Have you checked what you will get on the tax credits calculator?

Here you go:

http://taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk/Qualify/DIQHousehold.aspx

When you get the final figure at the end, that will be what you are entitled to between now and 5th April, so just divide that by how many weeks left in that time and you will get your weekly figure xx

Our gas and leccy is £150 per month and that's with us been so carful two years ago it was £250. We cut down on using the dryer and turned our heating and saved loads.

Hun, I know you just want to keep your house so I'd just make that your priority. If youre both out I'd work with a lo won't they just pay your rent?

the leccy and gas company were taking £90 a month from us, our house is big, we don't ever really turn lights on, we only have one tv in the house...i don't even dry my hair anymore lol the dishwasher and washing machine are on...but thats things we use ...our leccy is about £30 a month and our gas about £25atm...we told them we wanna be on a variable DD and not a fixed one, as were £170 in credit with gas and £70 in debit with leccy...so there've 0ed both accounts off and put £70 in adams account adams on the phone to catalogues/sky/telephone...gonna get them all cut/cancelled see how that helps...
we're doing our darndest to not lose the house, but council will only pay £100 a week towards rent, and our rent is £495 pm...so even with full benefits (which we're not guarenteed ) then we'd still not be able to afford everything!! WTC is getting cut, so from £135 a week, it'd get cut down to £60 a week leaving us even worserer off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so guess we're gonna have to live in a shitty council home, in a horrible area...if we're lucky!¬!!!!!
and oh yeah, i get married in less than 4 weeks....

OK



I don't want to sound harsh but it sounds like its time to think about applying for council house. I think you're basing all your happiness on your lovely house but by the sounds of it the house is far too big and too expensive for you to live happily in. I basing this on the fact that you don't have lights on or use the hair dryer.



Council houses are not shitty, they're well built and are usually in a decent state of repair. At least if you can get a council house you will be able to afford to live there and you never know it may be for the best and as long as you have your hubby to be and your gorgeous boy with you, it doesnt really matter where you live.



I really love houses and at the grand old of age of 43 I now live a lovely big house which we can afford to heat and live happily in. But when I had my first baby I lived i n a council house in a pretty rough area. I was there for 6 years and made my house really nice and comfortable and I found that many of my neighbours were really quite nice and I'm still friends with them now. I can honestly say that those six years living in my council house were really happy times.



Hun, at the end of the day, houses are bricks and morter and its the other things in life that will make you happy. So start to think positive and start to look for a house that you can make into a home for your lovely little family.



xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

like babymilly says, at least you have your little boy and your nearly hubby and you will have a roof over your heads, things could be much worse.

once one or both of you has a job you will be able to save money you would be paying out on rent and put it either into your living costs and put money towards moving when the time is right.

i have lived in all kinds of places and one of my nicest homes was housing association (in fact i wish we still lived there now)

I think Babymilly has a ver good point. I WISH i was eligible for council housing as I pay rent with no credits and 600 pound gets us a house with no double glazing that frequently has ice on the inside of the windows in the winter and we dont have the money to get a deposit together to move for about 18 months now so are totally stuck, at least you would be eligible

Hun, not all council houses are shit. My last flat was council, well housing association and it was lovely. Yes we had no carpet (as it was new build) but that didn't matter, we saved to get our living room done, and just used big cheapy rugs in the bedrooms. This house we are in now is housing association too and yes I've complained about the decor but that was cause we did a swap and so housing association did not have to do checks on decor. Normally when you are offered a place, the housing association or council have to go in and check the state of the place to make sure its clean/safe for new tenants.

xx

Nowt wrong with council houses chick. All of them are double glazed now with fitted kitchens etc. At least you know if something goes wrong with the house i.e repairs need doing, you will be able to have it fixed. My SIL lives in a council house. She had a new kitchen and new boiler fitted last year. That's at least £2000 worth of work.

Dont want to put a dampner on things, but is there any way you could postpone the wedding. There are more urgent things that need sorting first. Things happen for a reason xx

Yup I totally agree with Babymilly. Iv been on council list for 2.5 years, classed as homeless for 2 years and am STILL waiting on a council or housing associaton property. They are like gold dust round here and most people prefer them to private renting.

