to worry about my next job and not accept going on benefits

[maidenvoyage]

Hi all, I have posted here before a long time ago (bout ds who was and still is a waste of space) and do watch mumsnet in my lunch break. Long story cut short I am finishing my contract at the end of July and friends are advising that dont worry bout getting another job and I should just claim benefits and let the social pay rent etc. Must admit even though i earn a good wage the rent here is £950.00 a month and as a sole earner (been on my own with two kids for long tine now) its crippling me. Have no social life, dont buy new clothes, dont go out etc but I want to work. I love the challenge of my job and have a personal pride in it. But in truth cant afford to work. Do get a tax credit and family allowance etc. I bring home £500 a week without the help but its not enough. If i dont look for another job and have to rely on the state I know they will not help me because I have been told that I am capable of earning a decent wage, that is fair point but they are not taking into consideration that I am paying £50.00 short of £1000.00 per month rent. For gods sake I just want to earn a good wage and support my family I dont want to live on benefits but why cant the local council house me at £400.00 rent and then i can carry on working, (not that there is anything wrong with that) please no attacks feeling low enough as it is. (rent is due on Friday and I cant meet it). I am worrying bout bills etc and struglling to cope now just want a friendly constructive chat. In these sad times where there are so many redundancies I am really worried that I wont get another job, but on the other hand think that if after paying tax and insurance all these years the goverment cannot help me maybe my friends are right. Let the landlord evict me, go on the dole and let life take me over. Sorrry feeling very sorry for myself and very tired and sick of struggling lol.

coolma IIRC they reduced the 2waiting time for interest payments to reduce the number of pewople struggling quite recently

FWIW HB isn't that simple either- we can't claim even though we're entitled as we can't move areas (DS3 just settled into an SNU, you cant move asd kids about often) and housing agencies here refuse HB claimants nand have contract get out clauses. We're scratching by.

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Misssunny, were we not in a recession that has caused all the local industry (maionly the steel works) under and put many companies out of business taking jobs with them, I might say interesting (though still agree), however as the local job pages have gone from 7 sides to zero I shall roll my eyes instead.

Besides, if I were a person of sixty single whod paid tax all his life only to e told after a redundancy that I could not claim I'd be seriously less than happy

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your responses. A update and advice needed. Like i said earlier the rent is £950.00 and was meant to be paid Friday just gone. I can only pay him £500.00 and that will leave me with £40.00 for the week. I keep going to text him explaining that I cannot pay the full rent this month and then cancel the text am scared of the response. I have spoken to the housing benefit people and they say i earn to much to get any help with it. If I dont get a new job the housing benefit will be £676.00 so i have to find the rest. HOW DOES THAT WORK OUT THEN, BEATS ME AND I WORK IN FINANCE. So guys i have tried every avenue going. If I work part time, the tax credit people say that the credit is based on last years earnings 2007/2008 so will be entitled to £40.00 per month. So now im going to text landlord to tell him i cant pay all the rent and spend my £40.00 lol. Daughter is 16 and just left school, i cant see the point anymore honestly i just want to hide away now and let them do thier worst

Oh I'm so sorry to hear all that. I have to admit it's been years since I had to claim HB for renting so am not up to speed with it all. Good luck.

The deficit is a PITA, basically each area sets an amount for a rented property- but it's done across the whole area so here we would get the same as a place in Newport (£450) but that leaves a shortfall of £150 on our actual rent- they only cover the equivalent of the cheapest rent. Presumably tehy've never heard of fixed term tenenacies where you can't just give notice (not that we would atm).

But that gap is payable by you yes, sadly.
A lot also depends on what they decide your family needs size wise- again here they took away the disability rules so whilst ds1 and ds3 both need a separate room for disability related reasons as instructed by Paed, we can only claim for a 3 bed (not that we claim but YKWIM- if we needed to)

Is there another angle you can take on this? DH's oldprofession had a linked organisation called a benevolent trust that hepled people in straits, have a google? DH was linked to the news industry so his society (NewsTraid) paid for therapies for the boys and of their own volition when he was too ill to owrk sent us a cheque for a weeks food every few weeks.

Otherewise you're either going to have to visit the CAB and request a full benefits and debt check or consider moving down a house grade which is hard emotionally and practically

Peachy - I though it was the "average" rent they covered - as I know I could have rent somewhere that was cheaper than the LHA allowance.........however I wasn't prepared to live in those areas LOL.

May be FAQ, but average here wouldn't touch where we are IYSWIM, newport is in a very large proportion council housing
whilst our village is Cardiff Commuter belt and Uni staff

Hi, everyone just thought i would give you a update. Still at the same job. Back in the same situation where this month I have to pay landlord less again!! Dont know where i have gone wrong. Local council have now served a attachment of earnings order on me lol. yeah good luck with that considering job ends in bout five weeks. And that is for deffo this time. I give up. Not entitled to benefits, council say " capable of earning ". Going to ask landlord to evict me but they say wont get anywhere. Dont know how to sort this out now