Hi 45002 & mariner51, The tenancy was is in both mine and my ex`s name. When I went to the council I was told as I was under 35 yrs old and single all I could get for HB per week would be £66.04 under the new rules people under that age are meant to be payed to only cover living in a bedsit or in a room in a shared accomadation, which seems ridiculous to me!! I have a 1 bed flat it is quite small anyway but the HB would not cover it, so the lady at the council who was amazing by the way said that for up to 13 weeks they can give a discretionary housing payment so that is what she is actioning for me. It still leaves me about £50.00 odd short from the total rent but hopefully I can make that up with my ESA. She did that for me as I would then have time to try and look for a more affordable place to live which the HB would cover. I was very worried as it is only a few months until xmas and I know everything stops for a few weeks so she said that I would have until at least after xmas to find a new place to live. As I said in a previous post my partner just up and left me without a penny to my name. So for the lady at the council to help me as she did I was more grateful than she would ever know. I also had pretty much no food left and she sorted out an emergency pre paid card for me to buy some groceries. I honestly don`t know what I would have done without her. It just goes to show if you are able to speak to the right person it can change everything for you. I hope this answers everything for you. I only posted quickly earlier as I am still trying to fill out the ESA form for when I get my doctors note next week but I didn`t want people on here to think I was ungrateful for the help they had given. I will keep my thread updated and if there is anything else anyone would like to ask or if god forbid anyone finds themself in a similar situation to me, I am willing to help with any questions they might have. Thanks again to everyone, this site is amazing and has helped me so much.

Just a quick update, I have had a really busy few days trying to sort everything out, I have managed to sort out Discretionary Housing Payment with the help of a very kind lady at the council and I am also in the process of sorting out my ESA and Council Tax. Things still seem very bleak to me but I have really appreciated the help from people on here and in my local council etc. I suppose I know deep down everything will sort itself out, but it is hard to think that way when everything is thrown at you at once. So thanks again to everyone who posted the information you gave me really helped.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my thread I really appreciate it, so thanks again.

Thanks for your reply stu007, To clarify I am in a privately rented 1 bed flat. The contract was an assured shorthold tenancy for 6 months that started in December 2012 and ended in June 2013 and we are now on a rolling month to month contract. At the moment we are up to date with the Rent, paying each month in advance. We are due to pay the rent again on the 6th November. This is the first time we would have fell behind with it. There is no way I will have the money for this. We also have a months deposit held with DPS. I have applied for ESA over the phone today but there was some kind of error the guy wouldn`t explain what but he said he would have to send me the forms to fill out manually and I was to attach my doctors note with them and to send them back and then they would get it processed for me. I was told by the guy I could not apply for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit until my ESA was approved. The guy was very unhelpful and I was too upset to argue. I am going to ring the Council Tax Dept tomorrow and explain to them my situation and with regards to the housing benefit I don`t know what to do about that? I will also try to get a Crisis Loan or whatever the new thing they are calling it now is!! I really appreciate everyone posting to help me, but I must admit I feel pretty defeated at the moment, I haven`t stopped crying all day. I am hoping I will feel better tomorrow as I know I will need my fighting sprit back again to get things sorted out.

Thanks lookinforinfo for your reply, I have checked out the link you posted and I will ring the Depatrment of Work and Pensions and the Job centre tomorrow and ask where I can apply. I really am desperate and any help from them would be appreciated.

