Running out of ideas

DayneD89

So I'm here because I've run out of options, and I'm praying that I'll be saved by someones miraculous idea. I'll be honest, I'm not expecting to be saved, but I'll try anything now.

A little over a year ago I started an apprenticeship in order to pursue my dream job and a high enough income to clear the debts i accumulated during the 8 years that i was homeless. 6 months ago me and my partner split up and i had to find admin fees, bond, etc. in order to not become homeless again, which was difficult as I was living on the end of my overdraft already.

Over the last 6 months I've just about managed to scrape by, but a few months ago I was late with a rent payment by a few weeks (my rent is due on the 14th and i get paid on the last working day of the month). My landlord told me I had up till December to catch up with rent or he'd give me my 30 days and id be evicted at the end of my 6 month contract on Jan 14th. I applied for and succeed in getting a second job however due to errors on the part of that employer my start date got pushed to the 21st Jan.

As i live paycheck to paycheck and the delays at the second job means i won't get paid from that in time to help this has meant that out of Novembers pay I needed to find both Novembers late rent as well as Decembers rent. At the end of November I was £140 into unplanned overdraft due to bank fees and charges. My rent is £375, but this month I needed to find £750. I make £16,200pa at the moment, but due to debts coming out before I see it I got £1004 last month. With the £110 remaining I paid the BT bill (phone, internet, tv and mobile sim) of £70 missed in November as without access to the internet I would be unable to complete my Christmas project for uni (as the project is building a website the internet is kinda required) and the rest will almost (but not quite) cover my bus fares to work this month.

Me and my ex share custody of our 2yo daughter, but she claims the child benefit so she is entitled to things like child tax credit (though she isn't claiming it) while I am not. According to turn2us I am not entitled to any benefits as a single person. My council says that they could provide a food bank parcel, however I'm unable to get to this as its only open 2 hours per week and I have been unable to get a day off work. Citizens advice are happy to offer general debt advice, but have no advice regarding how I survive the following few weeks. This week so far I have eaten a tin of beans, a plate of rice and a bag of crisps. I do have 2 tins of soup, 2 tins of beans and a loaf of bread, but I'm saving these for my daughter over the weekend. By Monday I'm unlikely to have gas or electric (though they can't turn off over the weekend). My MP has been unable to help as all they could offer would be to pick up the food from the food bank for me, but then their office would still be closed before i was home from work so i still couldn't pick it up.

Tl;dr I'm broke and trying to ensure I've tried all options before I risk my job by going shoplifting for food and nappies. If anyone has any other ideas of things i can do or people i can contact I'm all ears.

KatrinaWaves

I think you should have prioritised food for yourself and your child over the BT bill this month, you could have always caught up next month.

£16k isnt a particularly small income for one person, and your rent seems pretty reasonable.

Is there no one else who can go to the foodbank for you, as food is clearly the issue here.

Mojisola

DayneD89 wrote: »

Me and my ex share custody of our 2yo daughter, but she claims the child benefit so she is entitled to things like child tax credit (though she isn't claiming it) while I am not.

Would your ex let you change the CB to your name so that you can get the other benefits - you could offer to give her the CB back each month.

Alice_Holt

Some thoughts:

1) Is there no way to get time off in lieu / reschedule work hours to get to the foodbank. This must be better than shoplifting. Or take holiday.
2) Have you looked if there are any grants available. https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/
3) Are you able to get an advance from work?
4) Have you talked to your local Credit Union - some can offer loans at reasonable rates.
5) Phone stepchange and get Debt advice - https://www.stepchange.org/
6) Does your uni have a crisis fund?
7) Contact your water co / gas & electric co - some have assistance funds - https://www.britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/
8) Most councils have an emergency fund to prevent homelessness. Can you access this (perhaps with the help of CAB).

When you are over this immediate crisis, you need to get debt advice to reduce your current outgoings. See point 5.

pmlindyloo

Your problems are mainly due to debt so hopefully CAB has told you about stopping paying your creditors for non priority debt until your second job's wages come in and given you a letter to write to these creditors.

Your rent is paid so your priorities are electric/gas/council tax.

For all 3 you need to contact them and explain your position. Tell them that CAB is helping you with your debt problems and you need some breathing space. Both electric and gas should give you temporary credit - explain you have shared custody of your 2 yr old and she will be visiting at the weekend.

The council should be contacted about your council tax if you haven't the money as long as you pay any arrears later.

That leaves you with finding food so if food banks are not an option (next time they are open take up your MP's offer and have food delivered to a neighbour) then you can try

Borrowing money from friends and family
Advance from work paid back over time
Try local church for food parcel
Go to local pub and ask to collect glasses/wash up
Baby sitting for friend
Sell something - pawn shop/cash converters (use lunch time or ask a friend/family/neighbour to do this for you)

Hopefully others will have ideas

Carrieanne

I think in the OP's desperate situation I wouldn't shoplift but would commit another crime where the penalties are much lower and the chances of being collared is negligible. I'd visit the exit of my nearest large train station, or bus station at a push, and approach every lady, the older the better, for 50p or a pound towards my mythical fare. People make a good income doing that but most of it goes directly to drug dealers.

Alice_Holt

Mojisola wrote: »

Would your ex let you change the CB to your name so that you can get the other benefits - you could offer to give her the CB back each month.

Good point.
And in fact the CB and Child Tax Credits can be paid to different partners.
The OP should be able to make a claim for CTC if this is not being claimed by his ex, and the ex is happy with this arrangement (and he shares responsibility for his child).

Darksparkle

Child benefit doesn't entitle you to tax credits. If genuine 50/50 custody and she isn't already claiming then there's nothing to stop you.

BrassicWoman

1. have you spoken to Shelter for advice?
2. what town are you in, maybe there are additional ways to get help someone local will know?
3. credit union
4. ask agencies about rapid paying weekend work
5. what do you own that you can sell?
6. mosques often have hot food, know anyone who goes?

DayneD89

KatrinaWaves wrote: »

I think you should have prioritised food for yourself and your child over the BT bill this month, you could have always caught up next month.

£16k isnt a particularly small income for one person, and your rent seems pretty reasonable.

Is there no one else who can go to the foodbank for you, as food is clearly the issue here.

Well at the time I was expecting food banks to be an option, but as my deadline is right after Christmas I wouldn't have been able to catch up, I would have failed this year of my degree. I'm not sure what the effect would have been tbh.

Tbf 16k isn't, but I actually see just under 12k and pay a lot of bank charges. It also supports 1 and a half people.

That is a good tip, I have been trying to find someone for a few days but all the people I know I know through work xD

DayneD89

Mojisola wrote: »

Would your ex let you change the CB to your name so that you can get the other benefits - you could offer to give her the CB back each month.

While she isn't claiming the CTC at the moment her housing benefit is based on her having a dependent and so if she changed the CB over to me it wouldn't give me enough to replace her benefits income. Great idea though, really appreciate the help!