Get your facts first!

GrubbyGirl_2

sajamor said:

I thought it was coming out by direct debit and had gone out already. I had tried keeping my costs down since receiving Universal Credit. However, it is very difficult when a lot has gone automatically to the council for rent and to other creditors, costs keep going up and I had an unexpected expense. Budgeting is often very much easier in theory than in the practice I did undertake.

The shoes were less than £25 and I do most of my shopping at Aldi. I don't drink, smoke, have regular takeout food or coffees, buy magazines or often buy clothes. I do like to take responsibility for my money and my actions which I did make clear to the agent - I just don't feel anything justifies bullying and I've never resorted to it when I've been in customer services.

The problem is clearly you not keeping track of what you need to pay and are just looking at the bottom like of your account.  I suggest you make a list of everything that needs to be paid from your account each month and then take all bar £20 out as cash and ONLY use that for your day to day spending.  That way you'll know exactly how much money you have and you can even split or into individual days over the month.  Don't touch your bank account so you can be sure the money is in there to psy your bills.

I presume you have now paid so you're showing good will to the council?  And maybe a charity shop would have been a better place to buy some shoes?