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Original poster

Who else is "Nouveau Poor" and only able to claim £60pw JSA until next April??

49 replies

Milliways · 30/12/2008 17:12

Cos it sucks!

DS is claiming JSA but because we have earned over threshold for Tax credits this year we cannot claim anything else (even EMA for DD) until April!

I am still working 28hpw so some money coming in - but my money barely covers the Mortgage let alone other bills.

Hopefully by April we won't need anything, hopefully DH will have a job by then, but I fancy a bit of support from here sometimes with tips etc on eeking out our dissappearing savings.

OP posts:
BouncingTurtle · 30/12/2008 17:27

Sorry to hear this Milliways, sadly lots of people are in the same boat! Hope your DH gets sorted soon...

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 17:35

Thanks!

Just wondered how many other MNers were in same postion at the moment?

OP posts:
saramoon · 30/12/2008 18:16

Not yet but may well be soon. DH works for a car factory and half of them are going to be losing their jobs at the end of Feb. I have rung tax credits already and they have told me the same thing

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 18:36

Hope your DH is one of the lucky ones that keeps his job! If it goes in Feb he should have 1 months notice? So not too bad if has to wait until April.

It's bad times out there

OP posts:
LadyMuck · 30/12/2008 18:42

Can you get council tax benefit or are your earnings too high?

SpandexIsMyEnemy · 30/12/2008 18:44

can you swop to interest only mortgage or have a break for a few months?

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 18:48

Ladymuck - we have to wait till April for COuncil Tax benefit because between us we have earned over the Threshold this year.

Our Mortgage is flexible so we will drop to Interest Only (again - have been here before), but it is a fixed rate so no benefits re recent rate drops (we thought it would be paid off by end of 7 yr fixed rate when we took it out - and is WAS a v good rate at the time).

We DO have savings - but some large expenditure due with Orthodontist, 2 cars due Road Tax & Insurance etc. We WON't starve, but you have to be emptied out & on breadline before any benefits start it seems.

OP posts:
Creole · 30/12/2008 18:56

Do you really need a 2nd car?

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 18:59

We would loose too much if have to buy another one when DH gets a new job (he has always had to commute & travel a lot). He also uses his car to get to Interviews.

I need my car for work as it is not on a bus route (would take over 1.5 hours to do buses whereas car is 20m down Motorway).

Both Insurances are due in Feb!!

OP posts:
random · 30/12/2008 19:05

We were in the same position last year for a few months ...lived off redundancy money and my wages ..not good... luckily dp got some agency work ..moneys crap but just about managing to keep afloat

SugaryTits · 30/12/2008 19:07

When you search for car insurance have a look on the sites linked through Quidco. They offer cash back up to around £80. It sometimes takes a while to come through but is something for nothing! Their best cash back deals are on insurance products but worth looking at for anything else you need to buy on the internet.

Also envirofone if you have any old mobile phones around you can get some money for them..not usually alot but worth a look! I think you can sign up with them through quidco and get around £4 cash back as well.

Only little things but might help!

treedelivery · 30/12/2008 19:09

I am right there with you.

DH slung out of work after 15 years, with everyone else, at end of November. no pay no notice [and no redunancy till the liquidators decide how to share out the dibs, they MAY get a third of their entitlement].

Maternity leave started yesterday, which will cover the house till March. Then thats it - £60 week JSA and I suppose back to work for me even though dd will be 2 months old and I want to BF till 6 months like I did dd1.

It is unutterably shit - and people who have worked get NO FUTHER HELP as the benefit they are on [contributions based JSA] is not a qualifying benefit. To qualify it must be income based, and that is given to people who have never paid national insurance i.e. not worked. This might get council tax relief, sure start etc.

If anyone can justify this to me I'd be all ears.

Am biter bitter bitter. All we can do is try hang on to the house. Bastards.

I'd be financially more secure if my husband left me, as the financial support system in this country punishes families who earn over £15,500 a year.

CarGirl · 30/12/2008 19:09

Guess do the insurances on monthly payments, start looking around to make sure you get the cheapest deals on the following

phone/internet
car insurance
contents & buildings insurance

Do you have sky or anything - can you cancel?
ditto gym memberships?