The rents are cheaper, so when you and adam get work you will be even better off than you were before. They are yours for as long as you need - so no worries about landlord evicting you , you can decorate them to your taste. They can be smaller but then are easier to heat.
Yes you can get crappy areas, but if you keep yourself to yourself that wont be a prob. Also my friends that are in housing association propertys im slightly jealous of as there seems to be quite good community spirit and lots of LO's for Caitlin to make friends with. Here we are stuck with pensioners and its a bit isolating.

Im just trying to help you see the positives hun. I dont mean you are lucky to be in your situation, I just mean there are lots of ppl these days who would give their left arm for hosuing association/council property.

Oh and saw you got your wedding rings sorted. Glad something nice happened for you today

i think i must be coming across as something i never wanted to be seen as. I'm grateful for everytning i get in life, down to the socks i have on my feet!!
i have been in a council house before, and i hated it, the kitchen/bathroom were nice, newly fitted, but there were no carpets, floors were filthy and walls weren't plastered...we had no money spare to do up the house, and all i keep seeing is benji on a scruffy dirty floor...the council "checked" the hjome we were in and said it was ok...like shite was it. and im, not a snob at all, believe me,m far from it!!
i have worked hard to get a nice home, and im gonna do my best to stay here...
if i have to move, i have to move. I would be offered a home either in the area where we used to live (catchgate!) or a home in south stanley (in a really awwful area) as there's no other houses going for us in the category we'd be given...
going to hand housing application in tomorrow and we'll see wherewe go from there...
can't postpone the wedding, as everything is paid for and we wouldn't get deposits back etc...meaning we'd lose out on money...so we'd be defeating the object there.
we'll see what the future holds, this is a new leaf in life for us, hoping you ladies aren't seeing me for something im not...which im seeing as you seeing me as spoilt...
ive done everything myself in life...
yeah good thing i could get my ring, got it from the catalogue so dont need to find some "real" money...

Hey chick, I don't see you as spoilt at all, I see you as someone who wants the very best for family. I was just thinking that the lovely house you live in at the moment seems to be too much for you.

Council houses in my area are ok and usually in a good state of repair. I don't think they come with carpets but at least if you were getting the rent paid you'd soon be able to save for some flooring. And council houses are long term so there'd be no worry about spending money then moving out.

I'm just trying to say that as long as you have each other and the gorgeous benji I'm sure you can make anywhere into a lovely home

If the wedding is paid for then at least you have that to look forward to.

And you could be a bit cheeky and ask for cash for wedding presents and use it towards buyings for your new house xxx

we're asking for cash anyway hun, we were gonna go on a honeymoon but that ain't happening now
thanks for not seeing me as spoilt coz im certainly not and have never been spoilt lol

i'm just uber stressed at the moment- it's bad enough planning a wedding, never mind anything else!!



yeah our house is lovely, its something we've always wanted- there's not many nice areas where we live (stanley) and we're in one of the only ones lol
it's more frustration with me, that we started off in a council home, in a shabby area (full of chavs etc) and broken windows! and moved to a 2 bedroom flat- then this house (we've only lived together for 4 years lol!!)
sick of moving/having lives turned upside down...but i'll do whatever it takes to make sure we're in a safe environment away from any badness and in no debt.
i'm a very head strong person so i'll get there in the end, just worried about mr. defeatous upstairs lol
ah we'll get there in the end, and if we don't then it's not the end

I dont think you are spoilt Lou, just pointing out that sometimes prviate rent isnt the be all and end all. Im stuck in a house i love for its character but isnt great for my girls as its on a busy road with a pond in the back garden and no double glazing but im stuck here cos I cant get the money together I need to move-thats all i meant is im not eligible cos I earn too much but cos Im trying to pay stuff off asap im also not in a place to move on. I guess I was just trying to say its good you have options still whihc might be worth exploring. Didnt mean to sound like I was saying you were ungrateful

good good!! thought you all thought i was some terrible brat, which ive always strived not to be lol
aww what a relief
yeah, i understand mario- i wish we could live in this home and not have to worry about whether we're going to be able to pay the rent every month...atleast with council if you cant afford the rent its not the end of the world!!
deffo gonna hand application in on tuesday

good on ya !! you've gotta look at the positives and work from there. We all deal with things differently xx

yeah deffo we'll see what life brings our way...i think it was the whole shock of everything, losing his job, possible moving, wedding in 3 weeks, my sister's fits it's craazzzy amount of stress lol xx