Haven’t paid rent in months!

[Uppoopcreek]

I’ve just realised I haven’t paid my rent in around 6 months! I don’t know how this could have happened?
ive lived here around 4 years. All I can think is I set up a standing order a while ago and it didn’t work properly?
now, I have pretty severe MH problems. Awful anxiety and depression(probable ADHD but still waiting for an appointment to start the process). I never check my bank, I’m behind with other bills, too. I’m a bury my head in the sand type of person, but worry constantly about everything, About a month ago I hit rock bottom. Won’t go into details, but it wasn’t great.
I have 3 DC, and I’m on benefits.
Help! What do I do?! Had a text from landlord last night asking me to call him, which is what’s just prompted me to look now. I was asleep when he text.

I could possibly see not realising that you hadn't set up a standing order properly but it's a stretch to think you've spent 1000s of pounds extra over 6 months and not noticed, even with the COL.

Have you called him OP?

You’ll feel much better once you’ve spoken to him and know where you stand.

This.

Unfortunately if this really is true your landlord is going to be unlikely to believe that you are so low on funds you can't pay now, but didn't notice for 6 months despite being on such a tight budget.

It doesn't matter if she doesn't have it.

They will take her guarantor to court and make them pay up in full.

@Scarfitwere yep - I'm not exactly one of life's savers- but do know that bills have been paid that month- thing is if you had lots of money extra per month you wouldn't really notice the COL

Need more information.
Do you work? If not are you sure it isn't being paid straight to tour landlord?
How much is your part of the six months rent? Depending on where you live it could be a few pounds top up each month or £10,000.
Are you claiming all you're entitled to?
Do you receive PIP? Applying and getting an appointee and help with managing money will help going forward.
I'd suggest somewhere like Shelter or Christians against poverty (you don't have to be Christian), to help advise you and hopefully you can find a solution.
You've made the hardest step with reaching out. Good luck.

Countless people have no idea at all how much money is in their account. They often find it too triggering to look. They just tap their cards with their fingers crossed there's enough to cover their purchase. When there isn't they have to borrow from friends, use foodbanks or go without. When there is they're just very grateful
this is insane, why should everyone else shore up someone too daft to check
their bank??
I'm astounded anyone lives like this!

Has the landlord not said anything about the missing payments? I would have thought he had noticed as well before now. Six months is a lot if money.

I think that’s the trouble with cards. It doesn’t feel like you’re spending ‘real’ money. At least with cash, if you’ve only got £50, you can only spend £50. With a card, the spending is unlimited.

I can't see how you've not noticed the unpaid rent piling up in your account- it's either still there if you've not spent it (perhaps your MH has prevented you from checking you bank account) or you've spent it knowingly.

Speak to your landlord and be totally honest as this won't go away unfortunately

Talk to your guarantor is they may be willing to help you with a repayment plan rather than get hit with the full whack and have you homeless (I presume they care very much about you as I would struggle to go gaurantor for even a family member).

Just to counter all the angels on here who know people or have with severe learning difficulties and are capable of managing their money well - I can easily imagine myself getting into a similar storm. Only by the grace of my partner being able to manage out finances that I don’t.

I hate all the smug comments. I hope they don’t let you stop reading the useful ones.

The good news is you’ve been a good tennant for a while so you’ve built up some positive favour, and it’s extraordinarily difficult to kick out tenants who don’t pay their rent so your landlord will be inclined to support you in paying back your rent and not kicking you out.

My first port of call would be to sell whatever I could, get yourself a little mini shop going. Take good pictures. Get postal bags, advertise in numerous places and anything you’ve got with value - get it gone and start feeding into your rental debt. Anyone who owes you money - start chasing them.

those would be my first actions.

Then I’d go to CAB and ask if they have any debt support, financial literacy classes you can join. Any more benefits you can claim to increase the funds you have.

good luck.

