Money worries are serious - worried I am about to break

[namechanger2003]

Sorry I am a name changer as I am so ashamed of myself.

Basically DH has been having rough time with job and was made redundant fom his well paid one but was there for less than two years so got a small goodwill payment. We had just found out I was pg with 4th child.

Things were really good before but we made all the cutbacks we could. Anyway he has since got a new job which only pays £160 a week as there is nothing out there and everything he earns is paying bills that we fell behind with the 3 weeks he had no work.

We put a benefit claim in but it is taking ages and thy keep asking for more info.

Things have got so bad now that my cupboards are empty and we have no money until tax credits on Monday.

Tonight I fed my kids the last of their cereal for dinner and I have had a couple of biscuits all day. DH has borrowed £10 to get the basics but wil probably need this for petrol to travel to work.

I feel like such a faliure it's pathetic. I cant beleiev things have got this bad and poor DH is depressed and we keep arguing. I am so worried the effect it is having on both of us.

Sorry just felt I needed to tell somebody and hopefully get advice on how to cope through these times.

i really think you need to make the time to go to the CAB. they can assess all your debts and even write to any creditors on your behalf - or give you a debt management pack with a pro forma letter.

re: rent - i wouod always have rent as a priority - but not over food. food - rent - then other priority debts such as council tax/student loan/ tv license.

the rest can quite frankly wait until your benefits are sorted - with a token payment to utilities - you can catch this up when your benefits come through.

any other debt needs to wait - yu need to speak to CAB about this.

custy to the rescue.

one thing NEVER to let slide is your council tax, though.

Hi everyone. Just on way down the job centre now to ask for the crises loan.

Thank you so much for all of your kind offers. I gives me a lovely glow to think that strangers are so willing to help.

DH managed to get an advance from work last night and they even said that they are pleased with his work and can offer him overtime which they dont usually offer until after the probationary period is over. It will probably triple his wages. Will also muck up our benefit claims all over again but at least the money will be coming in pretty much immediately.

We also sat and had a long talk last night about the effect it is having on us both. I am still worried about him. He is a proud man and although I dont THINK he would do anything stupid, you read so many stories where the family didn't realise how bad it was.

Thank you once again

Hi Namechnger!

really feel for you! Hope you get the crisis loan which will take the pressure off for a few days!

Expat - where in western scotlans are you???

x x x

Namechanger, have a look at www.mind.org.uk/money/

The link between debt and mental ill health has become so widely acknowledged that the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has given leading mental health charity Mind money towards a campaign to explore the issue.

Mind have run financial capability surgeries across the country and have developed a 'money and mental health' section on their website.

The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) are also extremely helpful and helped us out of an extremely diffiuclt situation with regard to debts.

you probably found this out today but:

crisis loans - you do not have to pay back at all.

budgetting loans - you pay back but with no interest

community care grants - these are not paid back either