help please :-(

[jameelah0121]

Hi everyone this is my first post so please excuse anything I do wrong :-) I need advise on clothing my children I have 5 four boys and a girlI cannot afford to clothe them after I pay rent and bills I am left with just 60 pound for food nappies etc my children literally have nothing except a couple of tops and bottoms I dont even have pjs for them I had tokeep them Iif school the ither day as ut was a no uniform day and they never had anything to wear I no it is a terrible thing to say but I feel embarrassed to take them out! My children are loved clean and well fed so please don't think they are not can anyone give advice on any grants available etc or any ideas where u can get cheap clothes many thanks xxx

What are you claiming and what are your "bills"? Are you getting HB/tc etc? I come at this as a single mum on benefits - no necked island holidays here but we make ends meet.

If your bills are "old debts" perhaps it's time to consider letting them go in the form of bankruptcy.

Try some charity shops in your area. Children's clothes are often in good condition.

Isn't there a clothes bank three running somewhere on here?
Have you tried freecycle, charity shops?

Facebook selling pages have big bundles of clothes for next to nothing, charity shops have some real bargains too (this can be a bit hit and miss) this time of year there are school fetes, jumble sales etc too.

I have a large family and buy stuff in the sales a season ahead and guess sizes, I'm rarely wrong.

If you are really struggling financially then maybe contact social services, they can put you in touch with people who can help with budgeting etc (a friend of mine did this and SS were very helpful)

How are you feeding your family, getting nappies, toiletries and cleaning stuff etc for 6 people on £60 a week?

Do ask on Freecycle. Quite often people are glad to get rid of bags of stuff without the hassle of taking it anywhere.

Agree with a PP, what are your bills and what benefits etc. are you getting? Can you post us a quick idea of your outgoings?

Do your DC get FSM? Would school perhaps be able to help out if you talked to them in confidence?

Clothes bank thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/2413424-CHILDRENS-CLOTHES-SHOES-BANK-thread

How old are your children?

Also if you have one (at least) still in nappies, do you have a Health Visitor? They can be a gateway to accessing all sorts if you reach out.

I have a friend who was in a similar situation. She asked on freecycle and managed to get a good load of clothes.

how old are the children?

How old are they?
I would be happy to send clothes if I have some that fit.
I buy from charity shops so they won't be like new or the latest fashions but hopefully they will like having something new to them.

Id ask on your local freecycle or Gumtree rather than on here or at you local,church or whatever. Have you any family or friends who have kids?
I also second the suggestion to look on eBay - there are some very cheap kids bundles to be had.

Freecycle
Charity Shops
Ebay
Your local basics bank

Our local Facebook page is full of people giving away / selling v cheaply bundles of clothes. Have you something similar? Try searching for your town and free for sale

You shouldn't ever keep,them off school even if they have to wear their uniforms. There are always some DC who turn up at school in their uniforms on non-uniform days.

Do you have old tee shirts that they can wear to bed?

www.turn2us.org.uk/

OP, I don't know if you have a partner or husband but just a small increase in income would help you enormously. I know it much, much easier said than done but is there anyway either you or your partner do any extra work to raise some money. Depending on your kids ages perhaps your older DCs could do something to earn a bit of money.

I'm sure you have already thought this through but maybe it's worth having another look at it.

Oh seriously - no way would I send my children to a non school uniform day in their uniforms! It's like abject humiliation for the poor child!

Evening all,
Aren't you lovely with all your good advice? We're just posting our usual bit here, as per a couple of reports.
We do advise all our members to be aware that not everyone on t'internet is who they say they are, and that, although we're awed daily by the astonishing support our members give each other through life's trickier twists and turns, we'd always caution anyone never to give more of themselves to another poster, emotionally or financially, than they can afford to spare.

Hi thankyou all for your responses I didn't think any one would even post back my four sons are 4,6 8 and 13 months and my daughter is 7 years old I am a single mom as my husband left me to go into an arranged marriage (hes a muslim ) thsnkyou for your ideas I will defo post an add on freecycle and check out the grant link aswell as for charity shops and ebay etc I find them quite expensive I am getting relevant benefits but I have to pay 200 per week rent (yes per week) as Iam Iin temporary accommodation that is why money is so short x

I can help with your daughter as I have just cleared out my 8 year olds wardrobe. If you pm me your address I'll send you some things. What shoe size is she?

I might have a few bits for your sons (I'll check) but my son is much older so it may all be gone.

Have you asked the council for DHP. Are you even claiming Housing Benefit and Tax Credits?

Talk to the CAB. Numbers don't seem right. Even allowing for any shortfall in HB vs temp rent, you should still have around 200/week plus - and that's assuming your HB only covers half the rent.

So sorry to hear you're in such a pickle. :(

im recieving hb 50pw and I have applied for dhp which fingers crossed I will get it will really help me out especially with Christmas coming up

50/week HB absolutely cannot be right. I live in one of the cheapest places in the country and I get 85/week as a LP with just 2 DC's.