from?

I won't have a landline and internet. Cleaning materials can last a month and can be bought from the pound shop. I may not have to pay council tax or at the very least I'll get a 25% discount. Food can cost me £70 a month if I budget shop. Will I have a chance now?

huckster

As far as I know, if you have less than £4k savings and are in receipt of JSA or ESA, you don't pay any council tax. Speak to your local council, before you move into any accommodation.

Think it may be advisable to book an appointment with your nearest Citizens Advice and they can advise you on all of this. They may be able to help with the ATOS assessment as well and arrange for someone to go with you. If you do your research online, you will see comments about ATOS just trying to get people off ESA, with very little concern for anything that your GP or Doctors have said previously.

Don't go making any decisions, until you have gone through this assessment process and know the outcome. They could take some benefits away and that will limit what options you have.

faerie~spangles

McKneff wrote: »

What was the first class honours degree in that you got from University

Could you find some work in that area.

Are you confused Mcneff?

93123
Can I afford to live alone?
I get £366 a month from DLA and ESA. I'm 18 and will be living alone so the LHA will give me about £216 (unless I get more for lower rate care and mobility DLA?) I'll need to make up about £134 as the rent is £350.

McKneff

faerie~spangles wrote: »

Are you confused Mcneff?

Yeeesssss:o silly moo (me, not you)

Doesnt take a lot these days:D

Ive deleted my post lol.

93123

Thanks for the comments. I'm a bit worried. I've never had a job and I have no experience. Now that I'll be coming off benefits (except DLA, and will go on Jobseekers at first) I will have to pay council tax I think. Unless I get that paid for me with Housing Benefit? I need to work out my bills and how much a job is likely to get me. With JSA and DLA I have 367.

Rent - £134 (HB will cover the rest, which is £216 - £350 in total)
Council tax - About £60
Food+shopping - £89
Bills - £90
Phone bill - £26
Bus fare - £20
Extras - £20

Total = 430

Ouch.

huckster

It is not true to say that if you go onto JSA that you start paying council tax. What you will have to do, is complete a form for your local council to assess your means of being able to pay. If you have income and savings below a certain level, you won't have to pay any. But on JSA, because you would have to sign on every fortnight, you would have to contact the council every so often to confirm that your circumstances have not changed. I am not sure how they do this. They may send you a declaration once a month to sign and send back, saying your position has not changed. Talk to your council and they will explain how the system works.

mattcanary

DWP inform the council automatically if you come off JSA. Until that time the council will assume you are claiming JSA and therefore eligible for Council tax Benefit and Housing Benefit

mattcanary

OP - I'd suggest also going on to the council housing register. Not to say you would get anywhere soon or even in the medium term future. But eventually you may well get somewhere through this avennue - and the rent would be a darn sight cheaper - as well as you not then being subject to the reduced HB rate for being under 25 years old.

I was on the council waiting list for around 4.5 years before I was accepted for a flat. I live in Norwich which has a pretty large council waiting list though - and I was in the lowest band of priority

paulwellerfan

OP. i have recently moved a care leaver into his own flat ( i know your not a care leaver but bear with me.
He is on income support as he is doing a college course.
He's 18 years old and recieves approx 56.pounds a week from the state.
i pay him £10.00 a week as a college incentive.
He does not have to pay any rent or council tax.

He does however have to pay gas, electric, water and his own food and other bills .
All in all he has to manage on approx 66.00 a week in total.
It can be done. Although it is hard.

innovate

Lincolnshire_Poacher wrote: »

PM me Im sure I can help you out someway. even if its just handing out flyers

It is highly inappropriate to make such an offer.

If you have a suggestion on how the OP can make money but cannot post this in public, your suggestion is most likely of a rather dubious nature.

I would strongly suggest the OP doesn't take up your offer, and I have reported your post.