SOA & getting on track with new income

Luckylucy

mixmastermike wrote: »

£400 a week on benefits? When you are both *able* to work? Scandalous! And a holiday in Korea?
Sorry, but I'm paying around £1500/month in tax/NI and we can't even afford a holiday in Bognor this year

Sorry this bothers you. Take the disability away by all means...

It's not a family holiday to Korea. I am paying to attend a summer school through my uni to *fingers crossed* get me a better job at the end of my degree. OH works hard at his uni course so he can get and maintain a job again in the future and watches the kids whilst I go out to work and also study full time. Isn't this a similar make up to 100s of families all over the country?

We both had full time jobs fairly recently, but sometimes life throws you a curveball and things change. I want nothing more than us to both have full time jobs again and a mortgage and we are, I hope working towards that. I'm not stupid I realise this income is daft partly why I get so stressed. I've rung and re rung to check it's correct. I've woken up in sweats from dreaming about some form of government swat team kicking the door in and arresting us for fraud. I've been in to the jobcentre to check...

It's not going to be there forever (I hope!) But whilst it is surely it makes sense to use it too improve our position for the future and access things that improve the situation quicker? That debt paid off and accessing the therapy that we are still on the waiting list for we might be able to access privately now?

I can't win, IF i'd have come on and done an SOA not working, I'd of been told to get a job, tax payers etc... I come on and I've got a job, studying for a degree and still get benefit bashed!

Out of curiosity what do you do/industry are you in to pay £1500 a month in tax/ni?

moneybuster

Luckylucy wrote: »

Sorry this bothers you. Take the disability away by all means...

It's not a family holiday to Korea. I am paying to attend a summer school through my uni to *fingers crossed* get me a better job at the end of my degree. OH works hard at his uni course so he can get and maintain a job again in the future and watches the kids whilst I go out to work and also study full time. Isn't this a similar make up to 100s of families all over the country?

We both had full time jobs fairly recently, but sometimes life throws you a curveball and things change. I want nothing more than us to both have full time jobs again and a mortgage and we are, I hope working towards that. I'm not stupid I realise this income is daft partly why I get so stressed. I've rung and re rung to check it's correct. I've woken up in sweats from dreaming about some form of government swat team kicking the door in and arresting us for fraud. I've been in to the jobcentre to check...

It's not going to be there forever (I hope!) But whilst it is surely it makes sense to use it too improve our position for the future and access things that improve the situation quicker? That debt paid off and accessing the therapy that we are still on the waiting list for we might be able to access privately now?

I can't win, IF i'd have come on and done an SOA not working, I'd of been told to get a job, tax payers etc... I come on and I've got a job, studying for a degree and still get benefit bashed!

Out of curiosity what do you do/industry are you in to pay £1500 a month in tax/ni?

Lucy I am not going to judge but some things just don't add up with what your posting.

Your other half being able to attempt to walk 8 miles to school and obviously achieving it for some of the week leaving him out of action the week after and fact that he can cook does cast a little doubt. I am assuming it's him who has the DLA award and SDP.

As DLA is made up of two things Mobility/care, what you've posted suggests he can do both, walking 8 miles at least once and cooking all be it baked spuds and spag bol, as well as looking after the children while you attend work uni, there are very special circumstances when DLA/PIP are awarded but when you mention not being like this forever ?.

You say you have been to the job center to check the claims out to see if they are right, so at some point that doubt has been there with you.


Because the DWP have raised the bar re-claims it's just a little odd, I know that if this ability was mentioned in the claim pack it would have been refused by a DM no questions because they look for every little thing to get out of support.

From my point of view I am not judging you just trying to make sense of your posts, are you sure everything is right.

haycorns

Lets keep on track helping the OP. If you read between the lines on some posts they clearly face some real difficulties that they don't wish to discuss here. This shouldn't be a do you deserve DLA or not discussion.It's been assessed that they qualify for it due to the difficulties they face. It may be that he has good times and bad times to deal with, and can function better on soem days than others.

Sounds like getting a nursery closer to home might help with the practicalities. If partner can make a basic mince recipe , at least you can freeze that and make shepherds pies etc. Slow cokker would be helpful too - chop it up and chuck it in recipes.

Uni courses if done properly can be quite demanding particualrly if you are working , so I agree the sky needs to go. How much longer are you in contract for the mobiles? Need to switch to PAYG when you can.

Also remeber that the student loan is just another debt. You'll be paying this off for years and there are two debts to pay as you are both at uni. Don't apply for it all in future years if you don't need it.

Luckylucy

I don't want to delve into the disability reasons, but yes we are eligible. It wasn't even us who thought about applying, we didn't do the form either someone came round and filled it in from social services. Maybe optimisticly I hope that the condition will improve or change to the point where we can be 'normal' again. If I didn't hope what would we have to keep going for? We get a lot of support from the university. OH was nominated for a studying through adversity award last year.

