income based jobseekers allowance

tricklesthegreek

No, you are not some sort of know it all, what you don't know is I've already cut back £210 a month worth of stuff and can't physically cut any more!! I'd request that you stop posting now because you are clearly out to wind me up and you are not going to get anywhere with your high and mighty attitude. I'm looking for advice to get extra money in as I have already made all the cuts that I can. And yes, things could be worse. You don't need to tell me as I have an uncle in Greece who has lost EVERYTHING because of their situation out there so don't go telling me that I need to face facts as I certainly am aware. I thought this board was about offering people 'actual' advice that they could use and not make a running commentary and start saying "well isn't she lucky on £442 a week". Yes, lucky if it pays our bills, but as it doesn't then that's why I came on here in the first place!!!!!

So your answer to everyone is 'yep, move to another area as soon as something happens with a job'? not always viable for everyone, we are in a tenancy contract until the summer which can't be broken, and as explained we actually moved to this area to be closer to a parent that needs daily care.

Hang on, not sure why I feel I need to explain myself to someone who is clearly not getting the idea of being supportive on this board. Anyone who wishes to post needs to offer some actually useful advice (like the HMRC, car-sharing, tutoring posts from people) rather than trying to understand why we are stressed out about money and tell us we shouldn't be!!!

Blackpool_Saver

I think you should post an SOA

sniggings

I have just seen your post saying your rent around £240 a week, this is the reason for your problems and I do understand it is not your fault.

But maybe the answer is not your partner finding a job as then you will be reliant on a two income household, which as you say £70 a week extra will only break even, so his wage will have to be a fair amount to give you a good standard of living, and pay for any kids extra.

If moving not an option? even aboard? again I understand the situation but only feel like his getting a job will not really fix the real situation which is high rents.

Say he was to get a job for £300 a week, take £70 off to break even that leaves £230 a week without his work expenses, travel etc, it seems a crazy situation (not your fault) that a household bringing in £742 a week would only have around £200 left after expenses.

I do wonder how teacher in London etc manage, the situation is getting/out of control now and rent controls need to be brought in as wages will never raise enough to pay these rents but I guess that would lower the Tories house prices so is never going to happen.

tricklesthegreek

I think it's the rent that is the killer. But if there's anything that anyone else can see per month I would be interested to hear how to cut them down because I've called the companies and they say 'oh well, you are in a contract, once you are out then you can cancel down'. Would gladly ditch Sky and go Freeview and gladly reduce my mobile bills. Water bill we are on the case as we are in a metered house. Gas and elec we still haven't turned the heating on yet but have electric cooker etc so can't do much about that. Pet food I've cut down from £50 to £25 and it's diddums if they don't like it. We discussed rehoming them but we want to avoid that scenario until it becomes a last resort.

950 rent
139 c tax
90 gas elec
65 water
30 car tax (both cars)
200 food
31.5 Sky (can't cancel as mid contract)
12 TV licence
22 talktalk
44 Vodafone (can't cancel until May)
16 Vodafone - husbands phone
10 MOT bill saving
72 car ins for both cars per month
42 house ins
50 husbands petrol
25 pet food
100 parent's shopping/medical supplies
17 AA
7.5 ATL union membership
130 petrol
10 Student loans overpayment repayment agreement

tricklesthegreek

Sniggings - appreciate your much more understanding tone in your last post. Thankyou.
I have said to him about moving abroad as my degree is in German so we could live there quite easily, but my husband is so dead against it at present - I think for him it is a last case resort. Because my dad suffers badly with his spine (short story, it's crumbling so he is pretty much wheelchair bound now) we moved closer to the area. Our rent in our previous house was £300 a month cheaper but the cost of driving back and forth not to mention the time on the road was killing us both so we decided mid year to move to be nearer to them.

As you say it is rents that kill. I wish to god that we could be in a household where we can rely on one wage and then the other wage is just for laughs.

I'm trying to talk to my headteacher about a promotion to middle management but that wouldn't be able to be acted upon until next year at the earliest - I'm putting in all the hours under the sun to make myself a good candidate as that would mean we could afford one person working. But as you say, if a kid came along - which to be honest we know may never happen because cost of living is ridiculous - then we would be in trouble unless he worked, and then comes all the issue with childcare costs which would negate any earnings he would make.

