Behind of bills

[Starrynight999]

So I am behind on bills.. I earn around £400 per week after tax ish sometimes less and sometimes more

I currently owe

rent - 800
council tax 230
british gas 500
water 300

so the rent is 200 per week and I’m thinking of offering them £230 per week

water I have agreed to 112 per month

British Gas 280 per month

and council tax ish one missed payment haven’t sent any letter yet.

the prpblem is I feel like I’m constantly changing and left with absolutely nothing I mean I have other bills
to pay too these are just the ones in debt.

so husband also pays 200 per week to the rent to technically I’m only covering the extra and he also pays
for food shopping.

i don’t drive so don’t have any outgoings there.
man I flapping about nothing I know people have 10000s of debt and this is all I have but still I just feel overwhelmed

Council tax is usually paid over 10 months of the year so you may
well find that the council agree to add an eleventh payment so you’ll miss out on
an “easy” month but you won’t have a month that’s more expensive either.
HTH.

I already spread it over 12 monthly payments..

How much does your husband earn? What are your bill each month, Rent, council tax, utilities (excluding debts)

Do you have a joint account with your husband?

If you default on ct the total balance for this year becomes due in one lump sum. It is a priority debt like rent. I doubt they will accept instalments readily unfortunately. Have you asked Citizens Advice, or similar, to help you budget and manage the debts? How would you prevent it building up again?

I would contact the council rather than wait for them to contact you. They can ask you to pay the rest of the payments for the year upfront after missing a payment.

How did the arrears start? Start by going through your budget and working out what your bare bones essentials are and make sure that you are on the best terms for each of your bills - especially energy (fixes are better than price cap currently) mobile phone and internet bills. Set that money aside each month in a separate account if necessary. Then you will know how much is left to paying back debts and adjustments to lifestyle to have some small pleasures and unexpected items.

As you are feeling overwhelmed by it and you are on quite a tight budget you might find it helpful to reach out to some of the free debt charities for some guidance on how to approach the different debts and how to tackle your budget in an optimal way currently most of the companies you are in debt to count as "priority debts" so you are doing the right thing by being very proactive in resolving the debts before it gets to ££££

Why is your DH not contributing to the bills too?
If he lives with you, he is jointly resposible for the council tax.
He also uses gas/elec/water.

I think you need to do a budget looking at both your incomes/expenses.

PS Council tax is a priority debt. This one always has to come first. Rent is quite important too