SOA Advice Needed please - Take 2

Smokey_Joe

Okay, in response to some of the questions in my original thread I'd like to add the following information.

Benefits Total made up of housing benefit, council tax benefit, severe disablement allowance, carers allowance, income support and disability living allowance (middle care & low mobility as well as high mobility and low care).

Housing Benefit covers 75% of the rent - 2 spare bedrooms.

Car expenses are diesel and motability payment (under other travel).

Groceries include food, cleaning & laundry materials (extra needed due to wife's incontinence), pet food & a small amount towards household maintenance & repairs.

As someone pointed out, the whole point of bankruptcy is to get a fresh start - not to try and live on a shoestring for the duration. It would be pointless to underestimate expenses if the end result means you go into more debt as a result.

For the record, I didn't ask to be afflicted by my illness, nor did my wife, and I fail to see why we should be punitively punished for not being able to work. If I was able to work, we'd have had a good standard of living and wouldn't be sticking date labels on everything every time we opened something in order to see how long it's lasting and in order to be able to budget housekeeping properly.

We ended up in such a mess partly through my illness (I'm bipolar), partly through a change in domestic circumstances (two teenagers leaving home and setting up their own homes), partly through trying to maintain payments on the debts we had and then juggling them onto interest free without cancelling the other cards. We took on too much, we didn't cut our cloth accordingly, but we did the best we could at the time.

Yes we've been naive - yes, we've been stupid - but have we been criminal - no - I don't think so.

For what it's worth - I have lived on nothing for weeks at a time in the past. In my twenties I went hungry for 3 weeks due to having no money, I used to hitch hike round the country to get a job, I was doing a degree when I was hospitalised for 9 months and had to drop out. I even went back to repeat the year but found it too much to cope with at the time. Every time I've approached my doctor's since with a view to getting a job I've been refused permission on the grounds they say I'm not well enough. So what am I supposed to do to improve our situation? We don't spend extravagantly but nor will I buy and survive on smartprice products (been there and done that in the past - 20 years on it's hardly my fault I'm still stuck for food money).

I'll re-emphasise it again - if I don't reply straight away it's because I have other (caring) commitments. I will be back, so please allow me time to answer this time. I will say that after reading the last thread my heart was both gladdened and saddened by the responses received - as I said - I'm fragile - please don't make me cry again. I'm only here for help as I don't know where else to turn right now.

<ORIGINAL POST>
My wife and I will both be filing for bankruptcy soon and were hoping someone might advise on the SOA below. Between us we have unsecured debt of around £47,000 and no assets. Any questions please ask and I will answer as soon as I can, other commitments may mean there's a delay in answering for which I apologise in advance. Please be gentle with me as I'm fragile right now. I'm not looking for judgement, merely for help and advice, so please play nice. Thanks for any help.

Statement of Affairs
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 0
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 0
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 1852
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 1852
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 389
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 86
Electricity............................. 48
Gas..................................... 48
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 32
Telephone (land line)................... 24
Mobile phone............................ 25
TV Licence.............................. 12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 27
Internet Services....................... 11
Groceries etc. ......................... 500
Clothing................................ 40
Petrol/diesel........................... 110
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 240
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 10
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 90
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 10
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 25
Haircuts................................ 20
Entertainment........................... 45
Holiday................................. 40
Emergency fund.......................... 20
Total monthly expenses.................. 1852

<END ORIGINAL POST>

PS - Thanks to Martin for his intervention in the last thread - there really is no need for all the nastiness displayed in some of these forums. It's a shame as I'm sure it puts people off posting - it's certainly made me think twice about posting again.

HappyMJ

As advised in the previous thread as you are totally reliant on benefits you will not be required to make any payments no matter what figures you put down.

PippaGirl_2

Smokey Joe, you don't need to justify yourself to anyone at all. No one can know anything about you from a forum post and only judgemental and ignorant people would jump to judgements and they are best ignored. My expenses are more because of disability, people who are able bodied have no clue tbh as to the cost this causes.

You won't get an IPA so relax as much as is possible. It took me a while after going BR before I could, but you will get there. New start on the way!

All the best.

sort_me_own_yard_out

I did apologise for getting caught up in it all. My intentions were to offer advice. As above really your SOA won't be of great relevance. If it was however birthday presents wouldn't be allowed nor would entertainment. But I would of put £60 for clothes.

I genuinely wish you all the best I am pleased you have come back to the forum as it does offer wonderful advice, help and support and thankfully the judgemental people are a small minority.

Good luck on your journey to a fresh start and apologies again for rising to people's narrow mindedness

exarmydreamer

Welcome, HappyMJ is correct in saying you do not need to provide an SOA to the OR for bankruptcy due to your income being solely benefits. I hope this is a relief to you and help can be accessed through CAB and other debt charities with a view to bankruptcy.

I fully understand your situation, I have 3 children with severe disabilities and I am retired from the Army with MS, spinal cord injuries,osteoarthritis and fibro. So yes, your costs are high and this is what I thought was the the case.

Also because your wife needs additional 'washing', needs, you may be able to get a discount on your water bill. They give this discount to disabled people who need additional water because of their individual needs.

I am very pleased to hear from you and hope my posts did not upset you, good luck to you and keep posting for lots of support and help.:)

tigerfeet2006

Good to see you back

As has been said as you are benefits then the SoA won't be to relevant. If you do want to make any adjustments then I would probably put clothes as £60 and holiday as £60 and adjust entertainment and presents down a bit but there isn't really any need if you don't want to.