make do and mend for tougher times

kidcat

Stiltwalker - these services are cut to the bone and just cannot keep up with the increase in demand, its appalling. DS14 has been waiting for an OT appointment (as an urgent case) since Feb and still not an sign of appointment yet. He is down for immediate urgent intervention and neuro analysis, as he is considered high risk for harming himself, that was in July still waiting. It makes me sick when the Govt talk about cuts to services being needed - these things are not functioning now, any more and they will cease to exist.

Had to cancel DS14 eye exam this morning, as the route we were taking had hour long tailbacks, we would never had made it there anywhere near in time, thankfully they rescheduled easily for half term week. DS14 was really upset at plans being changed though so ensued a meltdown.

Am now soaked through having walked with DD6 class around the area - no idea why they chose today, I can foresee many unhappy parents later when they receive sopping wet kids back at home time with no warning.

Thanks for the info on Costco cakes, OH has called to say one of his staff has a wife who works in the bakery there so he thinks she can organise it for us.

WeegieWumman

Re: Under occupation of rented properties.
I've seen Local Authorities insisting that reluctant prospective tenants who were in receipt of housing benefit should sign the lease on a property which was too big for their needs. The council knew that they could rely on receiving the rent when a tenant was on benefits.
Many local authorities are still in the process paying back huge 30 year loans on any upgrading work carried out on properties.

fuddle

The good sign, I guess, is that I can only bid for 2 and 3 bedroom properties for a family of 4. Are council's 'afraid' of this bedroom tax then? Are they now thinking 'we might not get our full quota here, oops'.

SpikyHedgehog

the_cake wrote: »

Well, my poorly little catto was put to sleep this morning, at home, peacefully, by a really kind and gentle sympathetic vet. It went just as I would have wished, and now my main feeling is one of relief, as I had been slowly saying my goodbyes to him for a few weeks.... I will miss him like mad, but in good time will be glad to give another rescue cat a happy home, as I still have his (large, stripey) brother, who will need a companion, and I know all the rescue places are full to bursting, and will only get worse this winter.
Love to all of you who are wrestling with far more challenging lives, you are such a help and support, as well as a source of useful (and occasionally useless!!) advice and hilarity, I really appreciate this thread every day. xxx the cake xxx

((the cake)) such a hard decision to have to make, but you know he'd had a good life with you.

emalou88 wrote: »

Afternoon all,

....

We have to pay maintenance for the flat. Now I can't whinge too much as I knew that when I took it on but was told it woud be around £1k a year and £150 ground rent.
However I get a bill in June and one at the end of December, in June they want near on £700 for 6 months! So I'm dreading Decembers bill - we are hoping to be in the house by then but I can't lump my Mum with a bill for that just because I decided to move out. So I'm trying to save every spare penny but we are currently £340 in credit with the gas and electric so I need to ring up and get that back.

Because of how much money my Dad's left my Mum with pensions and life insurance etc if Mum rent's out the flat she'll have to pay that much tax on it that there's no point in renting it out. The financial advisor has told her just to let someone live in it and for them to give her a 'token gift' each month for it.
So we are thinking of letting my best friend and her fiancee have it after they get married, until my brothers well enough for it.
Mind you with that maintence bill it's not going to be cheap is it if it continues to rise.

....

If the bill included half the ground rent, it wasn't that far off - £1,000/2= £500, £150/2=£75, so £500+£75=£575. £700-£575=£125 more than you were expecting to pay, but 'around' is such a vague term that it could well be exactly right. My brother in law pays maintenance & ground rent on his flat, as well as the mortgage, and it does end up being about what he'd have paid for a house - but he didn't want a house...

Anyway, however is living in the flat, they need to be paying your mum enough to cover the maintenance, ground rent, insurance, cost of repairing/replacing stuff, and the maintenance of things in the flat.

born_blonde wrote: »

Does anyone know anything about Sweet Chestnut trees and you don't get to say that very often.

I have a young tree - 6 yrs old but only produces tiny chestnuts which when opened are full of fluff.

Is it an age thing?

I think the ones that fall early are like this but riper ones will be ok, though it could be age...

kidcat

Technically Fuddle if you got a three bed place you would be under occupying until your girls were older, so if you needed to claim housing benefit you would also be hit with bedroom tax. Councils say that same sex children should share until age 16 or if one and one girl they can share until age 10 I think. That's at least how it works in our area and others nearby, not sure how it works under new proposals.

Pooky

I was reading an article (can't remember where) but it said that some councils/social housing groups are now going to be using two or five year leases so that they can then move people on when their needs change. They can't issue them retrospectivly but they will be asking people to consider moving to smaller properties if need be. And rightly so.

David Cameron was saying its unfair that people who are working and paying their way cannot afford to live alone in a three bed house but that the last government has allowed it to be possible for people to live rent free (with the use of benefits) in a larger than they need property. It's simply unfair.

The right to housing should be based purely on what you need and reviewed constantly.

I know that when my DDs leave home we will be downsizing to something more economical, more efficient to run and easier to maintain. Surely that's just logical?

Can't remember who was asking about hairdressing capes but I got one last year in the pound shop, was a pack with combs and scissors too, was worth the £1 for the cape alone but the scissors are actually pretty good too. I scalp DH once a month but make him sit on his shower stool in the bath, the cape keeps the worst off and the rest is easy to pick up from the bath, then it's just a case of hosing him down. He can't go to the barbers as he has muscular spasms/jerks that throw him backwards and the blokes at the barbers get nervy, I can see the spasms coming and take the clippers away before I cut something vital

kidcat

What a cop out, council houses for life were about a long time before the last government. Its been that way as far as I can remember. Does he really think everybody has such short term memories?

fuddle

Thanks for pointing that out Kidcat i didn't know that. I'll be bidding on 2 bedrooms then because we've needed to claim benefits once, who knows, we might just need the help again.

I think it's logical pooky too. I can't wait for a smaller property because it will mean less in heating costs at least. It may even mean less in council tax.

I was talking to one of my mammy friends at the gates tonight, she is also a bankrupt. I admitted too. So all my mammy friends now know I'm a bankrupt and I feel blergh. I feel like I've lost my self respect all over again. I'm really worried that other mums over heard and I'm village gossip. I feel all churned up inside.

Byatt

I have had to make the decision to rehome my goldfish. I no longer can afford to keep them and continue to give them environment they deserve. So, just phoned the pet shop and asked if they could help and thankfully they said yes and they would put them up for adoption. My oldest fish is 8 yrs old and has seen me through some tough times as well as rehoming to smaller tanks, started off in a lovely big tank and now is in a smaller one. I hope she will be happy where ever she is rehomed with lots of company. She lost her pal earlier this year and has not quite recovered. (I don't know if she's really a she). They promised she would not be used as a feeder fish, as I was worried her silvery scales, a sign of ageing, would mean no one would want her.

My pooch is quite poorly these days and so vet bills are high. Anyway, will take the fish in tomorrow.

Byatt

I've lived in all kinds of houses throughout my life, and remember saying on yet another move with parents at age 11, that wherever we went it would be home because we always made it feel that way. I wasn't normally so up myself! You take *you* wherever you go and a home can be made even in the most difficult conditions.

To misquote Hamlet , "I could be bound in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space..." Ignore the rest.

edit, Fuddle I no longer have a tv!! I did swap mine for a small one, but I've now changed my room around so I can look at the inglenook and realised I had no where to put tiny tv, so I'm not bothering at all. Will be interesting how long I last!! Well I'm using iplayer etc of course.