Desperate help needed with grants n benefits

Tiddlywinks

4390evans wrote: »

In Comings Weekly
56 ctc
20 cb
90 jsa
=166

Out Goings Weekly ???
Rent £12
Tv fine £10 so your fine is £40 per month?
Tv £10 and your TV is another £40 per month?
£10 car insurance again is this then £40 pm
£35 gas (most of that is deducted for debt we are usually left with about 15) so, again are you saying gas is £140 per month?

we are usually left with about £23 after the debts are took out of my bank account. That goes on nappies and food, electricity does not get paid atm

£1600 for my energy bill is quite high, when I first claimed jsa I owed about 500 which we had the money in a savings for but that slowly dwindled on food gas and rent.

We only have floor boards down as earlier this year when the guy started work in a house that had been empty for years we started being flooded with mice and rats, we lifted the laminate so the council could get underneath as next door wasnt co-operating by the time we came to relay it it was a mess (dunno how long it had been down for as we didnt put it down) and the sides just broke off in our hands so it wouldnt connect or anything it was like soft cardboard. It wasnt bad at all though the summer as we thought we would have been sorted by winter.

Also someone mentioned xmas.......... that has been canceled in this house this year, my daughter is 3 (nappies are for bed time only) so she wont notice, and Ive told my son just to stay with his dad at xmas, we have nothing for them so I would rather he had a nice day down there than the dredge and misery here.

4390evans wrote: »

I have a fine to pay as I got caught without a tv licence, and the rest is the yearly licence. Wish we could afford a sky box lol

Sorry, but your figures are all over the place... until you work out a weekly and then a monthly budget you will never manage properly.

You quoted that those figures were weekly, I find that hard to believe... £40 for TV fine pm? £40 for TV itself - what's that for? £140 for gas? Really?

As to cancelling Christmas... of course a 3 yo knows it's Christmas. It's all over the TV, in the shops, the subject of conversations etc... I'm sure you could have done *something* for her.

You have to start taking control and accepting your part in this problem. It's your life - I know I sound harsh BUT stop acting like a victim - this is your life and you have choices.

The 'fine' you have to pay is because you CHOSE not to buy a TV licence - there is no excuse for that.

Your debts increased even though you were working at the time - again, you need to understand that you have to accept some personal resonsibility for this.

You were both working yet your partner had no winter clothes - how does that happen - having a warm coat is a BASIC necessity.

You're pregnant yet it wasn't planned.

You're never going to dig yourself out of this unless you start to get a grip of your life and accept that you have to take control... and that you have been part of the problem... and this is not meant to be a dig - just a wake up call.

Mara69

4390evans wrote: »

Ive been to see my doctor yesterday and he is going to help me out as much as possible as I took in pics of the house and he agrees its appalling that Im not being offered any kind of help with essential housing items.

I totally disagree with this. Quite apart from the fact that it won't do anyone any harm not to have carpet, why should it be the responsibility of anyone else that you have essential housing items? You chose to have children therefore it is your responsibility to make sure they have what they need and are living in decent conditions.

4390evans wrote: »

the kids have lived on noodles for about 3 weeks.

Personally, this, plus the fact you've admitted feeding your child a very poor diet (more, I think due to ignorance rather than poverty) makes me think that your Doctor should be involving social services.

bloomingflower

4390evans wrote: »

the kids have lived on noodles for about 3 weeks I just dont know what to do.

Mara69 wrote: »

Personally, this, plus the fact you've admitted feeding your child a very poor diet (more, I think due to ignorance rather than poverty) makes me think that your Doctor should be involving social services.

I am not quite sure about what you have said above...

When you delve into the situation a bit deeper it's actually not quite so unusual.

There are many families in certain cultures all around the world who eat nothing but noodles and rice as their staple food every single day with no meat or veg. That does not necessarily mean that it is a poor diet or being ignorant.

My older daughter has a Vietnamese friend who eats noodles every single day. Her mother cooks it everyday. The same with my younger daughter who has a Spanish friend who eats rice/Paella everyday. When I was a child I was looked after by an Italian family who ate nothing but pasta every day. This is what I was given every single day. My own mother cooked rice everyday too. Rice, noodles, pasta,and beans etc are also a cheap option when you have nothing else.

I am pretty sure that the social services were/are not involved in any of the above families. Including mine when I was a child.

ab.da54

Mara69 wrote: »

I totally disagree with this. Quite apart from the fact that it won't do anyone any harm not to have carpet, why should it be the responsibility of anyone else that you have essential housing items? You chose to have children therefore it is your responsibility to make sure they have what they need and are living in decent conditions.



Personally, this, plus the fact you've admitted feeding your child a very poor diet (more, I think due to ignorance rather than poverty) makes me think that your Doctor should be involving social services.

If the Dr did involve social services, it would only benefit the OP - and the child - as she could then access a food bank.

It's very possible the child's diet was not mentioned to the GP, though.

Tiddlywinks

bloomingflower wrote: »

There are many families in certain cultures all around the world who eat nothing but noodles and rice as their staple food every single day with no meat or veg. That does not necessarily mean that it is a poor diet or being ignorant.

But most people in other 'cultures' (unless in famine) who cook noodles will serve them with protein and veggies.

Noodles are a good source of carbs but they need to be served as part of a balanced diet - eating nothing but noodles (as suggested by the OP) is just wrong for any child....

The pre-prepared Pot Noodle / Super Noodles have salt and additives which won't be good for a child to eat everyday - it's OK as a 'once in a while' treat but everyday? Let's hope the OP means the plain noodle packs you get with nothing added.

It does suggest a lack of knowledge of good nutrition though - even beans on toast would be better than that - in fact beans / cheese / honey / egg / tinned tomatoes etc are great on toast and really healthy... so why no variety for the children?