Where Do U Draw The Line And Say, Right I'd Be Better On The Dole?

LFCGUY

I've worked all my adult life (i'm 26 now) and been in debt all my adult life. My problems started at 18, I got a call from my bank asking if I wanted up upgrade my account, yes I said as I wanted a debt card, but along with the debt card arrived at credit card. Sure it only had a limit of £500 but when you worked full time and earned £55 a week and had to give your parents £30 a week it wasn't lon before temptation set in.

Anyway me and the wife are now in £15k's worth of debt, I only earn £180 a week and the wife looks after the children as she was a low paid worker and if she returned she would loss tax credit and we'd have to pay a child minder so would be worse off.

My pay goes every week on these bills, we have to shop in the reduced sections of supermarkets, we've never had a holiday, We've never been in a restaurant for dinner, we have no life at all,

I'm just sick of the whole damn situation, Add to that I got diagnosed with anxiety and depression 2 years ago due to this situation.

I'm proud and feel I need to work, but at the end of the day if we'd be better of on benefits would that not be the wise thing to do? I mean we'd get our rent paid for a start.

Any help appreciated?

Dithering_Dad

Hi LFCGUY, welcome to DFW! I'm sure some of the guys will be along soon to look at where you could make some changes to your outgoings to improve your cashflow, but I was wondering whether you could also increase your income. What do you do as a job? Is there any way you could gain additional qualifications/training in order to boost your earning power.

It sounds like your situation is getting you down and I've found that when I've felt like I was "stuck in a rut", there was nothing better than gaining new skills to put the spring back in my step, especially if it leads to a more interesting/better paid job.

LFCGUY

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

Hi LFCGUY, welcome to DFW! I'm sure some of the guys will be along soon to look at where you could make some changes to your outgoings to improve your cashflow, but I was wondering whether you could also increase your income. What do you do as a job? Is there any way you could gain additional qualifications/training in order to boost your earning power.

It sounds like your situation is getting you down and I've found that when I've felt like I was "stuck in a rut", there was nothing better than gaining new skills to put the spring back in my step, especially if it leads to a more interesting/better paid job.

The problem is I started at the bottom and have worked my way up, problem being when I got to the top so did the half of Poland and pay was cut to min wage, I make wooden fireplaces for a living.

I need a change in career but can't afford to if you know what I mean

pointypenguin

Sorry to hear your situation. Have you tried to find out if any help would be available for you to retrain for something else as sometimes there are schemes run by local authorities that allow you to study and work so you would still be able to make ends meet for a while until your new career started.

I do hope things get better and I am sure lots of helpful people will along with good advise shortly.

lynzpower

are you making sure you have all your tax credits and so forth 180 a week isnt a great deal is it?

LFCGUY

lynzpower wrote: »

are you making sure you have all your tax credits and so forth 180 a week isnt a great deal is it?

Yep £180 is just my pay, we get various tax credits, + another £11 or something from Sunday as the wifes due,

Pain in the !!!!!, you just get sick of the struggle, It would be nice to live for once instead of surviving, anyone else get like this?? It just gets to me now and again, you get paid on Friday, by Saturday you skint again and you've spent none of the money on yourself

lynzpower

post up your soa and lets see- im certain weve nevcer seen an soa where there are no savings to be made, honest.

CAFCGirl

Can I ask how many hours per week you work?

I dont have very many suggestions I'm afraid.
Is there any family members who could be able to help out with some childcare so that your wife could get a p/t job?

I would imagine that due to your wage you would ben entitled to some form of housing benefit?
I must confess I dont know much about the benefit system...apologies for that.

Have you contacted any of your creditors regarding payments? Or freezing interest for a period so you could make a dent into what you owe.

I was much like you when I got my first credit card, it was stupid and something I regret but I used it to make up for something that I wasn't getting somewhere else in my life.

Sorry I can't be much more help but everyone on the board will try their best xx

LFCGUY

Income - Per month

My pay = £720
Wifes Maternity Pay = £336
Tax Credits = £240
Child Benfit = £69

Total £1365

(My wifes figures as are accurate as I can be at the min as shes not home)

Outgoings Per Month

Rent £400
Electric £30
Food £150
Payplan £300
Phone £30
Mobiles £30
Playschool £100
Car Finance £180
Insurance £30
Tax £12
TV Lisence £12
AOL £15
Littlewoods £30
Anything else Bill related £20


Total £1339

Tashja

I think I read your wife is due anytime now ???

Have you applied for the Sure Start Maternity Grant. It is £500.00 which might help you a bit at the moment and with your income I think you would get the full lot.

Also have you looked at claiming back anny charges on your bank accounts and Credit Cards ???

T xx

LFCGUY

Tashja wrote: »

I think I read your wife is due anytime now ???

Have you applied for the Sure Start Maternity Grant. It is £500.00 which might help you a bit at the moment and with your income I think you would get the full lot.

Also have you looked at claiming back anny charges on your bank accounts and Credit Cards ???

T xx

We applied for it today:D Hopefully we get it!!

In the process of claiming back charges, Its a tight trying to get the court fees gathered up, its sort of a steel from Peter to pay Paul type of thing and in turn Peter isn't to happy about this:D But we're getting there!! And thats one of our major problems, Take Natwest for example, we owe them £250, but we worked out fees and they owe us £1300:D So we have a court claim filed just yesterday. Thats echoed through out our creditors, they owe us more than we owe them, yet the continue adding even more fees and interest on.