Do you have to water rates & council tax in Feb & Mar - we don't we pay it in the first 10 months of the financial year.

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 19:10

Thanks SUgary!

You are right, it all helps! I will look at those sites.

OP posts:
snigger · 30/12/2008 19:13

I know it doesn't help, but please know that when you phone Tax Credits in this situation, 99.9% of us are gutted that there's nothing we can do to help ....

There's a middle band of people who are newly in the s*%& and there's nothing to be done to help, and it's very, very frustrating.

Grit your teeth, guys, it'll be April 5th soon, and maybe the assistance will kick in then.

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 19:16

Treedelivery . That's terrible. I agree about bitter, but trying not to let it get us down. The whole system stinks and makes working a joke at times.

Cargirl: You are right! Forgot we get 2 months off the CT

OP posts:
LadyMuck · 30/12/2008 19:16

Council tax benefit should be based on your current weekly income. It does take account of any savings.

Why would you lose too much on selling the car? You sell it for say £2k and buy similar for £2k when he gets a job . You'll still save tax and insurance in the meantime? Plus you'd have some cash in hand in the short term?

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 30/12/2008 19:17

LM - I think what she means is that if they sell for 2k now - the chances are that money is going to get used up suriving until April, so when he gets a job they'll have a lot less money to buy another one with.

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 19:17

Is that where you work Snigger? They were nice when we called but unabble to help.

Just keep praying for a new job for all those that want one!

OP posts:
Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 19:21

LadyMuck - DH's car is currently being assessed as a write off anyway due to an engagement with a ditch and some Ice the other week - which may solve one problem as we can wait before buying another. It is/was only 2 years old but they estimate £9.5K bill!! However, you always get hit with the depreciation as both cars are relatively new. We had wanted to trade mine in in 3 months time, before it has it's first MOT, for another 1 year old car. That won't be happening now.

OP posts:
treedelivery · 30/12/2008 19:23

People I spoke to at jobcentre plus and child tax were really nice too. But ultimately the computer says no and we are not humans anymore just unemployment statistics for the government to dick about with.

There's something wrong with your government when it's policies make women wish they weren't pregnant with much wanted children, or supported by wonderful partners. They should be made to see what they do to people.

We talked about dh just moving out. I'll be 'abandoned' and throw myself on state mercy and he can go get a job wherever there is one, and we'll hook up at weekends at motorway service station!!!
Stress like this could kill a marriage anyway - so we'd just be pre empting it.

A labour government too. Gah!!

LadyMuck · 30/12/2008 19:27

FAQ, when he has a job he will have a lot more than £60pw to live on. But then it doesn't sound as if he is driving a £2k car.

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 30/12/2008 19:31

yes but having a job doesn't mean he'll be able to afford another car if they've eaten into the money they make from selling the current one (wonders if that makes sense).

Milliways - is there no way you can take one of the cars "off road" so you can leave the tax and stuff for now? Or is that not allowed anymore..............I have vague recolations from many years ago my dad parking the car on the drive and just leaving it there, we couldn't afford to use it, and couldn't get it sold either so it just sat there until he could afford to run it again.

Original poster
Milliways · 30/12/2008 19:34

LM - no it was a Volvo Estate that we got new when DH had job before last and was earning really good money. He was made redundant, took almost a year to get last job (so redundancy money used) then this job folded. We have just been unlucky.

We have been used to good money, now we are adjusting. I am not a car snob, and we would trade car in if necessary, and if a job doesn't turn up then yes we will sell car (or not buy new one) until new job found. DH just hoping that with New Year job situation may perk up soon.

OP posts:
snigger · 30/12/2008 19:34

I think a lot of the problem lies in the time of year, tax-wise : if people were being made redundant in Apr/May, the current year earnings would be low enough trigger payments, but 9 months into the tax year, if you've had a half-way decent wage, you're essentially stuffed.

I wish I had something more helpful to weigh in with.

If you have a pension, and savings, pay a lump sum into the pension as you can write that off against current year income - that may help, but then again, so would the savings....