Please help me - it's urgent

[farhad]

Today I receive and eviction notice from court and I have 8 days left to be evicted. I have some rent arrears and currently I'm on housing benefit because I'm in job search and have some arrears which I want to find a way to pay about £2000. But I have now 8 days to sort it out as my housing took this case to court and got a warrant to evict me. How can i get out of this mess? I want the date of eviction to drop or extend so it gives me time to sort the problem out of being evicted. Pls give me advice.

[Kate!]

Go to a solicitor in the morning. First thing.

[Lee.]

Yeah, or maybe even the Citizens Advice Bereau?

[InOne]

Crisis loan

[Josy]

Go to the citizens advice.

[lostalex]

pay your rent. you don't have parents?

[Kate!]

Yep C.A.B. are very good. You need to act quickly.

[lostalex]

So you can afford to have an internet connection? but you don't pay your rent? sell your computer, sell your TV, sell your iPod. you know you have stuff you can sell. pay your rent.

[InOne]

If he's on housing benefit he won't be paying rent anyway

[joeysteele]

Definately go to a Citizens Advice Centre,as all have said above, immediately though.

[lostalex]

If he's on housing benefit he won't be paying rent anyway

then why's he getting kicked out? i'm confused. what is arrears?

[GypsyGoth]

Out of curiosity, if you get kicked out, do you still owe the £2,000?

[farhad]

pay your rent. you don't have parents?

I do but this is my flat independent. I can reduce the arrears but my housing did not give me the chance to make a deal that how I can pay it of, rather just went to the court. This has made me even feel suicidal. I can't have it just taken away like that, there are plenty of people who are over £3000 arrears and they are not being a evicted.

[farhad]

then why's he getting kicked out? i'm confused. what is arrears?

The housing benefit started paying me since last 2 month as I was in full time study university. So some of my arrears started to build since march and I fell behind with payment, so its for that reason.

[Vicky.]

Surely there was some kind of notice period before you got a court summons? Its extremely rare for landlords (or your local council, depending what kind of rental you have) to just take someone to court without first trying to resolve the issue.

[farhad]

Surely there was some kind of notice period before you got a court summons? Its extremely rare for landlords (or your local council, depending what kind of rental you have) to just take someone to court without first trying to resolve the issue.

I didn't open the letters, and I feel guilty of it, otherwise I could of sorted it out earlier. I didn't open it as I didn't want to suffer more stress after just finishing my study.

[Josy]

Can rent benefits not be back dated?

[Vicky.]

I didn't open the letters, and I feel guilty of it, otherwise I could of sorted it out earlier. I didn't open it as I didn't want suffer more stress after just finishing my study.

OK, by trying to save yourself stress, you have created even more stress for yourself...as if you had opened the letters you may have been able to arrange some way of paying the debt off gradually.

You *might* still be able to do this. I suggest contacting a lawyer in the morning (if you are in receipt of housing benefit you should fit the criteria for legal aid) and also possibly contacting your landlord and explaining your situation and offering a payment plan of whatever you can afford, though it may now be too late to do anything about it.

Out of curiosity are you private or council?

[Vicky.]

Can rent benefits not be back dated?

Yes, they usually are. If you can provide a good enough reason for why you didnt claim earlier.

I dont think they would have paid housing benefit while farhad was actually on his fulltime uni course though, as you dont get other benefits when in fulltime education as far as Im aware. So I'm guessing he has only been eligible since finishing uni...

[Josy]

Oh right

[lostalex]

It sounds like you have an anxiety disorder, you definitely need to talk to them about it, and also see if there is any treatment available.

[Vicky.]

Its bollocks really. As obviously edication helps people into work. Yet while in education you are entitled to no help. Its almost as if they want all youngsters stuck in dead end jobs at mcdonalds with no qualifications or something :S

[farhad]

OK, by trying to save yourself stress, you have created even more stress for yourself...as if you had opened the letters you may have been able to arrange some way of paying the debt off gradually.