Rent control is in effect in Germany and it is fantastic, people can rent for 5-10 years and have no stresses, do what they want to the properties, and only a select few actually own houses. Why it hasn't happened here yet I have no idea because private renters are getting screwed. As you say it's ridiculous that someone on my salary shouldn't be able to live comfortably, but as soon as you look at my SOA you can see we aren't frivolous and spending money on booze fags and parties, so it's rather frightening to think that a nearly £30k salary is all going on bills. Ridiculous.

It just makes me angry for being a fool and trusting my ex because if I had never done that then I would have never had to go BR and if I was clever enough to put my name on the mortgage I may at least have had a fighting chance. We all make mistakes I guess, especially when someone has brainwashed you for 7 years and bashed you into submission. Ashamed of the person that I was and ashamed that it has possibly messed things up for my husbands and I's finances now.

sniggings

I know I can come across as harsh but try and stay this side of "nice".

I was just seeing your posts as wanting people to agree with you instead of offering help, as you say most of your bills are fixed and can not be broken, you saying you had cut back as much as possible and your partner was looking for a job, didn't really leave many options but to suggest moving, so I dived in there, maybe I should be better at reading between the lines and seen that the main thing you were after was a friendly shoulder

Anyway, I really hope you can sort this, Germany sounds an ideal option, cheap fights back here for visits, cheaper way of life and most Germans speak excellent English, sad to say but moving does seem to be the answer, to Germany or elsewhere in the UK, a shame really.

My advice would be to check your contracts to see if they can be broken, or some mobile contracts can be downgraded if you can't afford them, maybe a charge will be payable but it may still be worth while, I have Freesat and do not miss Sky, I have also just applied for and been accepted on the warmer homes scheme, most of the big 6 take part, check with your electric supplier what their conditions are, I got it for being on JSA so maybe your partner might get it ,its £130 off your winter bill, not much but it does help. a long shot as he is on cont JSA but i think the electric companies make on the deal so are not to hot on who gets on the scheme,you never know, also not sure if you are on a metre as it does seem high but if not thats a good move too, also if your not allowed a metre because of your landlord there is a discount the water company has to give you to make up for not being allowed a meter, I could say your gas seems high but I guess you know that and are either doing something about it or it's as low as it can get, I will now stop as |I feel I'm teaching the teacher who doesn't need the lesson :beer:

tricklesthegreek

Not at all, I'm open for suggestions but I just hope people understand its not like we are being spendthrifts and want to maintain a champagne lifestyle. I think we are particularly upset because my husband only started the job in July and after six weeks of being told he was doing an amazing job they called him in the office and said sorry we don't need you- after leaving a permanent job he had been in for three years as he had seen it as an opportunity for career progression. Just sucks how quickly things turn!! Wouldn't mind just can't understand why he can't even get a part time job as he's more than capable and as you said just need some friendly shoulders to advise why.
Thank you for being on the nicer side now as it does help!!

tricklesthegreek

I'll certainly try again with the mobile contract as my one is a lot-as you say though when we were a two person wage it wasn't a problem as he was on 22k. Water I'll look into the discount ing, we have hassled the landlord to ask to have a meter but it's waiting for them to communicate it. Would you be able to send me a link about the warmer homes scheme? I'm up for anything really! I just wish my dads health was better because then I would be more pushy about leaving for Germany. I love it there, loved there for a year as part of my degree in Potsdam. Gas and elec we have been battling for ages to get it down and switched from British gas to eon but still seems to be daft money!!!

sniggings

sure here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/Benefits/BenefitsInRetirement/DG_185940?CID=PRP&PLA=url_mon&CRE=warm_home

and this link shows who takes part and links to their sites
(don't worry it's not just for old people)

http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/funding/whds/whd_broader/whd_broader.aspx

tricklesthegreek

Appreciate that but having looked they say you need to be on income based Jsa. Thanks for suggesting it ough, anything like that helps. I've registered on people per hour and text workers for pulling in some writing work too. I'm willing to do what I can as well to bring in work but as you say there is a bigger problem in rent. Shall we start a rent control campaign and bash these Tories into actually helping anyone who is not so rich that they crap money??