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

[Feli]

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

It's says "when my child is in pre school I will be going to University" and I took it to imply that the child isn't there yet.
I went back at 6 months and can afford nursery fees. Not everyone can or get bank loans. Think this post is sadly an example of the poverty trap - the rent alone in London. No wonder the OP's landlord wants her to stay as he has been taking a sum of extra money.

PCJ as an unsupported single parent I've been amazed at how much a SP with one child can claim in benefits, excluding the rental element. I'd love to have stayed at home with Ds and it would certainly have made both our lives easier bug if never occurred to me to give up work and claim.

As for going to uni I started an OU second degree which I did in the evenings. Ive had to give that up
as I can't cope with work, commuting and Ds currently needing a lot of support which leaves me too tired to do anything.

Journey - "The hard reality will hit you when you have to pay rent out of your own pocket rather than the tax payers'."

I would much rather have my husband back, go to work and "pay out of my own pocket" - he has different ideas though. So I am alone, with 3 children, one under one.

strawberry

and to be labelled a scrounger to top it off.
people are so judgemental.

Strawberry life happens and sometimes it sucks. Just saw your post.

Stop worrying about being labelled, you're not alone as you have your 3 beautiful off spring.

What do you want to do with you (and their) future, despite your husband - where do you want to be in 5 years if he's out of the equation?

I have a council flat in central London and I'm surprised at the LHA currently available. My rent is only £92pw but I've just played around a bit with entitledto and a single mother with three children could get £32.5k in benefits currently, due to LHA of £330 weekly in my area. I expect that any families who aren't in council/HA flats in zone 1 will have to move out once the changes come in.

You are so lucky treacle pie to have a LA place. I would love one but absolutely no chance. I have privately rented since splitting with exh in 2006.

I think the LHA accurately represents the lower end of a market rent in any given area.

Actually in my area you could blame the bankers (again) for puhsing up market rents (Im near Canary Wharf and the City)

My area isn't posh but the rents are sky high. In fact I just looked in an estate agents window and #240 for one bed.

Thats the LHA here for 2 bed flat

I was just thinking that the cap does discriminate against private renters (many of whom have no choice) and takes no account of regional variations in rent.

Luckily I do have a job. I don't want to move from my area should I lose it - ive lived here for about 17years and have local support in the area (vital if you are a lone parent) and its close to work and potential work should I lose my job.

And once again I read somewhere that taxes etc generated in London subsidise the regions so people need to work here that's where the jobs are (especially in my career area)

I don't think you should have to leave London, and I get that you want to feel safe-I live in a bit of a dodgy area and sleep with a mallet next to my bed!
I lived in Holloway, London in a small flat when my child was born, and it was £650 pm, but I know that was a good deal.
A two bed flat in an ok area in London (and by ok I mean somewhere like Tuffnell park or Greenwich-not Kensington!)should set you back around £12-1300 a month. Your rent is just too high.
If you have debts you need to go to the CAB.
My friend works there and recently was able to have 12000 of debts written of for a client!
I went to Uni with a baby, and I just claimed Income Support and never mentioned I was studying. I would not have got a grant.
Later I worked part time and studied, which was just about do-able.
Sit down and make a list of real priorities, and be prepared to sacrifice those things you simply cannot have right now.