i didn't expect to be spending xmas in a stable

[lynda66]

oh joy ...... i've just had an eviction notice ...... not cos i've done anything wrong, but cos my rent has been cocked up ...... again ....... by the council ..... and i also got another letter from the council saying i owe them £600 cos they have overpaid my rent and council tax

it all stems from july, when my income support was stopped ....... so i spent 8 weeks with no money at all ...... finally sorted all that out, got the back pay, and i thought sorted out the rent ...... it got complicated cos Rob went off to uni, and they 'apparently' haven't had the letter off me giving them his new address ........ so they have charged me as though he is living here and on a high income ........ WTF.

so i just rang them, to see what the hell is happening, and they said cos they haven't had the letter in time, i won't get the money back and i have to pay the rent from september myself ...... plus repay the money from september that they have already paid back to them oh but of course theres no problem, as they will still pay £21 of my weekly rent ....... have just rung the housing association(they bought the council houses) and they kindly said they wont start actual eviction proceedings till january ....... that's nice of them.

[shirlthegirl43]

Oh dear, hope they get it all sorted out quickly Lynda.

[sallym]

Oh Lynda thats awful. I don't have any ideas to help apart from maybe CAB. I'm always crap at finding the right words but just wanted you to know my thoughts are with you. There's loads of clever grapes out there with good ideas, I'm sure something will turn up.
Chin Up Hon.

[snuffer]

Sorry to read of your problems lynda 66. That's just the trouble with pen pushers in local authority. They seem to have no grasp of the problems they create. According to them we're supposed to be some sort of financial experts when in reality, by and large, we depend on them getting things right and giving us the correct advice. Unfortunately that seems to happen less and less.

Hope things get sorted for you soon.

[bobleponge]

Sure things will be right in the end Lynda. Not easy when your at the end of it, as you are now, but things will sort themselves. Chin up, and dont let it spoil your festive season.

[FionaH]

I would suggest getting yourself down to the CAB mate. Social can claim back if they have overpaid you but Im pretty sure they have to give you a reasonable time to pay. They normally respond much better to CAB than to an individual. Best of luck

[Two_Sheds]

You can't be evicted without a Court Order.
If you show you are "willing to pay" (by paying as much as you can afford to clear any arrears) then you won't get evicted. Shelter England - Eviction of housing association tenants

You still need to get the whole financial situation sorted - CAB on Monday?

[zazen999]

I know nothing of the legalities, but are you on the moneysavingexpert website/forum?

Good luck mate, hope you sort the muppets out.

xxx

[Two_Sheds]

it all stems from july, when my income support was stopped ....... so i spent 8 weeks with no money at all ......

this happened to me when I moved flats (all I did was go up a floor; and I told them in plenty of time). The council sent my HB cheque to my old flat, so I never got it - when I didn't cash it, they stopped my claim.
Didn't bother to phone me, so I didn't know what was going on.

I had no money at all for 3 months while they started my claim from scratch.

[lynda66]

problem is it's the second eviction notice i've had cos of the cock ups last time ..... because of how long it took them to sort out the housing benefit, the eviction was ready to go to court when they paid it ....... just so bloody fed up, it's one thing after another at the moment ...... i already have a DLA appeal going on and have a big pile of mail that i really daren't open going back the last 6 months cos i haven't been able to pay stuff ........ and yup i messed up when i got the back pay, and went and bought food and gas and leccy instead of paying the bills ........ i'm just so fed up of it all ...... being honest i've just suddenly lost the desire to cope any more ....... feel like giving up

[FionaH]

Dont give up. Take a big breath open the mail and take all bills to the CAB and let them help you. They have a great debt counselling service. (apart from here where they just help you rehome the black labs and get a decent cleaner! ) I have been where you are now hon so big hugs

[piskieinboots]

Lynda - you must get help and advise and you must get it soonest. Call CAB now, they may still be open, and make an appointment for Monday - if they are not open try to relax until Monday and get onto it first thing.

Giving up is not an option - ever

[Seahorse]

YouTube - Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush -Don't Give Up

Hey up Lynda. It'll be ok. If you need help, ask for it. Ask everyone! Friends, family, CAB, the council (yeah, I know - but you might just get someone good) The Samaritans, anyone! I know only too well how daunting mountains of forms, endless phonecalls and the rest can be but it's doable. Heck, I'll ring the first person on your 'sort it' list for you!

Hang in there chuck.

[Two_Sheds]

this should show you CAB etc in your area: Shelter England - NORTH WEST ENGLAND

[SarzWix]

Big ((((hugs)))) sweetheart, it's ****, ****, **** innit?

Do you have a local "Advocacy" service? We have one in Skipton, and they speak on your behalf to all sorts of people if you're struggling to cope with crap like this. If it wasn't for them we'd have been left owing a few months rent too because OH was in too much of a state to get the documents they wanted back to them on time, so our claim got thrown out. They also helped my friend apply for Yorks Water community grant to pay off her arrears, and apply for Leccy & Gas Social Tariffs which are for people with less than £13500 a year income.
Have a look in your phone book and see if there's one near you, deffo worth it, and they'll come to you rather than having to wait hours in CAB office

Anything I can do, at all, PM me, ok? I can be at yours in a couple of hours max, if required