Cost ofiving killing me open a credit card

Maxthomas4

Hiya everyone so basically abit of background I have chrons disease I'm 30 years old and have a six year old girl. So basically 2 years ago I got very ill and stopped working and had major surgery a ileostomy after that I couldn't work and got benefits eg lwrca and universal credit. But since my bills and rent have increased and I have spent my saving I literally do not have much food or any petrol to even start the car. I went to my local council and said please help they were useless and sent me to a food bank that were lovely but themselves struggling to give out food and I only got a bit. After everything I'm left with 57 pounds a month for food plus clothes petrol etc and finding it so hard with the little one.

Im so angry that I've worked hard for 14 years and always worked but unfortunately I cannot control my chrons and had to stop working and I literally get no support whatsoever i was crying in the council offices and they just handed me a leaflet! So do I open my first credit card and use it just for living expenses I dont really know what to do thank you.

MrFrugalFever

Opening up a credit card with just £57 left of disposable income per month is financially suicidal, as tempting as it may be.

You need to look at other routes and options to get the support you need. This could be starting with how to reduce your expenditure each month for example.

Sorry to hear of your medical condition, however, as with hybrid working going boom with thousands of employers with some allowing remote working 100% of the time, could you not find a computer based job that will pay a better income than benefits?

In a nutshell, a credit card is a very bad idea.

impoverishedtraveller

A credit card isn’t going to solve your problems - from the sounds of it having one will only only add to them. 

Look into making sure you’re claiming all the benefits you are entitled to.

Also… plenty of people with Crohns are in work.

eskbanker

As above, debt is unlikely to be the answer - you might wish to post over on the debt-free wannabe board with a statement of affairs illustrating your income and expenditure, and sympathetic posters there will point you in the right direction(s):

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/categories/debt-free-wannabe

https://www.lemonfool.co.uk/financecalculators/soa.php

D924

And then what happens in a few months when you've maxed out your credit and you also have interest payments on top of everything else? You will be in an even worse situation.

Your only viable long term solution is to cut costs down to the bare minimum for survival. Do you really need a car to survive, for example?

molerat

A credit card should only be held by someone who doesn't need one.

Brie

My concerns re the CC are as follows - first would you be able to get one?  The good news perhaps is that it will be very difficult.  The bad news is that if you are able to get one it's going to be one with a very very VERY high interest rate.  Now this isn't a problem if you can pay in full every month but it sounds like this will not be the case.  So you are likely to start being hit with interest rates of 30% or maybe much more.  And no interest free period at all as you didn't clear the previous month's balance.  And it's a downward spiral from there.  

So no, please don't get a CC.  Submit a SOA as suggested above and see where else we might be able to help.

Maxthomas4

Thank you but firstly I don't have any debt at all however I don't think that's going to last long at all. Firstly I have a constant NJ tube so cannot work I have to be attached and spend a lot of time in and out of hospital. Secondly I literally cannot cut my expenses any more I cut Netflix tv license etc. I have to have a car I need access to the hospital weekly for my stoma nurses I cannot travel by bus Incase my bag leaks or explodes and yes it has happened before. The car is very old but was gifted to me by a friend when she got an upgrade so apart from petrol I don't have any other expenses for the car 

Maxthomas4

Please don't assume I am choosing not to work I literally cannot it would be impossible who's going to employ someone that has to be attached to a stand 12 hours a day and has to empty a bag also have several days off a week to go to doctors. Stoma nurses. Gastro consultants. Plus have a 6 year old to navigate in all that aswell.

HampshireH

Maxthomas4 said:

Thank you but firstly I don't have any debt at all however I don't think that's going to last long at all. Firstly I have a constant NJ tube so cannot work I have to be attached and spend a lot of time in and out of hospital. Secondly I literally cannot cut my expenses any more I cut Netflix tv license etc. I have to have a car I need access to the hospital weekly for my stoma nurses I cannot travel by bus Incase my bag leaks or explodes and yes it has happened before. The car is very old but was gifted to me by a friend when she got an upgrade so apart from petrol I don't have any other expenses for the car 

Tax, MOT, Servicing and insurance? Probably costing between £400-600 a year?

But I understand the need for the car. If you do a SOA people can take a look at how they may be able to help out on the debt free forum

There are flexible working from home incomes out there which would support your current medicals needs

MEM62

Sorry to hear of your circumstances.  Debt will only add to your misery and give you another problem to solve.  I think another look at what support may be available to you is the key here.  The guys on the Benefits & Tax Credit board should be able to help.