Can you help?

[WorriedAsUsual]

I am hoping the end of the month doesn't come. I am living off benefits, and I am not going to have enough to pay off all my bills and rent at the end of the month. I am currently £2 into my £500 overdraft. It doesn't seem too bad, but I don't think I will be getting a housing benefit cheque before my rent comes out. My rent is £725, and going up next month to £750. Council have said they cannot alter my housing benefit til the rent officer is due to look at my claim which won't be til February. On top of that, I have bills to come out. Telephone, tv license, gas, electricty, mobile (I have a contract phone), water, and anything else that I have forgotten.

Last month some of my bills were not paid (they all come out direct debit) as I had sufficient funds in my account. I was then charged for this too. I have noone I can ask for help. When I try to explain my money problems to my family, they do not listen. I am getting everything I am entitled to but seen to be struggling so much. I am desperate for some new clothes but don't buy them as I can't afford too.

What can I do? I am losing sleep as I stay up all night worrying about it. I can't stop crying when I think about what a mess I am in. I would appreciate any kind of advice. TIA.

Have you spoken to the Citizens Advice Bureau? They have people specially trained for this. They can give you advice and contact those companies you need to pay etc. and can negotiate reduced payments on your behalf until you get back on your feet.

Yes, agree with muminamill, ring your local CAB tomorrow. They can be very busy, but keep trying until you get through.

Would second the CAB - also give the CCCS (Consumer Credit Counselling Service) a call - they were absolutely wonderful when we found ourselves in trouble a few years back - www.cccs.co.uk/

I was going to suggest the CAB too.

Thanks. I will try to ring them tomorrow.

Slinky, I had a look on that website. I did the thing to see if I have a problem, and it says I need to speak to a debt counsellor. Does anyone know what they would do for me or talk to me about?

Give them a ring - they are so lovely and don't judge you because you're in a fix.

From what I remember (it was a while ago) they want to know all your Creditors, how much you owe to who. They then contact everyone on your behalf and arrange reduced payments. I think they may have even sent someone round to discuss it face-to-face.

Don't be worried about ringing them - they're often mentioned as a "contact" for people dealing with debt.

Consumer Credit Counselling Service
0800 138 1111
Free counselling and advice for people with debt problems

National Debt Line
0808 138 1111
Free confidential advice for people with debt problems

do you get full Housing benefit? if you live in a council house or housing association house they have set targets regarding rent arrears and they will get off their arses and review anything you like - write letters for you - everything if it means helping you with a housing benefit claim.
you must contact housing benefit to alter your HB entitlement. they will require proof from your landlord - regardless of a review - ask for a letter immediatley stating your rent and send to housing benefit - which is not the council - do not think you are telling the council something therefore HB must know - they are totally different.

whilst housing benefit are sorting themselves out - which can take weeks , months and years depending on which council you live in. you absolutley must go to the CAB with a copy of your tenancy. each tenancy type gives you different protection under the law. with some you are not allowed to owe more than 6-8 weeks of rent or you can be evicted. you must pay your rent plus £3.00 as a minimum off any outstanding. then if it gets to court - even if its becuase its HB fault for not sorting it out at their end YOU are still responsible for your rent - no one else in law. so if you pay your rent and £3.00 off the diference every week. you will show that you have a good record payment and that you are showing willing.

the rent is the all important bill. any catalogue bills the CAB will prolly advise are non important debts and can prolly make a phone call on your behalf. you need to contact gas, water and electricity and set up a payment plan. if having direct debits is causing you to get into more debt becuase you dont have the funds to cover them - then cancel them and pay your bills at the post office.

you need to phone up your contract phone too and ascertain as to what will happen if you do not forfil your contract - CAB maybe able to write a letter or make aphone call - but you need to get rid of non essential items if you cant afford them and a contract mobile phone isn't essential.

you need to get your rent sorted pronto and waiting for someone to get off their arse and review it in a few months time isnt going to help you - believe me honestly when i say to you the squeeky wheel gets the oil. you must phone every other day - you must make them sort your claim out beucase if they have to speak to again their head will explode, the amount of times i have seen people with the gob, jump the queue for something becuase the housing officer cant bare to speak to that moanin old bitch anymore - i swear. phone phone phone, write letters. get other people to write letter, go to your mp, get the newspaper - how they hate adverse publicity - ask for a complaints form - that usually gets someones attention - you must get them to sort out your housing benefit claim - you cannot sustain over £700 coming out in rent - when you are entitled to a reduction - you may not have enough to eat properly.

as for new clothes who for - you? you can do without, for your kids? school uniform etc...school will have some left over stuff.

you really have to knuckle down - non essential stuff - you cant have mobile phones and internet access and cry about how you have no money. cancel the lot. re examine your food bills - do you buy the value stuff? the cheapest stuff? do you really need he extra shine conditioner at 1.50 when you can get brand own for 49p?

sorry to be harsh its not meant as a liturgy but rather as advice from one who has been there done that on milk tokens and 7p beans with no phone at all no new clothes for years.. and who now works in social housing!

Pay your bills and whatever you have left minus a bit for you pay in your rent... tell your landlord/housing that that is really all you can afford. all your landlord can do is say you must leave, housing are more likely to pay the rent rather than find you emergency accomodation and a council property. It makes me so angry when they say rubbish like you have to wait NO YOU DONT! If you carry on paying the rent then they will just think that you can manage to scrape it together every month and put your claim to the back of the list.
This problem can be sorted and Im sorry you are going through this stress.

great money saving thread here although I appreciate you have pressing and immediate issues to deal with. Custardo's advice is very sound. Good luck.

should say pay all bills before you pay your rent so they can actually see what you have left

how you doing worried as usual?