I don`t know where to start really I feel so upset, my partner of 10 years left me last wednesday and has told me today he will not be coming back. He was the sole earner in our house I have not worked for a while due to health problems and I am unable to work at present. I did not claim any benefits my partner provided for me. He paid the rent, bills, etc and now he has walked out and not left me a penny I literally have £4 in my bank account. Now I have no way to pay the rent, I applied today for ESA and was told it will take about 3 weeks to process if I am lucky and I can`t apply for housing & council tax benefit until the ESA gets accepted. My rent is due on the 6th November and I have no way to pay it. We have a joint tenancy and my ex has not given our landlord the one months notice so by law we are legally responsible to pay the next rent. He said is not paying so what can I do? My landlord is not a very nice guy and I am dreading his reaction when he finds out the rent will not be payed. He knows I don`t work and that my ex pays it. I don`t know what to do I am so scared I don`t know whether to tell him now I won`t be able to pay or tell him nearer to the time. I am scared once he finds out he will try to change to locks when I am out or try and intimidate me now he knows it is just a female on her own. I rang Shelter and they just told me to try and get on benefits as soon as possible but as I am single and under 35 yrs old so I will only get £66.04 a week housing benefit and the rent for this place is £515 so I know I will have to leave here soon. I have no family or friends to turn to, I feel like there is no way to sort this out at the moment. I have reached rock bottom and I can`t even think straight to find a solution. The only money I could give my landlord is the deposit we have with the DPS, but I don`t think he would accept that. I don`t know what to do I feel so alone, I can`t believe my ex has done this to me. Can anyone give me any advice especially if they have been in a similar situation.. Many thanks in advance.

Just an update to my previous post I rang the insolvency service regarding the difference in balances, spoke to a lovely man who explained everything he said that I would be liable for the difference. I asked him if I could pay it straightaway he said that was fine, as long as I only paid the difference and no more, so I have paid the difference and now my balances are correct. He told me I did the right thing in ringing them first to check what I was able to do and if I had any questions or problems in the future just to give them a ring which is comforting to know. Apparently this happens to alot of people, they give balances and the companies update them the same day and it leads to a slight difference. Hope this helps someone who may be in a similar position in the future. Thanks to everyone for their help and advice.

Yes me too I feel so annoyed though, all this stress over £9!!!!

Thanks Citizenb I did overstate the balances and I am still £9 short, if I can just pay it that would be fine, what I am afraid of,is not being allowed to pay it and them idiots at the catalogue company adding loads of charges on an £9 debt. I hope the Insolvency service can answer all my questions on monday, surely other people have been in this position. I will update the thread when I have some answers.

sorry not to be rude but have you actually read my question, because what you are saying has no relevance to my question.

As above all the debts on the DRO are correct except one, as I said it it a catalogue debt and the difference is £9

Hi, I was accepted for my debt relief order this week, before it was submitted on the day I rang creditors and got up to date balances, these were submitted. My DRO was granted the next day, this morning I received a statement from one of my creditors and it seems the day I rang up for the balances that evening they updated the balance and now one of my amounts is wrong, it is only out by about £9 I actually added extra to the balance in case of charges, so now what do I do? I am so annoyed I asked on the phone was the balance correct for the day and they said yes, no mention of charges being added the end of the day. I know I am not supposed to make payments when the DRO has been granted, but I am afraid now the balance is wrong the company will add charges and interest to the £9 owed and then I will be back to square one again. The creditor is a catalogue and we all know how they like to add on the £12 charges. I am going to ring the insolvency service to ask but they are not there until monday, and I feel anxious about this now, has anyone else been in a similar position who could advise me, any answers or advice greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Thanks Stigman, I am in the process of getting all the paperwork ready and my partner and I have sent off today for our credit reports. Thanks for explaining the way it works, it seems quite straight forward so fingers crossed we don`t have any problems. I will keep the thread updated on my progress, thanks again for the help.

Thanks Stigman, I feel abit better about things today I received my ref number from CCCS this morning and spoke to one of their debt relief order counsellors and he was brilliant, he answered all my questions and there were alot!!! He put my mind abit more at ease which means alot at the moment. They are sending all the paperwork out to me we did the I&E form and now I just have to get the paperwork ready my end and send off for my credit report. So hopefully within the next month or so it will all be completed he said they have a turnaround of about 20 days at the moment, but he said alot of it depends on how quickly I get the paperwork back to them. I will keep the thread updated with my progress, thanks again to the people who posted, for their help and support it was very much appreciated.

Thanks I appreciate the advice, although the debts might not seem alot to some people they are to me and my partner he earns less than £20,000 working full time neither of our credit ratings are great anyway so we are going to go for the DRO if they will accept us. I just can`t deal with the stress of it anymore, our financial situation isn`t going to improve anytime soon so it seems like our best option. If anyone here has recently been through the process recently of a DRO I would appreciate any advice or feedback of their experience I am currently waiting to receive information from CCCS and then hopefully we can get the ball rolling. Thanks