advice greatly appreciated

27hek

Hi,

hope this is the right place to post this. I am looking for advice and any help anyone can suggest. Me and my fiance live in accommodation on a caravan site in Scotland, we own the property but pay ground rent. I have a job that has been cut down from 25 hours an week to around 8 hours a week over three days so i am now earning approximately 50 quid a week, which is the cost of my rent a week. my work is also 20 miles away so i have to pay for fuel and insurance for my car.

My Fiance is a man with a van after trying for two years to get a job he decided to start his own business after he had some money left over from christmas employment. He is a hard worker, starting off as a handy man but sometimes too soft with prices, he often under charges little old women or men or friends or family of single mums......... and comes home with little profit if any. he has since worked on vehicle improving them, then swapping them for a bigger vehicle, again and again but this can be risky. The last swap he came home with a larger van but the diff is broken, a minimum of £200 repair.

He has been doing well with the man and the van and just starting to get constant work, good reviews and bringing home a reasonable profit. Unfortunately we are now all spent and struggling to find £200 to fix the van. we have sold half our belongings to fund the business and have the bare basics left that aren't worth much to anyone but us. we have no food in the house, we are supposed to be getting married in May but can't afford the marriage notice, we have probably gone about things all wrong and depended on my incoming to much. Any help greatly appreciated. any questions please feel free to ask

asajj

Are you getting all benefits you are entitled to?

Is there any way to find another job close to where you live or perhaps increase your working hours?

I appreciate it can be difficult but are you after advice to raise £200 or just general advice about how to turn your life around?

mummyyum

You need to up your income! If it is a holiday caravan site you live on, the season will just be beginning...see if they have any cleaning or checking jobs going. If it's not, put an advert in some shop windows and see if anyone needs a cleaner or someone to do their ironing or something like that. Ask around locally, even if you can get a few extra hours it would help...do anything for the time being while looking for something more permanent with longer hours. I have to add that I have no idea of the job situation where you are but I'm sure if you're proactive you could find something. Good luck

27hek

Hi, Thanks for your comments, I have been told my hours will increase in my job but they weren't supposed to decrease in the first place so i am nervous that they wont and it is getting to then, plus my hours are too erratic for second job. 20 miles isn't a lot of travelling to a job where i live, and i have been applying for every job possible but there just isn't that many in my area and i have been proactive about seeking work. I don't think i am entitled to any benefits, i am looking for advice to help improve the situation in anyway, i know that once we are past this bump in the road we can pick ourselves up so mostly its getting through the next few weeks. Its probably more daunting in my head than it really is..Thank you for any advice

Dr._Shoe

You might be able to get tax credits if nothing else and help towards your rent. If I were in your position I'd be down the local job centre plus to enquire.

geordie_joe

27hek wrote: »

I don't think i am entitled to any benefits, i am looking for advice to help improve the situation in anyway,

You won't know if you are entitled to benefits until you check. Use the link below then follow one of the links on that page to calculate if you are entitled to any benefits.

You can still try to improve your situation while receiving benefits.

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

27hek

Hi thanks for the benefits calculator, unfortunately it says that I'm not entitled to anything and i am too young for tax credits

culpepper

Have you got the internet?
You could do slicethepie and swagbucks for some extra dosh.
If you have an android phone, apptrailers is quick to pay into paypal

asajj

As suggested above, is there any way that you can offer some service at caravan park ?

I'd definitely go down to Job Centre to have a chat - even though calculator says no, it is worth it.

You can do an ironing service perhaps in the area ? https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/576177

You can also offer some pet and plant sitting in the area.

Also now elections coming, you both can register to count votes at your local council and see if you are selected? Not sure how this works but still can be tried.