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.

Do you mean explicitly?

Ok so if you are entiled to Child benfit you can get CTC and WTC this will over £700 a month on your husbands salary, give up work you will have a baby, you save on childcare costs, and you can get rid of the car, cancel mobile and gym they will let you do it if you cant pay and if you can get CB you can get housing benefit.

Sorry - I only read the first page as I didn't realise it had so many posts on - sorry if my post is irrelevant.

Earned income yes, you didn't include the gifted income though?

MIL won't do childcare. We asked, she said no. That's fine.

We have an overdraft already.

I haven't told any lies.

OP, people have been very kind and very patient, but can't you see why they are also getting very frustrated and annoyed. I think the truth is you have a hell of a mortgage hanging over you and moving is ruddy costly and not what you want to be doing at 8 months pregnant. I think you are scared about defaulting on you re- payments ( who wouldn't be esp. In your circumstances). And that's why you are being quite honestly pig headed about not moving. Forgot bad good schools. Mine both go to shite schools...they'll do alright they have fab parents behind them!!! As for gym membership? Seriously is there much you can do at 8 months pregnant?

Fuck this. I'm out.

According to our latest TC statement we owe them over £5000! however, they have not stopped them, but are taking the money out a bit each month (we only get about £40, so negligible) they do not stop them full stop and make you go without. I have no idea what we owe £5K for and am going to call, just dropping into the thread to say that they will not cut it off completely.

I am not making up anything?

Oh my god. Please, if you don't want to help me please leave. Please.

I am at the end of my tether. I am so upset. It's like bullying.

I have to go. I can't do this anymore.

Bearbehind, exactly what I was thinking. No answer I see.
Sorry but this thread is as ridiculous as the other one.

OP, you are continually stonewalling, why is that?

They 100% stopped our payments 18 months ago. We haven't had a penny in TC since then.

I don't know why it is different but that is what happened.

Don't get stressed Need. Wouldn't want premature labour as well as financial difficulties

If you think you are not entitled to TC because you owe them money a new baby is a new claim and they will just take of a bit of what you owe them. There is no reason they wont give you money its for your children.

That's a shame re MIL. I agree, your situation is so dire you need proper CAB/debt councillor help. Actually if true I also think you're working too hard and should abandon that plan. If you go bankrupt you'll have a tough few years til dh is properly earning but you're going to have tough years anyway and be away from the dc constantly. Bankruptcy isn't the end of the world.

Stonewalling?

I don't inderstand. Some times I might have missed posts, this thread moved fast.

Ask me a question, I will answer it?

I really think you need to speak to one of the debt charities and accept that you are going to have to go onto a debt repayment plan, I cannot see any other option.

Speak to your mp regarding your CTC see if they can do anything to help.

Can you go bankrupt though, if you don't have debtors?

I owe then £5K and am paying back £10 a week.

Okay I can try the MP route.

Looking at the outgoings in your OP and your income with the £500, you couldn't afford your outgoings then, never mind without the £500. You've overcommitted yourselves massively and you need to bite the bullet, get proper advice as to how to leave your tenancy, and find somewhere cheaper to live, as well as defaulting on your gym and phone membership. Your future credit rating is the least of your worries.

Or, get a lottery win. This is the only magic wand solution I can think of, and I think that's what you're looking for.

You are going to have debts though as you can't afford I reduce your obligations due to fixed term contracts and therefore end up in debt. There's no magic bullet we can see. Have you gone in person to the gym and tried to guilt them into suspending the contract? Heavily pg and all.

Two and a half grand overdraft is a debt. If it exists.