On the brink, but still fighting

hummingbird

Hi uberfrugal,

I'm pretty sure you should be entitled to some help with your mortgage if you're on benefits - you need to ask your Jobcentre for a form - you get it from them not the mortgage company. You then send it to your mortgage company (or drop it into branch),they fill in details their end. It is for the interest not the capital but it will be a major part of your payment each month. The thing is the Jobcentre don't tend to tell you this when you sign on - they seem to wait until you ask them!! Did they ask you to give them all your mortgage details when you initially signed on? If so they should have something on their system about sending a form out you, so check this out!:money:

cynicalgit_2

Hang on in there buddy the only way is up.

hummingbird

Hi again, just to say the form you need is MI12 ( as in MI twelve) and you should be able to get it from reception at your jobcentre without arranging an appointment to get one. Why on earth they don't tell you these things right from the start is totally beyond me!

All the best with getting on top of the mortgage situation.

uberfrugal

I managed to sort out the problem of JSA payment over the phone and I got my money 2 days later. I was only able to pay just shy of 90% of my mortgage payment for this month though - for the first time ever. I'm expecting a phonecall from them once they realise. Its due to come out on Wednesday. Hopefully they won't ring Thursday or Friday because on Monday I'm due for my next payment - then I'll be able to pay the last 10%. I know this is wildly optimistic but that is all I can be.

Yes my electricity is a key and meter so no luck of not getting cut off. In fact, it goes into emergency if it runs out overnight at an increased rate of what feels like 1000%.
Electric costs me around £80 per month at the moment.

Here is a breakdown of my income/expenses per month:

Mortgage: £400
Electricity: £80

Everything else is optional, I include food in this too, since I have started to ration it and live off a budget of £20 per month. I have lost almost a stone in weight over the past 3 months.

Incomings: £440 per month.

That's it.

Doesn't take a mathematician to see that I'm spending more than I have coming in.
This is being eaten away and growing bigger every day. Since I have to spend money on public transport to get to job interviews etc, so I have less and less each month as my debt grows.
i was looking into housing benefit but I don't think that I'm eligible since I own my property with a mortgage - even given my circumstances, can somebody confirm/deny this?

Because I defaulted on my Wonga and Pounds2Pocket payday loans I am no longer eligible for them - which have really saved me at times over the past 4 months - even though I know I would be worse off in the long run.
I really don't know what to do now. I've had no luck on the job front and I'm seriously considering not paying my mortgage and risk losing my house. If I don't pay it for the next 2 months I may just have enough for a deposit + 1 months rent of a really small bedsit in time for Xmas. Either that or live on the streets or in a shelter.

I have taken into account all of the advice given to me here but I don't see any other option at the moment. If I were to get a job tomorrow it would be another month before I got paid. I think I'm passing the event horizon.

Toomuchdebt

Just a quick suggestion-Boots are taking on Christmas staff at the moment-and you can ask for an advance of wages if they take you on.Also I'm pretty sure you can get something that pays the interest on the mortgage...or can you convert your existing one to an interest only mortgage?

hummingbird

Hi uberfrugal, did you see my post a couple of items up about the form you get from your jobcentre reception for mortgage help?

Form MI 12 - you fill in the first half, your mortgage lender fills in the second half and returns it to the jobcentre for you. This will be a huge help.

BEAT_THE_DEBT

What about a mortgage holiday? Or interest only for a short while to give you some breathing space

LannieDuck

If you've started not eating in order to pay your mortgage, you need to get referred to a food bank. I believe CAB is one of the organisations who can do that, alternatively you could find your local food bank (http://www.trusselltrust.org/map) and ask them directly how to get referred.

As hummingbird says, you should be able to get help with the interest on your mortgage. This link suggests you're entitled if you're claiming JSA: https://www.gov.uk/support-for-mortgage-interest

Which field were you employed in previously? Perhaps you could advertise for some odd-jobs / pocket money while you're job hunting, e.g. music lessons, IT support, gardening, ironing.

You could put a notice in the local shops, or see if you can get some leaflets printed cheaply and post them through local addresses.

uberfrugal

This is an update since my last post.

I'm about to lose my house. After only managing to pay 90% of the mortgage for October I then could only afford around 65% for November, and this month, as of now, I have £9 in my bank account. The mortgage is due out on the 30th of £400.
I got letters from the bank warning me about repossession. I've had to sacrifice mortgage payments for food. I alienated myself over Xmas because I was ashamed that I couldn't buy anyone any gifts. I haven't told anyone of my debt.
I have decided not to pay my mortgage and just face the consequences. I'd be able to save £500 or so over the next two months which I could use to buy a cheap bedsit studio flat.
To make matters worse, Wonga randomly took £50 from my bank account yesterday - after having no contact with them for 4 weeks.
Actually, the payday lenders have been fairly reasonable until now.
I have £9 until Monday so could probably manage.
I have been to three job interviews since October and have applied for over 200. I didn't get any of them though. I'm desperate now but my mindset is changing. I've given up any attachment to my home I might have had.
If I live in a flat I can claim housing benefit too, which would give me about £600 per month total money (high estimate), which would see my debt gradually become reduced.
Does anybody know of emergency grants or similar I could try? Really is my last hope, although I've pretty much given up.

missindecisive

no advice but after reading your whole story I really hope someone comes along soon who can help you...