Just spoke to housing benefit... think we are going to have to cancel christmas...

[Dragonfly Fi]

Well, we get 700 a month from Liam's apprenticeship
we also get 120 a week in tax credits

housing benefit have ordered us to pay

250 a month rent
120 a month council tax

i just worked out our bills and they are 285 a month all together

that is for credit cards, a couple of store cards, 1 mobile phone bill and 1 internet dongle

so after all our bills we have 55 a month plus tax credits...

gas n electric is together 30 quid a week

then we have £5 a week on Liams tobacco habit

leaving us with around £90 a week for dinners, lunches, fresh fruit for the baby, tollietres, cleaning products for the house etc

Plus i think they are going to ask us to pay back 20 a week towards our rent for last month ...

They said they will not calculate our correct housing benefit based upon 1 months wage slip (which is all he has done) they will only calculate it properly at the end of the third month of him working. So after December we should get a few more squids a week to keep us going

but until then, we are living on so so little its untrue

So i think this year we are going to cancel christmas, Jasper wont know any different and at least Liam will be off for a while

very sad.

 

[netty]

Oh hun I am sorry, thats awful xxx

 

[Jaxx01]

Thats absurd!!! You shouldnt have to pay that much council tax for a start!!

And you almost definately qualify for Healthy Start vouchers?? Might be worth having a look...every little helps as they say xxx

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

we dont get healthy start vouchers because we get tax credits, i checked.

i have spoken to citizens advice, they are going to call me back in a day or so

i am going in there on Wednesday with Liam and his contract and his wage slip for October and ask them if they have good enough reason to give us less than they are supposed to. Because i have a funny feeling its illegal.

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

We have consolidated our debts

£50 Capital one
£50 Capital one
£40 Scottish Power
£25 Santander

into monthly payments of £60...

we pay it off for longer but our credit rating will not be beyond repair and most importantly, we will be able to afford to have a bit of breathing space.

which is fantastic

 

[misscrazycooki]

This is the reason why I never took a apprentiship (can't spell) lol

I was told I'd have to support me and my partner and pay the rent etc when I would be earning 400 a month I was livid. ALso my partner couldn't claim anything >.<

It annoys me that people who want to sort their lifes out are punish and theres idiots thatshouldnt even be in this country with a million pound houses and paying nothing.

I hope you can get something sorted hun x I have a fair few debts to sort out and my credit file is crap lol. Hugs x

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

We worked out that we would be 400 quid a month at least better off... If Liam moved out!

they would literally give me MORE money than they allow the pair of us to keep

its terrible. if there was any part of me that thought 'i dont need this guy' it would be EASIER to kick him out!

awful, awful system

 

[netty]

when my OH got made redundant a couple of years ago we got NOTHING, i felt same fi, if i could have booted him out i would have been in the money. But obv you dont have that choice, seeing as we love the buggers. The dole reckoned i could support us both??

Your council tax is high hun, mine is 86 and i live in a 3 bed new build on a private estate. But i do live up north in doncaster where it is such a dump its cheap as chips lol

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

Its£ 145 a month, they think its okay to just give us £7 a month towards it when according to Entitled to, we should be getting most of it and just paying £14 a week ourselves.

I am going to go in and refute it on Wednesday, i also need to pay them some money my mum has lent me to clear some of the debt.

 

[netty]

the council are arseholes, i left home when i was 15 and them and the dole gave me fuck all mate, i got a bedsit in a hellhole! Whenever you need money that is rightfully yours to cliam they are tight *******os! Stick to your guns hunny they always need a good old shove

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

Right i just went down the council offices.

AND I SPOKE TO SOMEONE WHO HAD A CLUE!!

she actually BOTHERED to talk through my incredibly complicated housing benefit issues, we compiled two statements for them and sent them off! Then i paid 360 off my rent arrears (think i probably owe them a wee bit more but not much) and got some answers

Yay and whoop x

 

[Froslass]

Hi Fi, housing benefit should accept a contract showing Liam's agreed wage xx when we applied for our housing benefit (which we don't get anymore, just over the summer) OH had just started work for my dad full time and only had one months wage slip. They told us this wasn't enough but they would accept OHs contract showing his hourly rate and how many hours worked so they could calculate our claim accurately. If you call them and ask they should accept it x

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

I have spoken to them about it, the HB systems are down until the 3rd December anyway, so it will have to wait until then

They are fucking idiots, keep saying 'we need your amended tax credit letter' when we have already PROVIDED THAT because the ONLY people who wouldnt accept Liam contract... was THEM

Twats, complete idiotic twats

 

[Froslass]

That's def not right Hun xx they should accept the contract! Xx glad you got to speak to someone though xx

 

[leannesxb]

I know that feeling we are currently after all bills paid living off £ 57 a week for food and elec meter. Thats for 3 of us and a dog!!!! One of thems a 13 year old boy who eats like a horse. lol