Not making ends meet

CoolBeans22

Galloglass said:

Check this out to see if either of you are entitled.
https://www.gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

Thank you.

natlie

CoolBeans22 said:

natlie said:

You should be eligible for some benefits, housing support or UC on such a low income and with high rent, have you checked? You may be able to reduce you electricity, we are 4 at home at the moment and paying £50 a month. Can you speak to your IVA provider to lower your payment or switch to a DMP?

We were told no to housing support prior to Covid, not sure if that will be different now so I could double check that.  The electric we can’t change until December, but we are currently on our cheapest tariff ever, please can I ask which electric company you are with?  We are on the lowest IVA payment but what is  DMP?

I'm surprised, definitely check again. I use Bulb for my energy we have a smart member so we only pay for what we use, if we have any credit in the account we can request a refund. A DMP is like an IVA and you can pay a lower amount but over a much longer timeframe - the IVA may be better for you depending on how much debt you have 

CoolBeans22

enthusiasticsaver said:

I assume the ISA should read IVA and is £106 each month? The additional debt should not have been taken on so the first thing you need to do is get rid of the catalogue and the card before your situation gets worse and contact them and stepchange to tell them you have been furloughed.  Any indication when you can return to work or does your health condition mean you are shielding?  You can ask for payment holiday at the moment due to the virus and your employment situation. A DMP is a debt management plan and again something you need to discuss with Stepchange.  

As many have said your problem, apart from the debt is lack of income so checking to see if you are eligible for PIP or universal credit may help.  Additional ways of earning could be delivery driver for Hermes/Just Eat etc , surveys, supermarket work etc etc but again your health may make that impossible.  

On the soa you can get rid of the clothing budget and just manage on what you have. You need something in emergency savings if you have pets and two cars, all of which have a tendency to cost money at the most inconvenient time.  Getting rid of one of the cars if you are able to would help.  Getting rid of pets is not something I would like to recommend as I know they are part of the family and the only reason I would say that is if the situation got desperate and you had to move.  Landlords do not like pets. 

The catalogue and card are not new debts, they are in my name whereas the IVA is only in my husbands name.  I desperately want to get rid of them, they have not been added to, just lowering slowly.  The APR is high but I can’t make an indent at the moment although I am paying £50 a month towards the card rather than the minimum £28.
i am shielding at the moment but hope to return to work in July, my employer is not open currently.  When I return though it will only be basic hours, no overtime which I used to get a lot.
We have SORN my car at the moment but I will need it back on the road again for my work.
We have already rehomed two cats which was living hell as animals are my life but we will not be rehoming the dogs unless it becomes in their best interest.

ryanm8655

You say you can’t get support with housing because you rent privately, that isn’t true. You may be entitled to some benefits to support you, have you put your income into a benefits calculator? PIP isn’t means tested so you may be able to claim for that depending on how your condition impacts you.

I see what you are saying about nannying children with a heart condition but don’t think you should preclude yourself so swiftly. Obviously I don’t know about your condition and I mean this as a positive but plenty of people work with health conditions. My grandma’s live in carer has health conditions herself and is in her 60s but still does a great job. Don’t write yourself off. 

Naomim

littlegreenparrot said:

Regarding the sewing and possible extra income - have you looked at etsy?

It's a website that allows crafters to sell on to the public. Don't know the ins and outs of using it as a seller, but definitely worth a look. 

Also worth advertising what you can do locally, my alterations lady works out of a small shop so has been closed for months, am missing her a lot!

There's also the app "Nextdoor" which I have discovered during lockdown.  It's similar to facebook but is for your local area. You can advertise on there, offer curtain alterations, cushion covers etc and don't forget all the local selling pages on FB and the FB Marketplace.  

Andyjflet

CoolBeans22 said:

Andyjflet said:

The problem here is income, you really are not earning enough to pay your four walls costs first and foremost. Your rent alone is over 40% of your income and here lies the problem, this should be around 25% or less.

Therefore, as drastic as it sounds you need to either move to a cheaper area where rent is £425 a month or increase your earnings. Sometimes you have to get out and build the income, I recently did Amazon for extra income and am making changes. 

We have downsized a couple of times as and when people have flown the nest.  We really need to boost our income.  Did you deliver for Amazon?

Yes Amazon flex, did £285 last month and £180 the month before, they pay on a weekly basis and a shift takes me no longer than 2 hours max, I find it easy work. If you earn over £1000 extra in a tax year you need to declare to HMRC

Malkytheheed

You say your husband houses to have a well paid managerial job? But now he is on minimum wage. Surely (even accounting for health problems) he can't find a better job? 

Also your rent is very high compared to your income. It would be different if it were a mortgage, you were 25 and lived in London. But I'm assuming that's not the case here. 

MikeD3

If you're paying £13.55 per month for your TV Licence it means you've already paid six months ahead. (The first 6 months of a new licence is charged at £27.12) Cancelling your direct debit for 6 months will give you a relief for other debts.

ryanm8655

MikeD3 said:

If you're paying £13.55 per month for your TV Licence it means you've already paid six months ahead. (The first 6 months of a new licence is charged at £27.12) Cancelling your direct debit for 6 months will give you a relief for other debts.

I’m assuming that’s a partially sighted discount? Though may be wrong since they both drive.

trex227

CoolBeans22 said:

annabanana82 said:

Do you need both mobile and landline? 
We have a landline included with the internet but don't use it, I pay £22.99 a month for this. 
Also mobiles, I know lots of people say sim only but not sure how much these are? I'm with Tesco mobile and pay £35 a month for 4 phones but you could get two smart phones for £15 a month.

We’re tied in to a contract at the moment for combined landline and internet.  We both have very basic mobile contracts which are basically so my husband and I can get hold of each other.  I have a rare heart condition and he likes to know that I can call him or for help if needed.  I hardly use it to be honest.

How long is your contract for? You pay double what we pay for landline, internet and mobiles  and if I really wanted to I could probably reduce it a bit further. We pay £25 for phone and fast unlimited broadband. And £22 for 2 x sim only 4gb data, 5000 texts, 1500 minutes (enough allowance to ensure we never go over).

Also your gas and electric, when are you in contract until? We pay £69 a month even though we both work from home and like to keep the house toasty in winter. What age is the house? Have you got a smart meter? We got one recently and it’s good to know what things cost to run.