Affordable Budget?

kindofagilr

Arnak wrote: »

Hi Folks,

PIP is not available once you are retired.

You may be entitled to Attendance Allowance though instead? https://www.gov.uk/attendance-allowance/overview

If you do become entitled to AA, I would recommend trying for Pension Credit again as we may pay a premium on top of Pension Credit rates for customer's in receipt of AA/DLA/PIP

Grumpelstiltskin

OP You keep answering your own question.


The house is too big for you, you can't afford to live in it. Well not carrying on as you are.


Borrowing more is not the answer, as we all keep saying you need to either increase your income or reduce your outgoings, or do both.


Do you heat the whole house in winter or just the rooms you use?


You still haven't put a SOA up so we are groping in the dark until we see exactly what your income and expenditure is.


We may seem hard but it does appear that you make excuses as to why you can't do more. Often just a person on the outside can see things from a distance you can't see from close up.


Oh if you are spending money on smoking make an appointment now to see your doctor to get help to stop.

curlytop12

It doesn't sound like you have a happy fulfilled life, and don't want to change things, so I guess borrowing more seems like your ideal answer, though I'm not sure who will lend you more with the state of your finances? I think selling up and renting would be easier.


It really could be sorted you know, but you have to want to follow through.


Do the SOA , make a budget , have the rooms not used on low heating, and the living room and bedroom on what you need.
look into getting a lodger or two. get some form of income.
Your GP can help with stopping smoking, that too has an effect on respiratory problems, as well as not being warm in winter..


like I said earlier, small steps- start by looking at you weekly spends and regular bills.

Anoneemoose

I have just really seen the comment about the temperatures and the thing that stood out to me was "I've already had one stroke and don't want another!!".......yet you smoke?:huh:

enthusiasticsaver

If your house is that big how come you only have £35k equity and how are you going to get a secured loan with reduced income and high debts. I am sorry but you are being really unrealistic. The more I hear the more I think selling up and renting is your only hope. If you post an soa as suggested we can suggest other things but you seem to reluctant to face the truth either about your finances or your health for that matter. Get some help to quit smoking.

haras_nosirrah

i don't think the op has had his lightbulb moment. you can't borrow your way out of debt it will never work. option 1 is increase income and reduce outgoings such as lodgers and shopping at lidl or aldi, option 2 is sell and rent and wipe the slate.

BrightLights14

some of the comments from the OP re stroke/smoke and not being worth carrying on, are to me indicative of fairly severe mental incapacity or, on the other hand a very good imagination.

This is a very insensitive comment. I agree that borrowing to get out of debt is a terrible idea, but in no way does having clinical depression and not wanting to go on constitute 'mental incapacity'. Mental illness has nothing to do with intelligence or capacity. Comments like that are unhelpful, offensive & frankly misinformed.

OP - I've been reading through your thread and I honestly think working with Stepchange to find a budget that suits you is the best option, bar selling the house. You could even try another one of the free charities, such as Payplan. I'm with them and my budget is reasonable. Good luck! (And please post an SOA so we can help!)

theoretica

Arnak wrote: »

We have all the insulation we can get so there is nothing more we can do as regards saving fuel unfortunately.

Have you had an assessment of your home for fuel use? If you have an inefficient boiler I have heard of schemes that help replace them if you are eligible. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-cavity-loft-insulation I have also heard of someone whose meter turned out to be wrong and was charging them for more than they used, and a gas leak found this way. Worth trying if you haven't.

Arnak

Hi,

Thanks for all the helpful posts.

For the others that seem to think that my mental problems make me mentally !!!!!! or have come from my imagination, well I would say something very harsh and would include several very basic Anglo Saxon phrases but I am not going to degrade myself by descending to their level.

Believe me or not that is up to you but I can assure you that I have suffered from Clinical depression for more than 25 years and have to take ill health redundancy from Highly Technical Computer post with Balfour Beatty.

That is a matter of record, I am also awaiting help from the Welsh Mental Health team, however in South Wales just don't hold your breath for that!

My medication is currently 300mg of Venlafaxine a day which still does not make a major difference to my mood swings and depression.

Smoking is an addiction as I am sure you are well aware but stopping smoking when you have severe depression is one step too far as it helps me get through the day.

I came on this forum as it advertised practical non judgemental help and while most of the advice has been eminently practical and well founded there are a very few posters who would have been much better to keep their opinions to themselves.

Far from helping they have successfully driven me off this part of the forum, so well done to them I hope they feel really proud off themselves?

Martin

Karonher

Arnak wrote: »

Hi,

I came on this forum as it advertised practical non judgemental help and while most of the advice has been eminently practical and well founded there are a very few posters who would have been much better to keep their opinions to themselves.

Far from helping they have successfully driven me off this part of the forum, so well done to them I hope they feel really proud off themselves?

Martin

You have been given a lot of good advice. If you choose to leave because of a couple of inappropriate posts that is clearly your choice. The people involved have been pulled up on this by others as well as you.

You can obviously stop posting or post an SOA and get even more help. I hope I am wrong but I will be surprised if this happens.

There are set amounts that DMP companies allow for specific categories and if you want their help you will have to accept that. If you put the maximum in then you may be able to swap money around.