Problems Paying Bills

What should you do?
Make sure you do the following if you have difficulty paying bills

The recession under the Conservatives and changes in local industry for many people has left its mark.  Some companies now only employ younger people and you can be an experienced executive and left on the shelf at just 35.

On the other hand you or a member of your family may have been taken seriously ill with a lower income coming in and run the risk of loosing your home.

What should you do?
Well the first thing you may think of is selling up your home and cutting your losses.  However if you are hoping to be housed by the council you may not qualify.  If you make yourself deliberately homeless - irrespective of impending homelessness you will not qualify.

A shortage of accommodation also means that there is a long waiting list.  The right to buy policy introduced by the Conservatives saw the money move from councils to central government.  Black Wednesday came when Kingston's then Conservative MP was at the help in the treasury and most if not all that money is probably in practice only an entry in a ledger now.  There is certainly non of the large scale investment in housing that the Conservative policy had promised.

If you are a council tenant, then you could be in a situation where the council will no longer be obliged to house you - depending on circumstances.

Make sure you do the following if you are having difficulty paying bills:

1. Look at loans and credit card payments.  Perhaps combining several small loans into one larger loan might cost you less.  Make sure you get several quotes.

2. If you are having difficulty with the maths then try to find a dept councillor - go to the local Citizens Advice Bureau in Blagden Road at the side of the Malden Centre.

3. Try to analyse where your money goes.  Keep a log book for a few weeks and write down all your payments and list what you purchased.  This will help you to prioritise your expenditure and look for savings.

4. To avoid house repossession let your Building society know as soon as possible.  They may be able to reduce your monthly payments and spread them over a longer period of time (called rescheduling).  They are usually sympathetic and react better if they are told in advance.

5. If you are a council tenant tell the local authority.  Remember it is better to pay even a small amount each week instead of nothing.  It shows commitment and makes a big difference to how your case is treated.  The court will ask if  you were experiencing genuine financial difficulty or were you simply avoiding payment.  A commitment to paying something will go a long way on the day.

6. Do not forget to pay water rates.  Council tenants sometimes think that this is included in the rent.  It is not.

7. Find out from the Benefits agency if you are entitled to any benefits.  They may want to see any bank or building society books you have do bring them with you.  Remember that you are only entitled to payment from the time you place your initial claim.  So claim as soon as possible.

8. If you receive a notice of repossession then get help.  If you go to court you will need to get a solicitor.  Fewer and fewer solicitors are now dealing with repossession under the legal aid scheme - however there are still some out there.  Alternatively contact the Citizens Advice Bureau - they do have someone on hand in court that can help you.

9. You can get help from your local Kingston Councillor - remember that while councillors are local people and may not them selves have legal knowledge (some may actually be qualified solicitors or JP's) they may have contacts in the community that can help.

10. If you have been on the job market a long time and are not getting a bite, then do not give up.  Look at doing voluntary work to keep entries on a CV.  It is better to have something to put against a date rather than looking blank.  If the CV is not getting interviews then get someone to look at the CV - it is your advert to the employment world and if it is not working re-do that advert.  Remember you may have to get several interviews before a job offer. Also look at training courses.  You can get free training if you have been unemployed for a long time.  There is also help if you want to start your own business.

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