It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

floss2 · 22 July 2010 at 9:52PM

csarina wrote: »

We had to make new wills when we moved to Scotland, our English ones are not valid in Scotland.

Ooh, didn't know that - useful bit of info if we decide to head for the hills as OH has been planning for years!

floss2 · 22 July 2010 at 9:59PM

katholicos wrote: »

.... I have had people looking down their noses at me because of where i come from and been told to my face (on more than one occassion) that people who live on council estates are robbers, dole dossers, junkies or 'prozzies'.....

I have had that prejudice - the estate where my mum lived for 30 years went through reputations over those years from "idyllic" to "like Beirut" and back again - my kids & I were slated for accepting a HA home there, but we loved it.

In the town where I now live, several of our councillors live on the "sink" estates of council / ex-council homes, and in my previous home town a chap who started as a councillor, went onto be come an MP and then an MEP lived 2 roads away from us during the 15-year long "like Beirut" period whilst serving the townsfolk in office.

mardatha · 22 July 2010 at 10:04PM

It's what is inside your head that matters in life - not what's outside your window

ginnyknit · 22 July 2010 at 10:28PM

You are so right Mardatha, for years I have longed for the country cottage but had to accept I ain't goin now where so I bit the bullet and got on with it. I am living on council estate in Manchester, most of the neighbours drive us crazy the rest just ignore us but we pull up the virtual drawbridge and s*d the lot of them. Meanwhile near bye we have good supportive friends who just about understand us but definately appreciate us. Hope fully soon Dd will have a house near by and use all the skills I have taught her and all the advice I have gleaned from you guys. Also friendship is not limited by distance, nor is support so I have a wide range of friends through the pc who I love being just a click away from.:beer:

Nargleblast · 23 July 2010 at 4:26AM

Good morning everyone! I am heading towards the end of a night shift, just a couple of hours to go. There is a fantastic sky out there, all pink-streaked and glowing, heralding the promise of a glorious day. Right now, I don't need loads of money to feel rich, not when the wonders of Nature are out there. (Better get on and finish off some work before the day crew get here!)

Hardup_Hester · 23 July 2010 at 5:58AM

I own my own house, to rent a 3 bed house locally costs in excess of £1200 a month whereas my mortgage is about £600 because I put a largish deposit down. I only had the deposit because I'm divorced. I rented 2 places before I bought this one, both private landlords & with both there were problems that the landlord refused to fix as they didn't deem them important. In one the front door didn't lock & in the other there was no hot water, I felt both of these were important. That said I would never look down on people who rent, HA or private. My house is on a HA estate & whilst we have a few dodgy familys we also have lots of nice ones too, but some of my friends won't visit me as they find the estate scary.
Hester

JayJay14 · 23 July 2010 at 6:26AM

We live in a lovely 4 bed detatched house in a nice area. OH has now been out of work for 6 months and his benefit runs out next week. We have 6 months left on the insurance for the mortgage and by then our 'cushion' will have well and truly run out (OH was made redundant 3 years ago and has survived on temp jobs until the latest unemployment) In the new year we may have no choice but to sell and rent.

We have been in this house for 11 years so it is no not somewhere I look forward to leaving, let alone dispose of all our junk to move into a smaller house. We would have to look for a private rental as there would be no other option. I don't have a problem with the renting side (we would be retiring in 10 years anyway so would probably have been selling up to fund the retirement) I just feel cheated that we have put so much into our home and then have to leave.

If OH gets a job the relief will be overwelming.

ceridwen · 23 July 2010 at 6:35AM

I don't think anyone on here is looking down in any sense on living in a Council estate or anything....I feel this point needs to be made...as some people seem to be wondering....

For the record - I've lived in State housing before now - and yes ..it was getting scary to hear of some of the stuff going on. On the other hand - there were some tenants who were trying very hard to "keep on top of the problems" and improve the level of facilities. The area I lived in was such that I wondered whether I should put a different address on job application forms - so that I wouldnt have wrong judgements made about me at the outset. I knew those judgements would be dropped as soon as I started talking ('cos I speaks so proper...) - but I had to "get in the door first" and I do wonder whether the address I had sometimes meant I didn't get that chance in the first place...

ceridwen · 23 July 2010 at 6:47AM

JayJay14 wrote: »

We live in a lovely 4 bed detatched house in a nice area. OH has now been out of work for 6 months and his benefit runs out next week. We have 6 months left on the insurance for the mortgage and by then our 'cushion' will have well and truly run out (OH was made redundant 3 years ago and has survived on temp jobs until the latest unemployment) In the new year we may have no choice but to sell and rent.

We have been in this house for 11 years so it is no not somewhere I look forward to leaving, let alone dispose of all our junk to move into a smaller house. We would have to look for a private rental as there would be no other option. I don't have a problem with the renting side (we would be retiring in 10 years anyway so would probably have been selling up to fund the retirement) I just feel cheated that we have put so much into our home and then have to leave.

If OH gets a job the relief will be overwelming.

Having to have mortgage insurance wasnt something that was "on the horizon" when I bought my house - the, then, DHSS paid all the mortgage interest for however long was necessary if the mortgage-holder lost their job and reputable Building Societies accepted that if they couldnt get the mortgage capital they couldnt get the mortgage capital and they would have to accept it pro tem. I know that things have changed in the years since then....

Will the DWP take over paying at least the interest part of the mortgage once the insurance cover ends? Are there any sort of limits on that now - or would they go on paying it ad infinitum if need be?

It seems such a shame to think of losing your house - and I wonder if there is some way it could be avoided....((take care))

floss2 · 23 July 2010 at 6:51AM

Can I just add that if you have any problems with a rented property that your landlord is unwilling to repair, you can contact the Housing Enforcement team at your local council - there are tools and powers available to them to force certain repairs to be done to make a property up to a certain standard such as safe & secure, weathertight, heating & hot water, adequate bathroom & kitchen facilities etc. Look on your council website for more help.

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It's STILL tough and not getting better - so how are we coping?

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