To wonder wtf we do now?

[BBQDip]

I've just lost my job- or rather been put on unpaid hiatus for a year. I need to look for temporary work or for something more permanent and just tell me other job I wont be returning. There's nothing I can do about this, it's all above board and I dont want to go into any more detail incase it outs me.

DP and I both on low income, never had enough to save for this sort of thing happening. Obviously I am applying for almost every job I can but this process takes time and given that we are living paycheck to paycheck anyway, I don't know how we're going to manage.

Family can help us out with a few quid here and there (small amount for shopping or fuel) but we have rent to pay and bills we committed to when we were both earning.

I cant claim jobseekers or universal credit and our tax credits wont change either. Basically we have gone from two incomes to one but with nothing else to make up the shortfall.

I don't expect handouts but this isn't sustainable and I'm panicking that if I dont land a job in the next week or two we'll be royally fucked.

We cant even claim school meals for DS as tax credits have fucked up our claim.

Ive tried entitled to but to no avail. We have nothing of value to sell except the car (which is a banger and would barely cover half the amount lost on my wage anyway).

How do you cope when this happens?

If you rent can't you claim housing benefit?

If you are a low income job, if you don't make enough to pay ni, as long as your income is at the ni threshold I think you get credits for ni, so you keep your entitlement to benefits. Might be something to look into

If you have Facebook, it may be worth joining local selling sites as I have often seen jobs advertised on our local selling sites. Sometimes they are cash in hand short term jobs, which could help until you can get Christmas temp jobs

What kind of work are you looking for OP? What experience do you have? What area of the country are you in?

You can probably claim housing benefit. Even if you cannot claim JSA (I assume, as partner works?) housing benefit is separate to that. And based solely on how much you have coming in, from whatever means.

You can walk into a job at McDonald's, delivering pizza for a takeaway if you have a car, cleaning, and care work pretty quickly..

Depends where you live tbh. In my area, even jobs like this get hundreds of applicants for each position :S If in London or something then its fine, there actually are many positions to be filled. Some other places, no. And any work you would find within a 30min radius of me would be 0 hour contracts or commision only, which aren't really much use to anyone besides those with no financial responsibilities.

I would second trying temp agencies. If they find you are reliable, they will give you plenty of work as their reputation depends on supplying reiliable staff.

Claim housing benefit. Why won't your tax credits change? And what's the issue with not getting FSM?

Can anyone recommend any temp agencies? I'm in Scotland.

I'm going to see about claiming HB and possibly reduction on council tax as well. Because of the nature of my job and the fact my partner is working, I wont get JSA.

I know my best bet is for retail work aince that's the area I have more experience in, but theres alot of competition in my area and limited actual work available.

Ive joined a few local pages but not had much luck yet- most of it is labouring work for building sites etc or random companies that require you to relocate or work away- neifher of which I can do atm.

What's FSM touched?

Absolutely do not change to meters for gas/electric. I think this is not 'allowed' anymore but it still happens, that meters is a lot mroe expensive than DD.

Also, with meters if you have a particularly bad week/month you would be utterly screwed as without the credit, everything just goes off. With DD, even if you don't pay for a month (or a few) your utilities are not cut off, its only once you owe a considerable amount. Obviously debt is not a good thing, but sometimes its unavoidable and I know I would rather be a little behind on payments than have no gas or electric...

A friend of mine actually owes well over a thousand pounds (long story short, husband said he was paying bills, turns out he wasn't and left her...and she now owes this) and has not had it cut off yet. Simply told them she would pay the amount she was meant to, with an extra 100 per month ontop until debt was cleared.

Why won't your tax credits change?

Tax credits could actually go down depending on partners hours and such.

Tax credits very rarely go up upon losing a job, unless your wage was sky high to start with.

OP, if your NI record shows a full contribution history, then I can't see why you wouldn't be entitled to contribution-based JSA (and, probably, housing benefit and likely a council tax benefit too, seeing as you don't have savings). There are lots of ways in which NI credits can be awarded, even if you weren't paying NI: when on JSA, maternity pay, low income etc. Your paid training role probably covered this. A thorough check with CAB would definitely clarify this for you.

OP FSM is Free School Meals. It appears to be called Free School Lunches in Scotland and eligibility info is here: www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi/schoolmeals/FreeSchoolMeals

Benefit entitlement for 2017 is based on NI contributions in 2014/15 and 2015/16. If you were working in those years and paying NI you should be entitled to contribution-based JSA.

You should tell HMRC that your income for this year is now estimated to be £x instead £y and ask them to look again at your tax credit entitlement.

Sorry to interrupt your thread, OP.

We're awed daily by the astonishing support that our members give each other through life's trickier twists and turns – but we'd always caution anyone never to give more of themselves to another poster (emotionally or financially) than they can afford to spare.

Thanks Tonimumsnet I was only seeking advice.... I wouldn't expect or accept anything beyond that.

Guess my post was reported.

With the Free School Meals, I should be entitled to them regardless of whether I had lost my job or not- but our local authorirty uses tax credit awards as proff of household income to assess entitlement.
Tax credits cocked up my details and had me on a higher income taking me over the threshold- as DS has only just started in p4, I'd never had to apply before. They've said it'll take at least two weeks to adjust my claim.

temp jobs
argos.careers/xmas/
www.indeed.co.uk/Christmas-Temporary-jobs
www.jlpjobs.com/john-lewis/christmas-jobs/
jobs.royalmailgroup.com/go/Christmas-Casuals/698901/
www.boots.jobs/retail/christmas/

I used reed to get my current job, I'm not sure if they're good for Scotland though? Good luck

Bar work is a good call to start with if you're able to do it. Quick turnovers and often weekly pay mean you wouldn't be waiting ages to start or be paid.