Fel let down by the 'system'.......

TheConways

Some more practical ideas... Can you get a lodger into your house to help with housing costs? A student/summer worker might provide a little extra income - you can earn up to 4.5k without having to pay tax.

Mortgage - I think it's imperative that you keep up to date on this, because this will effect your credit rating when you want to get another mortgage in the future, and you'll end up paying a higher interest rate. Can you beg/borrow from family to tide you over? Also talk to your lender - some have a scheme where it's possible to defer mortgage payments for a period. If you let your lender know, they might be sympathetic.

Cancel gym memberships, any satellite TV, minimise mobile phones etc to save money.

Have a huge car boot sale and try and generate some extra money this way in the short term.

Good luck!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

As an aside, churning yourself up about what you think other people do or don't get is not going to make you feel any better or solve your immediate problems.


Life dependent upon the political whims of whoever wants to get votes, whilst being slapped with mean comments at every corner isn't the non stop party time some people seem to believe it is. I've worked and I've been dependent on benefits. Working is always easier.


Your energy needs to be used on how to economise, how your OH needs to find alternative employment, how to meet your mortgage and council tax. Not letting yourself think about how unfair it seems right now.


The Oldstyle board can help with cooking and cleaning tips, the DfW board can help with working out where you can cut down to make more money available to pay the mortgage.

It's ok. You've got through similar before. You can again.

Fire_Fox

Contact your mortgage company urgently and explain the change in circumstances, they can reduce your payments. You should also be able to claim for Council Tax Benefit immediately and support with the mortgage after three months. In the mean time use the money you were saving to move house/ redundancy payout to pay it. Pay the mortgage and council tax before other household bills, because missing these has the worst consequences (credit rating, repo, court). Definitely cancel every contract you possibly can.

There are a ton of threads on MSE about living for less, there used to be a £3K for a year challenge on Debt-free Wannabe for example. That was for an entire family, not including mortgage and council tax! There was also feed a family for a month on £100 and another thread about eating out of the storecupboard, these might have been on Old Style. Save money on your gas and electric by showering instead of bathing, turn the water off while you soap up, strip wash instead of bathing every day, kids share a shallow bath.

ETA: looks like you are already on a DMP? If so adjust this. Also looks like you live in a leasehold property with service charges? After three months you can claim benefits for this, I *think* it's the same system as claiming for mortgage payments but it *might* have been council tax.

j.e.j.

Smurtfet wrote: »

This year, I received a letter saying I owe them over £500 due to over payment!
Can you believe it.....? They pay me then say it's my fault!! I always provide the exact sums on my P60 each year.
Any ideas????

This is naughty, imo, and they shouldn't be allowed to do that but unfortunately it does seem to happen quite a lot. If someone has given them the correct information and THEY miscalculate it's down to them if they're then out of pocket. They should not be clawing back money from people who couldn't possibly have known they were being overpaid and hence have not budgetted for paying it back!!

You might get some advice about this over on the benefits board, (but a word of warning: while there are some people on there who are helpful, many others use it as a means for touting their views on benefits claimants, so be prepared just in case..!)

KxMx

I do appreciate your situation, and don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but if you didn't save when things were good for the bad times there is only yourself to blame for that part.

Also, do you really know this other woman's sitaution fully? I bet she assumes you have nothing to worry about- because you'd both been working she may have assumed you had a nice fat savings pot- or one of you is working so you can cut back and manage, see where i'm going here?

She could have a private income, rich parents, a succession of partners, huge child maintenece coming in etc. She could be using one of those sources to fund the bigger house you mention, or she may have been given it due to a need you don't know about.

Your household income has reduced, so your expenses must be reduced, it's quite simple. The tax-payer isn't there to top-up your lifestyle. Nor is it to support those who choose not to work, but as I said you don't fully know this other woman's situation to make it a "vs" argument.

If you do know more of her situation than you've posted then I apologise, as i'm going on what you've posted which is a bit vauge.

cottonhead

Thanks to all who have commented - some more helpful than others !
I have to say I find it surprising that some people are saying its my fault for not saving when the time were good. Yes I see your point, saving is the way to go if you are able but actually times have not been good enough yet that we have been able to save. We never have much left over but do manage to pay our bills which we are unable to do now.

