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Lone parents

Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

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Original poster

26K CUT affecting you or am I the only one?

158 replies

Feli · 08/10/2010 09:59

I am a 25yr old Lone parent to one. Not planned I was abandoned by her father.

Begining of this week I was crying over how cold me and my child are at home as we cant afford heating or hot water (all wired up to electric) and the flat is so cold as its the end of the building, my child has a cold because of it.

I am also paying off the electric debt for which I used to survive last winter which is why I have barely any money to cook more than once a week let alone bills.

I moved where I live 2 years ago after the flat I was living in before got broken into and ransacked my daughter was 8days old, I had 4 days to find somewhere. The rent went from £500 a week to £340 a week after cuts were made to this postcode early this year. I have no family, I am completely by myself and last night I calculated my annual Benefit. Its £3K.

Watching QuestionTime worried me even further to hear the attitudes, I AM shaking like a leaf, I have been crying all night - the cuts they are making seems to be on the basis of people having loads of children to get more benefits to live a high lifestyle but there are genuine situations like mine who are in this circumstance not willy nilly.
I dont know what is going to happen to my daughter and I. I have just found her a school and we have well and truely nested.

When my child is in pre-school I will be running to university to get a degree which I will only get help to do if I am not working(i think)...

You know all I want to do is bring home the bacon, I dont have enough qualifications to get a job better than a telephonist, I just want to study so I can get a REAL paying job cos at the moment whatever I earned will open more expenses the debt repayments wil be increased, I will have to pay part of my rent, I will lose discounts on my electric, and so much more but worst of all I wont be able to study as I cant afford it.

I am NOT work shy or see benefits as a way of life!
Sorry for rambling but I am all over the place.

Thank you

OP posts:

becstarlitsea · 08/10/2010 14:39

Thinking about it, just realised what Cameron's evil plot is. Perhaps this measure is actually designed to get all Labour voters out of central London to ease Boris' re-election?

frogetyfrog · 08/10/2010 14:40

Op hasnt returned. Do you think it was genuine?

becstarlitsea · 08/10/2010 14:46

Well, it's nearly school run time so half of Mumsnet will be disappearing over the next half hour or so. Doesn't mean she's not genuine. Of course some of what she said is strange eg the level of poverty vs level of income - I mean we live in London with same rent but less income, but DS eats three big meals a day and has after-school activities, treats and never gets cold etc. But then some people are not good at budgeting or at giving up everything that DH and I have given up.

Dominique07 · 08/10/2010 15:10

What kind of benefits are you on to get £1000 per month?

Seems like it might be inaccurate.

Remotew · 08/10/2010 15:27

Must admit I thought it might have been a wind up. Would a single mum with 1 child really get £1,000 on benefit after housing costs?

Also think the local authority would have moved her and her child into a 2 bedroomed housing association place. Don't think they would be paying this sort of rent for her.

islandhopper · 08/10/2010 16:38

Feli, are you there?

treaclepie · 08/10/2010 16:39

I've run the figures through entitledto and can't get it higher than £27.5k and that's only if she was in a high CT property.

I would recommend getting more advice from Shelter on how to get council housing in her position. Once the landlord serves notice of eviction, she'll be treated as homeless and eligible for extra housing points, depending on the borough. I live in a 2-bed council flat in zone 1 and the rent is only £92pw. Rents at that level would ensure she stays under the cap.

She could also get a job at 16hrs pw, meaning she'd avoid the cap (which is only aimed at non-working households) but should still be able have time to study for a degree.

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:02

Hey sorry I havent replied I have been busy on the phones. I think I have completely confused my accounts and miscalculated everything SO I have been in a fret for possible nothing....

It turns out I have been overpaying my housing benefit out of all the other money that I get. Which means the amount of rent I get is almost(JUST) 18k a year!!!!!!!

i could cry with joy

I am still digesting this! I have been SO stupid and too stressed that I have clearly lost more than a handful of brain cells ...!!!

Bottom line I get 23k A YEAR.

I can live out my plans again!

I am so sorry!

OP posts:

islandhopper · 08/10/2010 17:10

Huh? I'm afraid I don't follow you. To whom have you been over-paying your housing benefit? - and can you get the overpayment back? How much will you now have after you've paid your rent? £1,000pcm for food/bills?

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:11

NO no this wasnt a wind up, since the assumptions of having 1k a month started coming in, I went to look at all my bank documents and called the council to get the correct figures. Turned out I have been using ALL my other benefits to mistakenly overpay my rent by about £590 top up and my landlord didnt say anything! In the summer the council told me to pay this amount of £1950 a month as they said that I will all work out correctly by the end of the year...they have now retracted that statement. It sounds like they had some trainee advising me then because this was incorrect.