You *might* still be able to do this. I suggest contacting a lawyer in the morning (if you are in receipt of housing benefit you should fit the criteria for legal aid) and also possibly contacting your landlord and explaining your situation and offering a payment plan of whatever you can afford, though it may now be too late to do anything about it.

Out of curiosity are you private or council?

Housing Association.

[Vicky.]

Housing Association.

Contact them in the morning before contacting a solicitor. Explain to them about how stressful you have been finding things...offer some kind of payment plan to pay the arrears while maintaining your regular payments (just water rates, if on full HB). Maybe an extra £10 per week if you can afford that, if not a fiver will do. The more you can offer (and stick to) the quicker this will be over.

If it is too late or they wont agree to this, then contact a solicitor. Its quite unlikely a court will evict you if you show willing to make some kind of payment plan up.

I would also suggest possibly a visit to the GP. They might be able to give you some advice on handling stress.

[farhad]

Contact them in the morning before contacting a solicitor. Explain to them about how stressful you have been finding things...offer some kind of payment plan to pay the arrears while maintaining your regular payments (just water rates, if on full HB). Maybe an extra £10 per week if you can afford that, if not a fiver will do. The more you can offer (and stick to) the quicker this will be over.

If it is too late or they wont agree to this, then contact a solicitor. Its quite unlikely a court will evict you if you show willing to make some kind of payment plan up.

I would also suggest possibly a visit to the GP. They might be able to give you some advice on handling stress.

I can offer them to pay about £1500 but it can only be done after the the date of the eviction. I hope they listen. I need to borrow from my parent.

[Vicky.]

I can offer them to pay about £1500 but it can only be done after the the date of the eviction. I hope they listen.
Erm, why is this, can I ask?

Do you WANT to be evicted? if not, offer a payment plan for the moment, then pay the £1500 in a lump sum when you can.

[Vicky.]

Ohh I misread your OP totally. I thought you said you were £2000 in arrears. not that you had arrears but only can afford to pay £2000 of them.

[billy123]

These guys were a godsend for me when i ended up in a bit of a financial pickle a few years ago the CAB sent me to them they are free to use and they assign someone to your case that you can talk to/email and get a response which helps so much that its the same person you talk to.
http://www.cccs.co.uk/

The first thing they will do after getting as much detail from you as they can is to contact your housing association and just ask them to put things on hold to give them chance to assess your situation and help you put a plan together that works for everyone. (your housing association will prefer that to eviction everytime) contact them via the website asap and get the ball rolling.

and farhad dont worry yourself sick about it things will work out one way or another theres a lot of people in the same boat at the moment i did the same thing just started throwing letters in the bin because i couldnt face what was happening if you get started with them on that website as soon as you can they will help you sort it out and it will soon be behind you.

P.S. Dude if you want to you can pm me anytime if you want any info i know its a crap place to be in but if you do the right things everything will be cool before you know it.

[thesheriff443]

I can offer them to pay about £1500 but it can only be done after the the date of the eviction. I hope they listen. I need to borrow from my parent.

it may seem like the end of the world but dont worry its just a flat and you can get another one.if you can move back home do it!
get yourself there and sort your stress out and then sort another flat out!

[CharlieO]

not really the place to ask is it

[joeysteele]

farhad,I hope you get things sorted, only someone being told the full facts and situation will be able to start and get this all sorted for you, reading through this thread, it is clear you must feel really out of your depth and often turning to total strangers can be the best help in those times.
I really hope you follow bobknots advice and that you do that today too.As he says what you need urgently is to get things put on hold.
Please take his advice and all the very best of luck to you,I do hope we hear better news from you soon, Take care.

[billy123]

not really the place to ask is itBit of a twatty comment probably best kept to yourself were not all arseholes here you know.
*edited*

[Vanessa]

Bit of a twatty comment probably best kept to yourself were not all arseholes here you know.
*edited*

Agree with you there. I'd love to help if i can. I think going to the citizen advice bureau is the best thing to do. And it's free. :)

[joeysteele]

farhad, I hope you are on the way to getting some help and that things are looking a bit better for you.