KxMx - As for this other womans situation I do know all the details of it. Her house is paid for with housing benefit and she has plenty of child benefit / child tax credit and maintenance as she has 4 kids by 4 different men...... Im not suggesting she is rich but she certainly doenst struggle and what she does get she doenst work for. I cant see how anyone thinks that is fair. Im also not suggesting the tax payer ( ie me -) is there to 'top up my lifestyle'. I want to work ( I do work ) and not claim benefits. My point is how unfair the system is. If you try hard and go without you get no help whe you need it and if you chose to never lift a finger then the tax payer ( me ) has to provide for it.
I would be happy to have some wort of emergency tax credit and then have it deducted from my wages . I dont want handouts. Neither is it simple to reduce my outgoings. I have sucessfully negoitaited a reduction in mortgage payments but the other bills have to be paid. I cant reduce them any more. Im talking about essentials here not lavish meals out and holidays.

Theconways - we have a 1 bed flat so no room for us let alone a lodger but good idea.

Anyway I guess this struggle will make life seem easier once its over. I just feel angry at the whole inequality of it all.

FBaby

I can totally sympathise with your frustration. I was a single full-time working mum of 2, but after all my outgoings were paid for, I was worse off than my friend who was also a single mum of 2, but claimed all the benefits available to her. Life was really tough at the time and I felt bitter at times, but in the end, I knew that long term I would be better off.

Saying that, it is true that it is anyone's responsibility when they have a mortgage to insure themselves in case they lose their jobs. Even when I was a single mum and counting every penny, I paid monthly for my critical illness protection. I chose not to pay for mortgage protection in case of redundancy because I couldn't do both and even if made redundant which would be very unlikely for me, I would be covered for almost 18 months. I know it is hard to factor these in, but what has happened to you is the exact reason why it is worth the investment.

I know it is too late now, so no point in going on about it. I hope your husband will find a job quickly before you have to take drastic actions.

Fire_Fox

cottonhead wrote: »

Thanks to all who have commented - some more helpful than others !
I have to say I find it surprising that some people are saying its my fault for not saving when the time were good. Yes I see your point, saving is the way to go if you are able but actually times have not been good enough yet that we have been able to save. We never have much left over but do manage to pay our bills which we are unable to do now.

KxMx - As for this other womans situation I do know all the details of it. Her house is paid for with housing benefit and she has plenty of child benefit / child tax credit and maintenance as she has 4 kids by 4 different men...... Im not suggesting she is rich but she certainly doenst struggle and what she does get she doenst work for. I cant see how anyone thinks that is fair. Im also not suggesting the tax payer ( ie me -) is there to 'top up my lifestyle'. I want to work ( I do work ) and not claim benefits. My point is how unfair the system is. If you try hard and go without you get no help whe you need it and if you chose to never lift a finger then the tax payer ( me ) has to provide for it.
I would be happy to have some wort of emergency tax credit and then have it deducted from my wages . I dont want handouts. Neither is it simple to reduce my outgoings. I have sucessfully negoitaited a reduction in mortgage payments but the other bills have to be paid. I cant reduce them any more. Im talking about essentials here not lavish meals out and holidays.

Theconways - we have a 1 bed flat so no room for us let alone a lodger but good idea.

Anyway I guess this struggle will make life seem easier once its over. I just feel angry at the whole inequality of it all.

Anyone who pays taxes pays for services they cannot or do not use, that is how the system works. It isn't any more unequal than childless taxpayers funding pre and post natal care, kids health and their later education, the childless don't get child tax credits or child benefit and are rarely eligible for working tax credits. It's a lot tougher living on benefits as a singleton than it is for a family, and tougher as a leaseholder than a renter or freeholder. I assumed you had savings, since referred to moving 'soon' and were posting threads about expensive overseas holidays earlier this year.

jodielois

Hi just a quick reply.

I work for a mortgage lender and you need to get an mi12r form. In the meantime try get your mortgage interest only and then if you are approved the jobcentre send your mortgage company the form to fill in and interest will be paid. to be honest most of the time they end up actually paying more so you will go into credit as well.

Hope that's some help x