Talk about the biggest F-up!

OP posts:

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:13

I have been overpaying my landlord through my estate agent.
I am not going to ask for it back I am just going to be paying a little less till I get what I have given back.

OP posts:

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:16

I have basically been feeding him while he lives abroad while me and my DD suffer...I dont dare to think about it. He is probably smiling.

I am just happy that I can study, the school, the university! I just cannot wait to get my life on track now.

OP posts:

frogetyfrog · 08/10/2010 17:23

I am so confused. So how much do you get to live on a month after paying the rent?

FortunateHamster · 08/10/2010 17:26

Do you know if they will accept you paying less? Would it not be better to get your money back if possible? I'd want to find out the situation from the landlord/estage agent in case they try to be troublesome (ie not giving the money back or letting you pay less).

islandhopper · 08/10/2010 17:31

Hi Feli, well, I'm glad for you that you've sorted that out. Seems as if you will have £1,000pcm to live on, in addition to your rent, etc, so you will be fine.

Not your fault, of course, but it's not so good for us taxpayers, though, I'm afraid. Until the Govt's announcement this week about capping benefits at £26k, I had no idea people were being paid so much for not working. Even the cap of £26k is still far too much - that's the equivalent of £35k gross, which is still far more than most people working 40+ hours/week have to live on - and those working may well have to pay childcare out of that as well as all the other things (eg free prescriptions) which the unemployed get for free. No wonder the UK has no money left!

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:32

I get child tax credit, income support and child benefit to live off of. I am going to have a word with the landlord and estate agent on Monday so we can all discuss how much I now pay or redeem.

OP posts:

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:34

no not 1000pcm? :s all my benefits come to around 500pcm.

OP posts:

shongololo · 08/10/2010 17:35

ask for the overpayment back in a lump sum and use it to pay of your debt.

Id also be one to consider moving to another area. Do whats best for your child, not what makes you more comfortable.

I moved half way across the world at 21, with only a suitcase and a couple of hundred quid to my name. Its scary, but liberating.

frogetyfrog · 08/10/2010 17:36

So your rent should have been £1400 per month?

But you get in £23k a year. £16800 in rent leaving £6200 left per annum. So about £500 per month for bills, living?

Is that right. That must be about doable for two people?

frogetyfrog · 08/10/2010 17:37

I still think that rent is way too much to be paying for two people out of national money.

Landlords are greedy.

Is a flat or a house you live in out of interest.

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:40

Shongololo I would love to do that...I just do not have the balls, its scary to takes uprooting risks when its just you and your child. I would however love to know your story in more detail?

@frogetyfrog yes that is correct and 500pcm is doable. Btw thank you for supporting me when some of the angrier members chastised me in there own little way.

OP posts:

minipie · 08/10/2010 17:43

Hi Feli

If I understand correctly your rent, for you and DD (so a 1 bed flat? 2 bed?) is £340 per week. (£17,600 per year).

Is that right? If so, I have to say, there are a lot of safe areas in London where you could rent a 1 or 2 bed flat for less than that. Whereabouts do you live? Do you have any ties to that area?

frogetyfrog · 08/10/2010 17:47

You should be fine then Feli and able to carry on. Things will be tight though - do sort out your fuel situation and get on top of that as that doesnt add up imo. If you could get that reduced you would be better off.

Original poster

Feli · 08/10/2010 17:48

Its a flat. One corridor with 2 bedrooms and a living room, it has grass in the area which may be the reason why its expensive!

Most of the places in NW london are this price.

...a little history. When I moved here this was the only place out of many that would accept HB. I called everywhere and negotiated with many and this was the only place that accepted. The only other option for me was to go into a hostel and be placed on the housing list...they said you could be waiting up to a year to have a home.

OP posts:

Granard · 08/10/2010 17:57

Feli, I'm very sorry to hear how distressed you are and I think you've received some good advice here from the other posters.

I'm actually surprised that you do get 30k net in benefits and, if you are struggling to survive on that, you should consider some changes I think. 30k net income a year is a significant sum, even if your rent is £340 pw. I earn approx the same after tax for working full time and my mortgage is more than your rent and I have to pay childcare. I don't have a family member within a 100 mile radius of my home.

I don't know what uni course you are aiming for but how much do you expect to earn when qualified? Do you think it will be more than 30k after tax? Doubtful, at least for the first few years.

Once your child starts school, it will be much more difficult to move. And when she does start school, you will make more friends and establish a network and I think you would find it easier outside of London.

So I would first of all look at what your earning potential is after your course and decide if London is really the right place for you long-term.

Best of luck

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