I need some help please.

[Jogoo]

Hi everyone, I'm new in this forum and I want to thank you all for good work that you are doing to help others.

 

I discovered this site about 1 week ago and I'm simply amazed by the wealth of information this site has made available to everyone in need, so thank you very much.

 

I need some advice on this:

I'm currently working as a cleaner (30 hours/week). I

got this job after having been on JSA for a year and on WP for about a month.

I only took the job because I was really desperate to get the JCP off my back because of the the way they made my life miserable

with numerous sanction which almost made me and family homeless.

 

Reasons for sanctions were I wasn't doing enough job searching,

they were especially not happy that I wasn't keen to a apply for care home jobs.

(I'm personally not wired to do personal care, but I have huge respect for carers)

 

I have worked as cleaner for 1 year and four months and I get 171/week.

 

I'm a father of 4 and my wife isn't working because we got a toddler.

 

We get 300/month in housing benefit and we top up £425 for our £725 rent.

 

Our expenses are way above my wages and therefore I have a huge gas/electric bill, water bill and council tax bill (£86/month)

 

The council have already sent Chandlers bailiffs after me previous unpaid bills and currently owe the 2 months payments.

 

So I'm at loss what to do simply because my wages aren't enough and I'm just overwhelmed by debt.

 

I want to start my own business as a carpet cleaner,

 

my question is;

 

if i stopped working as cleaner, will I lose my HB & CTB and will I qualify to get JSA until I start making enough money?

 

Please help and sorry for the long post.

 

Thank you very much.

[mikeymack2002]

Hi and welcome to CAG firstly if you give up your job you will not get benefits as you left your work, this will go against you when you claim your benefits. Secondly any bailiff issues should be posted in the bailiff section with as much information as you can, people like Tomtubby will give you great advise.

 

First of all you will need to get all your debts sorted out and in order, use the correct forums for each one, it will be long winded for those offering advise, but well worth it in the long run. please start with them before you go ahead with the new venture getting out of debt will make your life much easier

 

If you are finding it hard now it will only get harder and more financially costly to you in the long run. There are some great caggers in the debt forums that will help you all they can and help you start to get this mess sorted out so you and your family can start to live life properly again.

 

A question you will seriously need to consider is can you really afford to take the gamble of starting a new business, what with all the capitol needed to start it up with? Also running it and doing all your accounts, paying the taxes and everything that goes with it? Its commendable that you want to do this but please think long and hard if this is achievable in this current financial climate.

 

If you already have debt collectors chasing you don't talk to them on the phone, don't answer their security questions tell them only in writhing, then just hang up. keep all the letters and don't make any rash decisions before seeking advise on here, or with respectable organisations, it will save you money in the long run, make a file for each creditor and ask for advise on each one.

 

You must prioritise each one and deal with the most important ones first , like rent, gas electric, council tax, and so on.

 

MM

Edited September 9, 2013 by mikeymack2002

[Jogoo]

Thanks a lot MM, I will do that, this was my first post on this forum, next time I will be more precise and organised. Thanks for taking time to read and reply to my post.

[mikeymack2002]

You are most welcome, We all started with no knowledge but as you move on you will realise you can sort all of this mess out, with help from the friends of the CAG. Now do yourself the best you can and start one by one with each of your debts everyone will help you and guide you down the best road for YOU. So go and start a thread with your first debt in the debt forums, with whatever debts you have so you and your family can make abetter life than you have now regarding the debts good luck, looking forward to seeing you post.

[Mr.P]

If you already have debt collectors chasing you don't talk to them on the phone, don't answer their security questions tell them only in writhing , then just hang up.

[Apologies to MM, but made me chuckle...] Always leave a paper trail for two reasons. One, you have evidence should you need to prove what was said and when. This advice applies to DCAs, councils, HMRC, and the DWP.

 

To add to what MM has said regarding self employment - I have been there myself and it can be hard to make ends meet when there is no guarantee of regular work. Working Tax Credits can help to top up an income, but if hours are variable you may not qualify some of the time - This could potentially see HMRC chasing for an overpayment at some point in the future. At least with your current 30 hour week, you have a regular income. Topping this up with part time self employment may be an option.