No outgoings taken into consideration?

Chrissiew

Spamfree wrote: »

That is to INCLUDE money to pay your bills, not money left over after all your luxuries, debt payments utilities and food is paid for.

You get over THREE HUNDRED POUNDS a week, AND the free car. Seriously, what more do you think you are entitled to?

Some people are living on less than £70 a week for gods sake:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Don't get a free car, you can say it all you like, thump out your angry faces on your key board but you will always be wrong, I do not get a free car

Spamfree_2

Chrissiew wrote: »

Why exagerate to try and prove a point? No one in their right minds would spend £200 a week on utilities and even if they did they would expect the council to just allow for a reasonable use. If you had the top of the range sky and mobiles etc then you would have been able to afford such things in the beginning, fallen on hard times and then be expected to downgrade, I have (had) he basic package of sky, the free view service in our area is very sporadic and most people have sky to make up for this, I have a basic payg mobile, pay £10 per month credit for it, I don't feel this is unreasonable or a high amount, we got a loan and HP for furniture when my husband was earning more, sorry we couldn't see into the future to know things would go wrong.

As I've said over and over again I was putting my incomings and outgoings down to show what we had, I didn't expect to get called all sorts for it, yes I did think utility bills would be taken into consideration when applying for HB because I stupidly thought they were a basic human right and needed to survive, as many have said, this is not true and it doesn't matter if you have to sit in the dark with no heating or hot water as long as you can afford a loaf of bread and have a roof over your head.

After reports from my GP and the reasons why I need gas and electricity and a mobile, the council have indeed taken these bills into consideration.

But have you been in touch with the water board?

Dunroamin

Chrissiew wrote: »

we got a loan and HP for furniture when my husband was earning more, sorry we couldn't see into the future to know things would go wrong.

That's why many people take out an insurance policy when they take out credit.

Marisco

Chrissiew wrote: »

Why exagerate to try and prove a point? No one in their right minds would spend £200 a week on utilities and even if they did they would expect the council to just allow for a reasonable use. If you had the top of the range sky and mobiles etc then you would have been able to afford such things in the beginning, fallen on hard times and then be expected to downgrade, I have (had) he basic package of sky, the free view service in our area is very sporadic and most people have sky to make up for this, I have a basic payg mobile, pay £10 per month credit for it, I don't feel this is unreasonable or a high amount, we got a loan and HP for furniture when my husband was earning more, sorry we couldn't see into the future to know things would go wrong.

As I've said over and over again I was putting my incomings and outgoings down to show what we had, I didn't expect to get called all sorts for it, yes I did think utility bills would be taken into consideration when applying for HB because I stupidly thought they were a basic human right and needed to survive, as many have said, this is not true and it doesn't matter if you have to sit in the dark with no heating or hot water as long as you can afford a loaf of bread and have a roof over your head.

After reports from my GP and the reasons why I need gas and electricity and a mobile, the council have indeed taken these bills into consideration.

Which is considerably more than a lot of people have! And why did you not include all your other benefits in with it? Could it be because it would come to a lot more than £47 pw?

Marisco

Chrissiew wrote: »

Don't get a free car, you can say it all you like, thump out your angry faces on your key board but you will always be wrong, I do not get a free car

So your car comes out of your husbands' wages then?

sarahg1969

Chrissiew wrote: »

Why exagerate to try and prove a point? No one in their right minds would spend £200 a week on utilities and even if they did they would expect the council to just allow for a reasonable use. If you had the top of the range sky and mobiles etc then you would have been able to afford such things in the beginning, fallen on hard times and then be expected to downgrade, I have (had) he basic package of sky, the free view service in our area is very sporadic and most people have sky to make up for this, I have a basic payg mobile, pay £10 per month credit for it, I don't feel this is unreasonable or a high amount, we got a loan and HP for furniture when my husband was earning more, sorry we couldn't see into the future to know things would go wrong.

As I've said over and over again I was putting my incomings and outgoings down to show what we had, I didn't expect to get called all sorts for it, yes I did think utility bills would be taken into consideration when applying for HB because I stupidly thought they were a basic human right and needed to survive, as many have said, this is not true and it doesn't matter if you have to sit in the dark with no heating or hot water as long as you can afford a loaf of bread and have a roof over your head.

After reports from my GP and the reasons why I need gas and electricity and a mobile, the council have indeed taken these bills into consideration.

OP, my employers take no account of my outgoings. They just pay me what they pay me.

Re the HP - you have to take responsibility for that. You can't expect the DWP to pick up the slack because you didn't take account of what might happen in the future.

It might be an idea to get on to the debt board and post up an SOA, so the people on there can help you look at your finances a bit more closely and see where you can cut back sensibly.

Have you considered that it might be more economic to take the money instead of the Motability car (especially as you use it so little) and take lifts from friends and family, or use taxis or public transport when you need to get out. I've read the comments previously about getting rid of the car, and that people have jumped up and down saying you shouldn't have to, but if you sit down and work it out, it might work out better for you from a financial point of view, without causing you too much bother.

As for the other issues, the debt board should be of some assistance.

FBaby

sarahg1969 wrote: »

OP, my employers take no account of my outgoings. They just pay me what they pay me.

I think that sums it all up.

Spamfree_2

sarahg1969 wrote: »

OP, my employers take no account of my outgoings. They just pay me what they pay me.

It might be an idea to get on to the debt board and post up an SOA, so the people on there can help you look at your finances a bit more closely and see where you can cut back sensibly.

Have you considered that it might be more economic to take the money instead of the Motability car (especially as you use it so little) and take lifts from friends and family, or use taxis or public transport when you need to get out. I've read the comments previously about getting rid of the car, and that people have jumped up and down saying you shouldn't have to, but if you sit down and work it out, it might work out better for you from a financial point of view, without causing you too much bother.

As for the other issues, the debt board should be of some assistance.

That isn't what the OP wants to hear. She wants to keep the free car, instead of freeing up more than £300 a month that she could use to live on.

jolfc

when i had a morses loan many moons ago and struggled i came to an agreement to lower my weekly payments, could you try that. how many weeks do you have left on it, they may let you half your payments if you explain your circumstances. they were very good with me in my situation.

fishybusiness

Chrissie I have some sympathy with your situation, from the point of view of having to change how you think about money due to lowered income.

It is a tough deal, especially when you and your husband have been independent and find yourselves trying to claim benefits.

Looking at your first post, which I think defined your position, you could be £47 a week better off easily, but....you will be causing longer term issues with your loan and HP payments. That can't be helped IMHO as your priority is to live.

You have already been offered that advice elsewhere, and yes it would mean your credit score would plummet. That is the reality of your position.

You have the use of a car, so you can get around, something that a large number of people on low income do not have.

I have been told the law states a couple needs £112 a week to live on, take my £96 a week rent from that and it leaves £16 for food

Well, that is just plain wrong! The law states the £112 for food and utilities. That is doable, not nice, but surely doable (I've been there).

You can't take the rent money and just minus it from your living allowance, it does not work like that, other income or housing benefit would cover rent up to Local Housing Allowance levels. If there was no other income (as in unemployed) then housing benefit would be paid. As it is, you have other income. You want help, keep it real.

Oh, and btw, when myself and my partner were in this situation, we didn't have TV, as we couldn't afford a licence, we chose to have the Internet on, almost as an essential, and bought our food at the market on a Saturday afternoon because it was cheaper than any supermarket. We got by, and to be honest it taught me alot about life and money.