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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

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Original poster

Really in need of help. I'm done with bills

15 replies

suchamessughh · 07/02/2023 19:13

Being a single mum living in temporary accommodation and having to have such an increased amount of money for bills and literally what I get never lasts me because it all goes towards bills.. i've started to consider house sharing with someone in similar position but now i've come to realise that also might not even be a possibility for me which sucks. I don't know what to do anymore.. I wish I could go back to a mother and baby unit where I only paid service charge but I don't even think I can at this stage. Or go back to my mums house but that's no option either. At this point i'm so desperate that if someone had a guest room where me and my son could stay and I could provide them some money I can afford to stay there.. i'd actually take it.

OP posts:

Mamamia7962 · 07/02/2023 19:23

Life sounds very hard for you at the moment OP. What sort of temporary accommodation are you in? Can you list your income a month and your outgoings and we may be able to help you.

MichelleScarn · 07/02/2023 19:25

Have you had your benefits maximised? How old is dc? Could you pick up pt work while they are in childcare?

Original poster

suchamessughh · 07/02/2023 19:35

Mamamia7962 · 07/02/2023 19:23

Life sounds very hard for you at the moment OP. What sort of temporary accommodation are you in? Can you list your income a month and your outgoings and we may be able to help you.

The temporary accommodation I am in is with the Lambeth council and as for my earnings I only get universal credit and child benefit. With UC literally all I get goes towards bills like gas, electricity, council tax, thames water, wifi for the flat etc; I barely get left with much and what is left literally goes towards food. By the end of month I am left with nothing literally nothing because of the higher bills my highest is definitely gas which sometimes goes up to £200.. I just cannot live like this anymore.. Lets not forget in April bills will go higher.

OP posts:

Original poster

suchamessughh · 07/02/2023 19:43

MichelleScarn · 07/02/2023 19:25

Have you had your benefits maximised? How old is dc? Could you pick up pt work while they are in childcare?

@MichelleScarn My benefits maximised? How do you mean? Are you talking about the living costs help? My son is 2 and he was attending nursery (still is) but this will be his last month there unfortunately because of financial struggles. Its another extra amount of money that leaves my account which could actually be useful in times of need.. I feel bad for taking him out but it has to happen. As for work I have looked and applied for so many different things but have no luck and even if I was to apply I could only have a cash in hand type of job.

OP posts:

kitcat15 · 07/02/2023 20:05

Nursery is free for 2 years old if you are on benefits in all the places I know....the 2 year offer....15 free hours a week.....are you getting healthy start Vouchers?

kitcat15 · 07/02/2023 20:08

kitcat15 · 07/02/2023 20:05

Nursery is free for 2 years old if you are on benefits in all the places I know....the 2 year offer....15 free hours a week.....are you getting healthy start Vouchers?

Just checked....its called 2 year funding ...but only in England I think ....maybe you live elsewhere?

MichelleScarn · 07/02/2023 20:10

Same in Scotland @kitcat15.

@suchamessughh have you been in touch with hv? Who helped you get place in mother and baby unit did they not help you with benefits etc in the prep for moving out?

Original poster

suchamessughh · 07/02/2023 20:17

@kitcat15 Yes nursery should be free altogether but the 2 year funding still requires you to pay for food and in a month for my son would be £40-£58 depends each month so yeah :/ I live in London also btw.

OP posts:

Original poster

suchamessughh · 07/02/2023 20:21

@MichelleScarn I haven't been in touch with my hv yet regarding this but I'm sure she'll find it strange why I would want to move out of temporary accommodation.. thing is people think TA is so much better, it really isn't if you're alone with a child and having to pay such an increased amount for bills regardless.. My situation is very different tho, i've already had ss involved and they were the ones who got me into a mother and baby unit but also they took me out of there by force as well and put me into TA for a test only. In short: It wasn't even my choice to get TA or a flat at all. But thanks, I will check with Hv like you said maybe she might help?

OP posts:

BarbaraofSeville · 08/02/2023 08:01

One reason you'll be struggling at the moment is because you're paying higher winter bills in winter. Is there any chance you could switch to direct debit because you'll then be able to pay (say) £100 every month, instead of £200 pm in winter and £50 pm in summer, so might help with your budgeting.

Could you do something like self employed cleaning work while your son is at nursery? In London, you could probably earn nearly £20 an hour doing this, so will help a lot. Look carefully at the UC hours and taper rules, as I believe it is often set up so you get more UC if you earn the equivalent of 16 x NMW per week depending on your child's age. Plus obviously you have your earnings from working.

There's a special low cost broadband tariff for people on UC, do you have this?

There's also extra grants to help people struggling with energy bills.

Have a look at Moneysaving Expert. There's lots of advice there but for some reason Mumsnet often scrambles the link so you might have to find your way in from the home page to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/benefits-check/.

Start by checking your benefits, also follow the tips for reducing all your bills as much as possible and looking at ways to increase your income. If you do all these, it might free up a bit more money to make things more comfortable overall. Good luck

CrazyCorgi · 08/02/2023 08:03

Are either of you eligible for DLA or PIP?

otterlyr · 08/02/2023 08:06

As for work I have looked and applied for so many different things but have no luck and even if I was to apply I could only have a cash in hand type of job.

Your situation sounds really hard, it's such a struggle for single mums at the moment. But I am wondering why this is?

As hard as your situation is... the truth is... you are the only one who can improve it. The way to do that is to focus on getting yourself a career. Yeah it sucks and it's going to be really, really hard work. But you can do it. This is what you need to put your all into if you want to improve your situation.

Find yourself some support - job centre, national careers service - there is a lot out there and there are also sometimes charities that support with education/ employment - check in your local area to see what's available. You might be able to get a mentor for free who can help you look at your life and how employment or upskilling could fit into it.

It will take years and it won't be easy, but if you're thinking about your future and your child, by the time he's 5 or 6 you could be earning good money if you put all your effort into this now.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 08/02/2023 08:08

To be fair, there are loads of families who have no money left once they have paid for accommodation, bills and food. In the cost of living crisis, having a social life or a holiday is out of reach for many. Hugs to the OP but its not an unusual situation.

EmptyPlaces · 08/02/2023 08:08

You need to speak to your SW. They’re responsible for putting you into unsuitable temp accom. Are you on a CIN or something else?

Quveas · 08/02/2023 08:30

EmptyPlaces · 08/02/2023 08:08

You need to speak to your SW. They’re responsible for putting you into unsuitable temp accom. Are you on a CIN or something else?

Whilst I am sorry for the OP struggling with bills, I don't think you can fairly say that moving the OP to a place where they must pay bills from a place where they didn't as putting someone in unsuitable accommodation. Mother and baby units are for short term use and are also temporary accommodation. There is no expectation in life that someone will pay your bills for you forever. And bills must be paid for in permanent accommodation. I fully appreciate that benefit are far from generous and that means a struggle, but there will be no change to that, so the OP either needs to find ways of managing within their means or improve their position through working. Taking him out of a free nursery to save lunch money is a false economy, because the child needs to eat wherever they are.

OP you've already had some good advice about making sure that you have all the benefits that you can claim; and also about looking for work. You may be able to reduce some of your bills by using other servcies - food banks if you are short of food, or warm spaces to reduce costs of heating your home. The latter may be particularly usefiul if your child stay in nursery as you can go to a warm space whilst he's there and simply not have to heat the home. Warm spaces are equipped for families, and also many offer addiitonal services such as benefit checks and employment search support.

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