Don't know where to go / what to do :-(

mandy250408

Hello, I am in a bit of a pickle at the moment and really dont know how to go about it. My saga is......... Sinlge mum, 48! My daughter has been at college for 3 years finished in July this year. When she became 19 in May this year. THe sh*t hit the fan cos, my financial world came crashing down, as in, housing benefit went down to single person, lost child tax credit, child benefit etc. And she tells me...Im pregnant mum :-(

So this is the situation.... I am now off sick by the doctors, have been for 2 months,( depression) get £71.00 per week, rent £750 pm. Get £43 per week HB. So just got lanlord to change tenancy to me renting a room also daughter got tenancy so now rent is £375 per month each. SO still too much and I have to move. Soooo, cant get council place, all be it went thru doctors with letter etc. Council say nope, no extra points for health. Cant save for a deposit.

I am at my wits end and feeling that I am unable to cope much longer.

Please, please, have anybody got any ideas they can throw in to the pot as I am so very desperate xxx

Fire_Fox

Probably best posting this on the Benefits board - isn't your daughter claiming JSA and aren't you both claiming council tax benefit? Why are you having to claim housing benefit on separate tenancy agreements for rooms and not a joint tenancy? Why are you not getting closer to the full amount of rent paid, has this been explained to you?
http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
http://www.shelter.org.uk/

V_Chic_Chick

When the baby is born, surely there will be CB etc. coming in, which will increase the income somewhat? I presume that your daughter is also getting a maternity grant etc.

tbs624

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

mandy - welcome As a newbie you may like to know that there is a function under your "User CP" which enables you to "ignore" , ie lock off some posters.

You mention being unable to save for a deposit - have you checked with your local Council, as many of them offer a bond guarantee to those on low incomes.

Have you tried contacting the local LL association to see if any of their members have a suitable property?

Are you getting decent support for recovery from your depression - both from your GP and elsewhere? You could try SANE and MIND for info on local help available to you.

As Firefox says, do also check that you getting the right benefits allocated to you.

Is the father of your daughter's unborn child sticking around to help support them?


EDITED TO ADD - good to see forum team promptly removing someone's post containing unnecessary comments . Clearly people other than me disliked it - I commented within this post on unpleasantness towards the newbie OP but had not reported it.

googler

tbs624 wrote: »

Is the father of your daughter's unborn child sticking around to help support them?

Yes, where's the CSA these days....?

princeofpounds

I just want to point out that my question about work was well-intentioned. In the sense that even relatively low-paid work would have the potential to improve your financial situation on the face of it (which is kind how it should be).

I'm sure that you ended up on benefits for valid reasons, but now that your child is responsible for herself that should leave you more free to look after yourself now.

Obviously it's hard to tell exactly how earning a wage will affect your HB and council tax situation without doing all the calculations , but it should still improve things. It may also get you out of the house and lift your mood too.

Trazy

Mandy, can't you reuse the deposit on your current house when you get it back? Does your current landlord have it in a protected scheme?

Okydoky25

Long term if you feel you are unable to work could you not look after your grandchild so your daughter can work?

Fire_Fox

PrinceofPounds the OP clearly indicated that a qualified medical professional has deemed them unable to work for the last two months - so must be moderate to major clinical depression. However well intentioned, suggesting someone with a diagnosed medical condition get a job is just ignorant. Disorders of mental health can be just as disabling as physical health complaints, in extreme cases requiring the patient to be sectioned. It is only mild clinical depression that would warrant such a comment and a GP would not normally sign someone off for that.

Okydoky25

To be fair on Princeofpounds and myself for that matter the OP in her original posts comes across as if life's been rosy until the last few months when her financial situation changed maybe contributing to the depression. If she was to find suitable work or my idea to stay at home so the daughter can work this may long term help with her medical problems?

Regarding not being able to get signed off with mild depression, not sure how true that is. I know of half a dozen colleagues / friends over the years get weeks to months off work with "depression or stress " when in fact they just haven't enjoyed their jobs. Not that I am accusing the OP just in my experience.

spitshine02

Hi,

really sorry to burst into a thread like this but just picked the first one.

Does anyone know how to start a new thread as i can't see anywhere
on the forums where it tells you.


Once again i'm very sorry for this