How do I even begin navigating this system?

Pup_Rascal

I'm fairly new to the whole benefits system (less than a year) but how am I supposed to actually live?

I currently get UC, the award is turned to £0 due to also receiving ESA which seemingly is working out less per month, I get a contribution to my housing which is via a Social Housing Association. But have c£120 taken away due to having a "spare" bedroom, I never asked for a two bedroom property, I was given what was available and I'm left having to pay extra for something I never asked for and never wanted. I'm now sitting at just over £2,500 in arrears.

With a further UC deduction for an Advance in August 2025 and another because I allegedly have been overpaid ESA? (Applied in November 2025, backdated to September, Awarded in April 2026)

This leaves me with £205 a month to live off before priority bills.

My priority Bills are what I would consider to be the same as most,

Council Tax £130, (applied for reduction, received approval for around the 22nd April, had it revoked just days later on the 5th May and apparently have over £2000 arrears?)
Electric £150-£180, (in arrears)
Water £79,
Internet and Telephone £89.

So my opening expenses are higher than what I even get paid, I'm left £243 in debt from the moment it hits my account. In fact I don't even see it the direct debits have their monthly ritualistic battle over whos getting paid this month and the rest get an IOU.

This has been ongoing for several months (Since February 2026) as a result my arrears have started to accumulate. I'm around £6000 in the red now and no means at all to pay anything back. This is taking a significant toll on my mental and physical health unfortunately making me progressively deterioate rather than stabalise

Food is no longer considered a priority bill, I cant afford it so I dont have it, I try to eat once every 2 or 3 days on pretty much anything I can get for free, if this means going through bags in the complexes bin room then that's what I do.

This is all before my other bills.

Court Fine/Payment- £440 (not the good type where if I stop paying I go to Prison, already considered that)
Mobile Phone - £190 (previous contractual obligation, unable to alter until later this year)
Building, Contents and Gadget Insurance - £39.98
Healthcare & Medication - £80
Laundry - £70 (washing machine has been broken since the second week of December, and I have no means of replacing, this can leave me wearing the same clothes for up to 2 weeks, or attempting to wash essentials like underwear in the bathroom sink)
Cleaning Supplies & Household Sundries - £30-50
Private Cleaner - £145
Transportation - £90
Personal (hair cut, deodrant etc) - £25
Tobacco & Vaping - £15
Clothing & Footwear - £30

And probably several additional things that I cant remember off the top of my head but I'm sure you can appreciate where I'm coming from. Where possible I have cut or tried to remedy the impact by reducing bills, going without or applying for other benefits (have applied for ESA, UC, PIP currently getting standard UC which is reduced to

So at present I've received a possession order and am just waiting for the knock at the door to put me out and make me homeless.

I'm totally lost, am I even allowed to live anymore now that I'm considered disabled? Or should I just sit here until I die as im unable to afford to exist?

Community_Scope

We're going to send you an email shortly, please keep an eye out for it @Pup_Rascal

Pup_Rascal

Any suggestions or any advice?

My payment which was due today hasnt been paid, i've raised this with UC both in my journal and over the phone (multiple times over the course of the last two weeks). They repeat the same script and have no time frame they can offer. I've challenged them based on I cant be the only claimant for UC in the United Kingdom whos housebound and that their must be an SOP in existance to deal with this but they are not able to confirm if any such process exists.

I'm now left in limbo , no payment date in sight, no definitive operational delivery date from the UC team and a bunch of angry creditors sat again not being paid and confronting me as to why they are not receiving payment.

As I'm currently subject to a notice of possession order, this further impacts that I will lose my home and become homeless.

I have no food, no money, no support network and a wealth of issues with my physical and mental health, solutions appear to be a roundabout of contacting different organisations, waiting days or weeks for replies all of which is a merry-go-round of signposting but nothing end in a pathway to support. It feels as though its a mix of virtue signalling and patting eachother on the back while not one of the solutions presented makes any meaningful impact on financial support, food poverty, mental health support, adult safeguarding or giving me even the basic decency of being acknowledged as a person.

My apartment is currently running at 34-38 degrees a day, this is with no heating and windows open, I've no ability to get the apartment cooler while at the same time being told theirs no legal requirement for anyone to support even though I'm experiencing dehydration and am covered in a heat rash as a result of the conditions?

