money problems

kiciaaaa1

Hi this is really hard to write..we are a family of 4 two children me and my husband. He is working full time 25miles one way from our house. I only work one day a week and I am looking after my 2 year old daughter. We do not have family here or anyone who could help us. He is earning 1700 a month after paying rent all the bills and all the debs we are left with nothing. No food no petrol money no nothing. We are struggling and it looks like he will not be able next week to go to work he might loose his job.., we do not get nothing from universal credit. I am not sure what to do.....

74jax

What are you currently using to feed yourselves? How is he getting to work?

Maybe if you post all your outgoings we can help but 1700 for 2 adults and 2 children is doable - not great I appreciate - but doable.

Does that include tax credits / child benefit?

What is your income?

ThinkPink

Have you done a detailed breakdown of what you are spending? Is there anyway you can cut down on your shopping bill, have you checked you are getting the best deal for things like gas, electric? Could you get a really minimal mobile phone contract etc?

Can you not look into getting a job a few hours in the evening and or at the weekend?

kiciaaaa1

Thanks. So we did all our spending and income. We are needing an extra £300 which we do not have.
So he is earning 1700
Rent is 750
Council tax 139
We are already in debt with eon paying £25 a month
He car insurance 108 we tried to find cheaper but he is a new driver 2 years so nothing.
Car purchase 133
Santander loan 125
Hsbc loan 75 will finish next month
Phone bill for 2 people £50
Tv license £12
Internet £20
Where he is working he needs to cross the bridge which is costing us £12 a week
We are shopping in Lidl already.
We have got £50 left after paying for petrol.
I am trying to find a night time job but I can’t find nothing. We are 1 payment overdue on council tax already.

74jax

What are you shopping in lidl with? Your first post says you do not have enough for food, are you using a credit card?

Your first post says you do not have enough for petrol. Your 2nd says you have £50 left after petrol so I'm not sure what you mean.

You also have not said :
Are you claiming tax credits?
Do you get child benefit?
What is your salary?

I appreciate its scary, but to help we need all the facts.

What is the extra 300 for?

kiciaaaa1

I didn’t include the petrol money which we paying in Asda as is the cheapest. But he is doing 50 from work and back and is eating the money. He is smoking as well I tried to tell him to cut down I bough him a electric cigarette . We tried to sell most of the things we could but that’s it. Always at the end of the month there is nothing left. He is on UC but as a single person which I will go and try to change on Wednesday. He works different shifts patters that’s why is so hard for me to find any job and we do not have anyone to look after the children.

ditty1234

From somebody who doesn't know about universal credit it sounds like you should get a bit. Also check Child Benefit, also you can share your tax free allowance, which means you probably should not be paying tax at all as a couple. Also stop your debt payments until you figure out what to do, you need to get to work and to eat. It's easy to sell something on Facebook to get a few pennies and you will need to have an overhaul of your spending and post a soa on one of this forum. As suggested above look into getting a job, it is hard, but it does seem to be in the times. Hope you find a short and long term solution.

Hi you need to work through your tax arrangement and your universal credit application together, if you get regular shifts maybe on the weekends can your husband fit his shifts around your work pattern?
(Gas from asda is !!!!, I am sure I tried it once and my car started literally swearing at me, it doesn't get you great mileage.)
Can't your husband get some sort of frequent flier discount on bridge pass?

kiciaaaa1

We are getting child benefit every month 137. I said we would need extra £300 a month to survive.
This month not in this moment we got £280 left we need to pay £75 hsbc loan still £20 internet then £139 council tax. We will be left with £48 tomorrow that needs to last us till the 28th and we need food and petrol and bridge crossover money. I said we normally shop in Lidl but by tomorrow we would need to buy food but there will be no
Money.

kiciaaaa1

We as well got to
Pay credit card which is £250
And overdraft which is £400 we haven’t put any money towards this yet.

kiciaaaa1

My hubby works is not regular days off that’s why is so hard. I am
Looking for an evening job but it get nothing. We have marriage allowance but he is still paying tax.

Tigsteroonie

MSE has some great information about managing debts and living off a budget; and there is are forum boards where you can post a full list of your outgoings and have people suggest what you can claim and where you can make cuts.

Get the UC situation sorted out - you say he is on UC as a single person (which is wrong if you are a couple), has he declared your two children?

Go onto the Turn2Us website also, put in full details of your situation and income, it will help you work out if there is anything you can claim.

Well done on making the first step though, asking for help is always tricky. You're not alone, we're all here to help you