Sorry OP, I haven't read the whole thread, but my first move would be to call the LL and tell him you think there's been some sort of problem with the bank, and you are going to call them to find out what's happened, and will get back to him as soon as possible. This will show him that you're about to become pro-active. As soon as you've done this, then check exactly what date the rent stopped being paid, and call your bank to find out why. Did you cancel the Standing Order? Have the bank themselves made an error? Presumably one of these must have happened, if you've been paying for 3 1/2 years by Standing Order without any problems. Once you've spoken to the bank, you will know if the error is yours, at that point, if it is your fault, I would ring the person who was kind enough to agree to be your Guarantor, and explain to them what has happened. Clearly you need to grovel if it's been your mistake, but I would then ask them if they would be in a position to lend you the money, so that you can immediately pay your LL what you owe him. If they are, then call your LL back and tell him when the Guarantor has said they can pay, that will get him off your back. If however the Guarantor has said they don't have a lump sum to pay, then you need to talk to the LL, be completely honest with him, and ask him to give you a couple of days to see if you can borrow the money from someone else, but whatever you do, do not avoid the LL, or tell him ANY lies, as the minute you're dishonest with him, you're going to give him a reason to set the wheels in motion to evict you. Sadly, this situation, assuming it is of your making, is going to leave your Guarantor in the crap, as one way or another they are going to have to find the money, as they've signed a legal document agreeing to do this.

Once you’ve got the rent situation resolved, I would then make an appointment to see someone at Citizen’s Advice, to see if they can help you resolve all the other bills that you haven’t paid.

This all assumes of course that this story is true in the first place??

It was supposed to make people on benefits get ready for the "real" world. As far as I'm aware, my benefits knowledge is a bit out of date, you can ask for the housing element to be paid directly to the landlord.

@SilverChampagne most landlords are leeches, having their mortgage paid by somebody else

People are asking how this is possible but the amount everything has gone up, and the way mental health issues can cause you to not pay attention to spending, £400pcm could easily be swallowed up (especially with kids)

Talk to him and explain the situation. Tell him you will repay but it can’t be all at once. Would he be willing to agree to a payment plan? Talk to Shelter and see what emergency funds you might be eligible for. Talk to a CAP centre who can help you manage your finances better.

I’m sure it feels overwhelming and terrifying, but there is a way through this.

This.

OP hasn't said what the rent is but has said she has 3 DC and is renting a house, it's very unlikely her rent is £400 pcm and more likely much more than that.

So 6 months of hundreds of pounds a month adds up to thousands and very unlikely that was swallowed up without OP having any idea she suddenly had thousands of pounds more disposable income - plus she says she's behind on other bills too.

So OP has clearly spending a shit load of extra money over months while apparently not noticing and blaming it on the COL.

OP must know where she's spent it and it's not on rent or bills so...

I am calling bullshit on this i am kn benefits and if I wasn't paying my rent to my landlord gor 6 months I would have loads of extra cash . So don't tell me a mother with three kids on benefits living hand to mouth didn't realise when you have extra cash

Also are you telling me you didn't get a letter after a couple of months that you haven't paid

Personally I check my account a few times a day we are short of money but I can see how a person with MH difficulties or even something like adhd could get into a situation like this. I think we need to try and see it from the other perspective as even though it’s hard to understand how this happens it clearly does . I think that the housing element of UC should always go to the landlord it seems the only sensible way to do it

I have mental health issues but if cost oc living hurt you then by God you would be checking wvwey week how much cash you have this you don't know come on you did but you r trying to pretend you didn't almost like them poor girls that are pregnant when young but convince themselves that they aren't as they are in denial.

🙄🙄
What a bizarre comment on a thread where the landlord has demonstrably done nothing wrong and the tenant has somehow not bothered to pay for 6 months. But yep, all the landlord’s fault, of course.

Exactly! If you know that you don’t really have to worry about money, these things make sense and they do add up. But if you’re actually on a tight budget, you know what’s expendable and you’re not heading out for hot chocolates and soft play lunches.