Unable to pay last month of rent due to being forloughed

mrsmortgage

We've moved out of the house we used to rent. We ended our tenancy early, and there are early release fees. Our contract ends on the 15th of May, but new tenants move in the 1st. We're already out, so they can't evict us. Because of how the agency works, we still need to pay our last month of rent, they'll refund the two weeks, but also take their reletting fees from there. 

My husband has been forloughed so we have no income until the government pays him. We've paid our first mortgage payment and plan to ask to.go on a holiday for the following ones.

We really can't pay this last month of rent, we barely have any money left to pay for food.

What is the best course of action?

Thank you!

lisyloo

If you can’t pay it then you can’t pay and you should relax in the knowledge that the courts will take a very dim view of anyone pursuing you for this short term.

your best course of action would be to communicate with the agent/LL (whoever you normally communicate with) and tell them you have no money to pay this because of no income but it is your intention to pay back the arrears when you can.

if money is really tight generally then write a budget, prioritise and if needed ask for help on the dealing with debt board. You don’t need to be in debt for this but they are very good at helping with budgets.

your husband could consider looking for work at supermarkets, delivery driver, farm work as there are many workers required. I don't know if those jobs have been filled in the past few weeks but there was a huge need.

Slithery

lisyloo said:

your husband could consider looking for work at supermarkets, delivery driver, farm work as there are many workers required. I don't know if those jobs have been filled in the past few weeks but there was a huge need.

Nope. If your furloughed you're not allowed to take on another job.

Thrugelmir

Offer a repayment plan to settle the debt. 

anselld

Slithery said:
Nope. If your furloughed you're not allowed to take on another job.

Not true.  You cannot work for the employer who furloughed you but you can still work for another employer.

Slithery

Thanks for the correction.

lisyloo

Slithery said:

lisyloo said:

your husband could consider looking for work at supermarkets, delivery driver, farm work as there are many workers required. I don't know if those jobs have been filled in the past few weeks but there was a huge need.

Nope. If your furloughed you're not allowed to take on another job.

Thanks.
Depending on their circs I guess mrsmortgage might be able to work temporarily?

anselld

OP, if your husband is furloughed he is supposed to be paid on the normal PAYE dates at least 80% of his salary.  The employer may need to wait for the gov to reimburse but they are supposed to continue PAYE as normal until that happens. 
The government will not pay your husband, he will be paid by the employer as normal and the government will pay the employer.

General_Grant

Slithery said:

lisyloo said:

your husband could consider looking for work at supermarkets, delivery driver, farm work as there are many workers required. I don't know if those jobs have been filled in the past few weeks but there was a huge need.

Nope. If your furloughed you're not allowed to take on another job.

Do not believe that.  As long as he is not working for the same employer, he can work elsewhere unless there is an express term in his employment contract which reasonably prevents it. 
But being furloughed should still mean that he receives 80% of his normal pay and the employer should pay this even though they will not be reimbursed via HMRC for a while.  All depends on his employer of course.

mrsmortgage

His employer sent him an email saying that he can't take any other form of employment and that the government will pay him directly not them as their employer as they don't have the money to do so. They said the government will pay by the end of this month. I'm on maternity leave, so my one option is to go back to work FT, which we're currently considering, but we'd still have a a cash flow problem

General_Grant

mrsmortgage said:

His employer sent him an email saying that he can't take any other form of employment and that the government will pay him directly not them as their employer as they don't have the money to do so. They said the government will pay by the end of this month. I'm on maternity leave, so my one option is to go back to work FT, which we're currently considering, but we'd still have a a cash flow problem

The employer is not telling the truth.  The money for furloughed employees is to be paid by the employer and reclaimed from HMRC by them.    Do read the COVID-19-specific board at the top of the Forum listing.
This is either a totally incompetent employer or simply a deceitful one.
I suggest you explore claiming Universal Credit - but, quite frankly, I would ignore the "can't take any other form of employment" as they are not paying him.