Advice needed, please

[NeedMoneyAdvice]

DH and I have just found out we are about to lose £500 a month income.

I had started another thread, but I was advised to come here for some advice. We don't know what we are going to do and I wondered if anyone could help us. Name changed because lots of these details would out us.

We have just taken on an 18 month lease with a letting agent. We have spoken to them this morning, and we cannot break this. We could simply not pay, but we would lose our deposit, and would struggle to find a landlord that would take us on if we did this.

We currently earn about £30k between us, take home about £23k.

Rent is £1000
Council Tax is £200
Gas and Electricity is £190
Phone/Broadband is £50
Childcare is (currently) £350
Car insurance is £60
Car payment is £140
Petrol around £80
Home insurance is £20
Gym membership is £75

Think that is everything. Obviously, this leaves us over budget. I genuinely don't know what we will do without this money?

We aren't entitled to any benefits, including WTC and CTC.

I genuinely don't know what to do.

We can't cycle as it's an 8 mile cycle. It's just too far.

Plus, I wouldn't make it to work in time, cycling from his school.

spikey I forgot that key point, lost in the inconsistencies. Oops.

Have you spoken to Shelter re the contract like was suggested yesterday op?

Your contract won't stand up legally as mentioned by others in your thread yesterday

Btw how much is your rent? Am confused as yesterday it was 350 more

What BearBehind said.

Also be good to establish if the lost £500pm was income as stated in the OP, or as you later asserted 'a gift' and so not declared to tax credits, or as finally stated income which was declared.

You shouldn't have resigned from your third job, after all you only quit last night so why not ask for your old job back.

Not spoken to shelter, no.

Apparently, we are legally tied to the lease, it is perfectly legal on their side and there is absolutely no legal leg for us to stand on. We could appeal to their better nature, so we will try this again.

This was my result:

Entitlement Per year Per week Notes
Means-tested income entitlements
Initial Tax Credit £0.00 £0.00 This figure is based on the income you received last year. The Tax Credits figure shown below is based on your current income amount.
Tax Credits £0.00 £0.00 On the basis of the data entered you are not entitled to Tax Credits
Means-tested bill reductions
Council Tax Reduction £0.00 £0.00 On the basis of the data entered you are not entitled to Council Tax Reduction
Housing Benefit £0.00 £0.00 On the basis of the data entered you are not entitled to Housing Benefit. We have calculated your entitlement using Local Housing Allowance rates, as you cannot claim for a rent greater than the allowed amount.
Other income entitlements
Child Benefit £1,055.60 £20.30 Child Benefit will be £33.70 per week after 8th April 2014
Total Entitlements £1,055.60 £20.30

I name changed from the last thread, because I had changed too many details there, as I was trying to stay anonymous.

So, could people please refrain from bringing up details of it?

Yes, my rent is £1000 and not £1350. I said rent was higher on the last thread, and omitted other bills to offset the cost. Outgoings pretty much the same.

Please, if you are just here to nitpick and be nasty, don't. I am 8 months pregnant, really stressed and in floods of tears.

I have had some great advice and I am really trying to ignore the nasty posts but it is starting to get to me. Please, please stop.

Don't cry. Pick up the phone to shelter and get professional advice.

OP your story has changed multiple times within this thread.

The figures and the facts MATTER.

Can you not see people have been trying to help? But the story keeps changing.

You have given your DPs income as 11k and 20k WITHIN THIS THREAD

Shelter says your tenancy agreement should say whether or not you can end your tenancy before the fixed term is up, and how much notice you need to give. If your tenancy agreement doesn't mention this, you may find your landlord can still charge you rent until the fixed term is over, even if you need to move out before this.

Ours says implicitly that we cannot end the tenancy before 18 months.

If we leave, we will be liable for the remainder of the contract. And we'd lose our deposit.

I will call shelter now though and talk it through

fideline where? Where have I done that?

So the calculator is based on having 2 children just one what you will have as income next year?

I am being totally clear. Please, I am not trying to hide anything (what's the point?) and my last thread (which incidentally, I namechaged from) had some changed facts to hide my identity.

Rumpel she needs to get access to tax credits too, if any of this is true, but who know's which bits are accurate.

You are at real risk of losing your children's home here, OP.

Do you want to start at the beginning again?

That calculator asked about both children, and asked for the EDD of the baby.

Income next year should be much the same as this year?

Don't cry. People will give you help and support. But they cannot do that if you lie about the very facts and figures that they need in order to help. If you keep changing those, no one can give you accurate advice or direction. Plus, your creditability goes out the window and it starts to look very unreal indeed.

Honestly, you know what is going to happen, you are going to get into debt again. Based on all the outgoings you can't cut, i can't see what else is going to change. Can you sell your phone? You could subsidise someone 5/month to take it and ditto the gym membership, advertise it in your gym! It's 1.5 yrs until you can start supporting yourselves properly. Go to the cab or see that financial adviser again. What about my question of asking MIL for childcare help?

I used to belong to a gym where you could suspend your membership, so I think they charged people £5 a month to keep them on the books - it meant that when they could afford to restart they didn't have to pay another joining fee. Any chance that your contract has something like that in it?

Re just cancelling the DD to the gym, they might not bother to take you to court but it would appear on your credit rating as a missed/late payment, so if you do need a loan later on it could have implications.

Council Tax - you should be able to apply to pay it over 12 months rather than 10 which would cut down the monthly payment from £200 to £166. Check your council's website.

Gas/Elec - is this payment based on actual readings or estimates? If it's based on estimated readings check your meter against your last statement and if you're using less than they estimate, ring them and get them to adjust your payments. Or, can you swap to a cheaper provider?

If you aren't eligible for a loan, could you talk to the bank about having an authorised overdraft? At least then if you do go over your budget one month you won't end up being charged loads for it. Could you also swap banks? Santander 123 gives good interest plus cashback on DD's - it costs £2 a month but we average £8-12 a month in interest/cashback.

I can't get access to TC! I can't get them. I am not able to get Tax Credits.

If we leave, we will be liable for the remainder of the contract. And we'd lose our deposit.

yes. something is going to have to give. all you can decide is what. you need advice from CAB or a debt charity.