Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

FUDDLE you are the most honest woman I know and you have such a good understanding of what life really IS about, you've been through more unexpected and disruptive upheaval than most of us will ever know and still you have that 'family' driving force for you and yours. I'm absolutely delighted that you feel settled and those girls of yours will grow up rounded, grounded and balanced adults because of the life lessons you've all learned together. He Who Knows went to 17 different schools in his childhood, his parents were in the pub trade and his father was a difficult man so often 'moved on' and He Who Knows IS the most level headed, easy going and gentle man I've ever had the privilege to know, he loves home, is better at making the best of things than I'll ever be and holds my hand through all the difficulties I feel but he doesn't, because he's loyal and kind and loves me. Having one home throughout childhood has made not a jot of difference to me as my parents had an ongoing war with each other where the house was divided into two parts and my brother and I were the weapons that my mother chose to attack my father with, I hadn't really had much to do with him until she left when I was 19, when I did find Dad he was such a lovely man and my next best friend in the world to He Who Knows, they were very alike. It IS what you make it to actually create a settled home and for me, I can't speak for anyone else, it's not what the house is, what you have by way of posessions, where the place you live is that makes a house a home, it's the love provided to each other by the family that lives there that makes 'home'.

pineapple

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

If I had a car - I will admit I would be giving serious thought to making extra income by setting myself up in business as a professional House Hunter for people.

I used to think like that but I suspect such services now exist mainly for the top end of the market - offering a concierge type package of services.. Especially now that for common bods like me. there are sites like rightmove, where you can home in on properties meeting certain criteria in a jiffy.

Anyhow we were forecast heavy rain in this locality but it is heavy snow....
Talking of weather just saw a depressing infographic on where climate change is taking us. I'm a bit sceptical of how much man is contributing to this and even more sceptical of how far we can turn back the tide. If I was just starting out in life I would be heading for pastures new - especially if I lived in the Netherlands...
It was a concern to hear some spokesperson say 'coal is out' - just as I am about to fork out on the multifuel stove. . It won't happen overnight of course, but if they can create incentives for renewables, they can create disincentives for solid fuels. Pineapple can feel, in her waters, a new tax heading her way.

elona

pineapple

The house I am viewing has what is called a multifuel stove in one line and a wood burning stove in another. DD is suggesting if ir is multifuel she can help me source biofuel pellets. It also looks as if it has solar panels on the roof (will need to check if they have been bought by owners or if someone has rights over them).

Sadly there always seems to be a new tax coming our way!!!:eek:

moneyistooshorttomention

You've reminded me Pineapple that today's newspapers had an article in there re latest "pearls of wisdom" as to how the International Monetary Fund would like our country's finances run.

I zeroed in on the bit where they were suggesting that maybe the Single Person Council Tax Discount should be abolished:eek:. There was an accompanying comment to the effect of helping to incentivise people not to "under occupy" housing - it wasn't in quite those words, but that was the general gist of it.

That's got me concerned that my 75% of the Council Tax bill couples and families pay might get raised on me. I'm already screaming at having to pay more than half a couple!

This may well be a (very unsubtle) nudge towards single people that we really should forget about our right to live on our own if that's what we decide/what Fate decrees and haul in someone (anyone) else to live under our roof whether we like it or no.

Local Authorities would obviously be pleased for an excuse to get their hands on some more of our hard-earned dosh and I really don't like the underlying message (ie "If you have the temerity to live on your own - we will tax you for it").

Haven't single people got enough to put up with - with the much higher bills costs we have anyway?

Fingers crossed its just a bit of kite-flying and will sink without trace.

pineapple

Don't get me started on the expense of singledom. It's not my fault {well mostly not ) that my partner of 10 years fell for the allure of a junior member of staff or that single blokes seem to prefer someone younger, thinner and more attractive than them. Plus I don't know how you can underoccupy a teeny matchbox cottage like this. If I ever got a lodger we would end up VERY closely acquainted indeed...

mardatha

Remember a multi fuel burner will burn anything - my pal on a farm burns absolutely everything - household rubbish, old clothes, fallen wood, everything.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

When an mse'r over on the daydream fund thread wanted to move to Wales, they came on a weeks sight seeing trip to the potential areas they thought they would like to move too, then after that weeks trip they narrowed it down to a certain area..they then rented a place , to get to see what it was like to actually live in the area, while also spending more time in other villages etc.. They then bought a do'er upper, in an area where they had made friends and got used to the village ways etc. And fitted in before they bought their forever home

As fuddle said a home is about the people in and around your area, and fitting in with community life .. Of that particular area.

And as they said, they are sooo glad they done it that way, as the original place/ area they thought of moving to ( reading up and seeing estate agents descriptions etc) was not for them..

charlies-aunt

Hot on the heels of 'bedroom tax' . . . . the Grubberment have quietly shoo'ed in changes to Housing Benefit for Social Housing tenants making it damned near impossible for singletons on benefits/low wages to take a property.


At the moment, a single person renting a one bedroom tax isn't affected by the bedroom tax and if they are entitled to HB to cover the full rent.


For a single person taking a tenancy after March 2016 - there will be a big drop in April 2018 as HB will change to Local Housing Allowance for one room.


I work in Social Housing and currently the rent for our one bedroom flats is approx. £68.00 per week, the LHA is currently £53.00 per week - not difficult to see hard times and more homelessness ahead

Frugalsod

pineapple wrote: »

Talking of weather just saw a depressing infographic on where climate change is taking us. I'm a bit sceptical of how much man is contributing to this and even more sceptical of how far we can turn back the tide. If I was just starting out in life I would be heading for pastures new - especially if I lived in the Netherlands...
It was a concern to hear some spokesperson say 'coal is out' - just as I am about to fork out on the multifuel stove. . It won't happen overnight of course, but if they can create incentives for renewables, they can create disincentives for solid fuels. Pineapple can feel, in her waters, a new tax heading her way.

I do think man is responsible for climate change and likewise I doubt that the Paris talks will do anything significant about curtailing it. It is completely possible to reengineer our economy to a renewable one. It would not necessarily need subsidising renewables but taxing fossil fuels at a high enough level to get us to abandon fossil fuels.

Also if you can insulate your home to a high enough standard then you will not really need much fuel to heat it. A very well insulated home can be heated up solely by the bodies of the occupants depending on its size.

moneyistooshorttomention

charlies-aunt wrote: »

Hot on the heels of 'bedroom tax' . . . . the Grubberment have quietly shoo'ed in changes to Housing Benefit for Social Housing tenants making it damned near impossible for singletons on benefits/low wages to take a property.


At the moment, a single person renting a one bedroom tax isn't affected by the bedroom tax and if they are entitled to HB to cover the full rent.


For a single person taking a tenancy after March 2016 - there will be a big drop in April 2018 as HB will change to Local Housing Allowance for one room.


I work in Social Housing and currently the rent for our one bedroom flats is approx. £68.00 per week, the LHA is currently £53.00 per week - not difficult to see hard times and more homelessness ahead

Can I clarify on that as to the age of single person they mean?

I know there is this thing going on of not giving full housing benefit (ie enough housing benefit for a self-contained place) to a singleton until they get to 35 these days:eek:. Is this cut going to be in relation to those in the under 35 age group (bad enough and absolutely wrong) or to all singletons (over those 35 plus years old) - ie even worse?