His degree is difficult (as they all are I think) and despite all the time off sick and difficulties we've faced he is still on track for a first class honours without ever asking for MIT circs.

The walking thing was once, he walked there dropped her off walked home and then couldn't move properly for over a week. It was just too much. That is the closest nursery to us. There is a pre school in the village but the hours don't work. All the childminders are full and the next nursery is about 3/4 a mile further into the town! But the furthest nursery does the after school club at my kid1 school?! But it's only till September then they are both at school so the pain in the bum faff in the morning turns into a lovely 5 minute walk!

We are good people who want our kids to have everything we didn't, studying to get our dream jobs so we can provide a future for us and them. I can honestly say if I had any idea what the world was going to throw at us.... But you just keep plodding along trying to do the best you can, it does seem mad trying to save so much for holidays or an emergency fund when there is debt to pay. I guess I just panicked that those experiences together meant more whilst we are all able.

I really don't want to explain myself further and I understand that people are rightly defensive of the money they pay in taxes being shelled out to people who don't deserve it. The reason I get so paranoid is because it didn't occur to us that we would get anything at the beginning and also I was under the impression that student finance counted as income so certainly wasn't expecting this scenario to happen. I am assured it is ok by the agencies I have spoken to based on the situation but you never know do you. It's all well and good these people telling me everything is fine so we relax a little bit and then suddenly it's not, no one in the 'know' will admit they said it's alright and your suddenly strung up and left in a right mess.

I am just parinoid. A lot of things are out of my control now and it's scary. Some times people say to me 'your only 24/25' and I just think blimey, am I really 24/25? I feel about 50!

Thanks for all the advice, I've taken it on board.

[Deleted User]

Luckylucy wrote: »

We are good people who want our kids to have everything we didn't

With all due respect, giving kids everything you didn't have, isn't necessarily a good thing.

Giving them what they need (eg. love and an education), rather than everything, helps them grow up properly.

You only have to look at the behaviour, of the offspring of some of the rich and famous, to see the effects of being given everything.

Newyorkdreams

Hi Lucy, please don't feel you have to explain yourself and why you/your OH qualifies for disability benefit - quite simply you don'thave to explain anything. You are clearly dealing with some difficult situations and in my opinion, should be appluaded for trying to better yourselves for the future (there are many lazy sods who don't lift a finger and who are very able). However, I can understand why people who are working full time and get no benefits are frustrated and angry (and jealous if the truth be known for some) when others can afford to do things which are seen as a luxury (e.g. holidays or getting in £1700 in benefit) when they can't, especially when they think the disability is not visible or deserving (and how people can determine this who are not medically qualified I have no idea). At the end of the day, you have not asked for this situation and as you say yourself have checked it many times to make sure it's correct, so take on board the helpful advice from the helpful folks on here and keep reaching for your goals.

NYD

rising_from_the_ashes

Hi Lucy - just wanted to say .... :T - a huge turnaround in less than 24 hours!:D

Being paid weekly and budgeting for things like annual things and trying to look at things over the longer term (not just until the next cheque arrives next week) is really hard - well done!

Best of luck with things - and agree with the petrol thing

I have a 15 mile round trip to the nearest fuel station :eek: and I really only go there on a Sat or Sun - luckily a tank does generally last me a week but if there's an extra trip, then it can be really touch & go :eek:

Having to do a 15 mile round trip just for fuel is a total waste so I now keep a fuel can (5 litres) that often is a life saver for the last day of the week - perfect!

moneybuster

My post was made with good intentions just as long as your 100% with the benefits, you even questioned your own status with the job center was correct, and I did feel that you were in a bit of a muddle at the start of the thread so I assumed other things could be adrift.

Anyway moving on..... it's about regimentation at first you must try to gather your husband and show him a light at the end of the financial tunnel but you can not do it alone it's a family thing everyone has a part to play, explaining to the children things may not come as easy till your out of the woods, keep a spending diary, and get that paperwork in order for the car to scrap, have you got an ebay account Car Parts are worth more if sold separately, shop smart work out a menu that your other half can cook, even if he meets you 1/3 of the way it's a help.


I will keep popping back to this thread to see how your doing good luck and god bless.

CharlieRabbit01

How does/would a big tree in the neighbours garden affect your contents?

(Genuine question not criticism)

Luckylucy

CharlieRabbit01 wrote: »

How does/would a big tree in the neighbours garden affect your contents?

(Genuine question not criticism)

I'm not sure but that was the only reason I could see it being so high because it's so close to the house in high winds if it fell it would trash the house (possibly?) I am just assuming that it is what it is because it asked me lots of questions about it even just looking for contents insurance.