I'm so sorry that he's left you and the children in such a mess!
A thought with the car - is it a loan or HP? Just incase the HP company can go and pick it up due to non-payment...
I'm sorry CAB weren't able to help more than that!
Good thought about the car, sparkling!
Hello joanna28
You can share childcare with another parent. Of course you get 80% of your childcare paid whilst you are on Working Tax Credit but you have to find the other 20% yourself and it is spread throughout the year, meaning that the holidays (especially the long summer holiday) become very expensive unless you have had chance to save up for it beforehand. If you share with another parent,however, unless they are a regsitered childminder then you can't claim any childcare help but if you are repaying them by caring for their child then that's fair enough :)
Hello itsnitac
What a horrible situation. It must be difficult to hold your nerve whilst it is all going on.
Yes that's right re the childcare element, it is spread over the 52 weeks. The good side of this is that you will continue to get the money throughout the year even when you're not paying out. My first recommendation would be to approach your mortgage lender, explain the situation and ask for a 3 month repayment holiday....if you are "armed" with figures and come over to them as knowing what's what, you are likely to get a sympathetic hearing. They are having to deal with this sort of thing more often with the recession and people being made redundant and they know how slow the housing market is. If they get difficult, however, then you need to enlist outside help from an organisation such as the CAB. There are several Government schemes to help people struggling with their mortgage and all main lenders have been expected to subscribe to one of them. Have you ensured that you have told the Council you are the only adult in the house? That will cut your Council Tax by 25%.
You need to write letters to both the gas and electric people explaining your situation and offering to pay the arrears at so much per month. Also, approach the loan company/bank and explain that your husband has left and taken the car and ask for a repayment holiday for three months on that too. Before you do these letters, draw up an income and expenditure form and be realistic about your money situation. The CAB can give you an appointment for debt counselling, approach them on that basis rather than for general WTC help and you should get assistance.
Next, look around you. Is there anything you can sell? Is there any extra work you can do? My children's father suddenly stopped paying maintenance out the blue some years ago and the onlyway I got through was by doing an evening job as well as a day job.
In the medium term , you need to look at how to reduce your outgoings by considering a re-mortgage, switching your power supplier, paying your water rates over 12 months instead of 10 and cutting your spending at the supermarket. See http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ for help and more suggestions. As the housing market picks up you may like to consider whether you would be better in rented accommodation with some help from the Local Housing Allowance (formerly Housing Benefit)
Try not to panic, there are ways and means.....If you tell me your nearest town I will have a scout around and find if there are any local organsations that can help.
Louise