I am in essence being told "solutions exist, but its not with us" and everything presented ends with no further solution. Hence the around about analogy, lots of sets of ears and everyone willing to listen but when it comes to the "do" no one is empowered to help.

I'm at the stage where I cant even afford to do nothing, even sitting here now turning everything off, cutting the water pipes, cutting the power from the main grid, I'm still running up additional costs exceeding my entire possible income, at present I can only believe the systems for support are set up this way because their intent is to force me to either be homeless removing me from the chain or to let me die equally removing me from the chain.

Pup_Rascal

WhatThe

Pup_Rascal, hello and welcome to the forum. I'm very sorry to hear about your predicament.

I suggest you contact Shelter asap for their legal expertise. I can't give you a link but they were able to send a statement to the court when my HA tried to repossess this property due to rent arrears caused by Housing Benefit underpayments, and my vulnerability. It took a few days to verify my identity and get a phone call from them.

Shelter will need to know that you're communicating with your landlord in order to resolve this. Have you asked about a move to a one-bedroom property so you're free from that bedroom tax? Even a small contribution towards those arrears will work in your favour.

Energy companies will negotiate debt repayment options if you maintain contact with them while you find out about the grants available to help clear them. Another member will give you links for debt advice, benefits advice, budgeting advice and suggest how best to deal with UC and your local authority 🙏

Who is your water company? Mine offers WaterHelp - different from WaterSure - to customers on a low income. With one phone call, you can halve this year's bill and halve your arrears. Social broadband tariffs are also available for people on a low income. Mine costs £18 for the landline and broadband and £6 a month to use my mobile phone.

I once had to live on c£50 a week when working part-time because UC clawed back most of my earnings and told the council I was self-employed which I wasn't. My basic allowance means my outgoings are far less than yours and I do rely on a food bank to make it work.

I'm pretty sure every council must deliver an emergency parcel within 24 hours of a request.

WhatThe

I don't mean any of this to sound simple because it isn't. I've survived homelessness and had many MH crises in my life but I don't have physical disability on top. Asking for help is the best thing you can do. Does your GP know what's going on?

Pup_Rascal

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1128335#Comment_1128335

I'm shocked this is the expectation of how someone should live. :(

1) Thank you, ill see what Shelter can do (please no more signposting, I cant take it anymore)
2) I've been trying for weeks to negotiate with my supplier, I dont seem to receive any engagement other than automated replies about them increasing my tariff, and demanding payment, requesting a direct debit is set up. I cant pay them as I dont have any money, I can use nothing and still need to cover the standing charges which is? £27 ish a month? I need to be cut off from the grid itself so I cant keep accruing arrears.
3) United Utilities are the customer facing provider, I cant swap to anyone else as theirs no other suppliers. I've applied for support through their system but am still waiting for any action. I've had the water turned off internally with a couple of jugs full next to the toilet, but again it wont reduce the charges for water removal from roads, drains and the roof.
4) My internet, mobile and home phone are still all under contract, first date I can change anything is September 28th. I've enquired about other packages etc but their social one is limiting and I would have exit fees if I change before the 28th Sep 2026.
I wouldn't be able to run my home security system, electric doors or lighting as everything's digitally integrated. I can change this, but requires the removal of all door handles and of all lightbulbs that require WiFi for operation. I also would have no further use for a TV and streaming service, as the tariff is capped at 5gb usage per month which would last around a day looking at existing network traffic, I also rely heavily on my AI created ecosystem that controls doors, kettle, fridge, freezer, washing machine, environmental controls for heating, cooling and extraction.

My problem mostly stems from, even using nothing and doing nothing my expenses exceed any possible budget I'm out of money before I'm even paid £205 wont and isnt capable of covering my priority bills, even with a reduction in telecommunication services, I cant even pay the court and am 3k in arrears with them. I was actually hoping incarceration was a potential outcome as it would remove food, shelter and care difficulties as everything is provided for.

Pup_Rascal

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1128336#Comment_1128336

I would hope so as they delt with my DA case, referred me for support with substance misuse and filled out several forms for me. But I don't think they can do anything around the financial situation, and that just keeps growing. Which then leads to every other area of my life being constantly unstable.

Sorry I missed your comment, I'm lucky very lucky to have any home if I want a 1 bedroom the wait list for Manchester Central is between 5-8 years theirs just not enough stock and turnover to house people.

That said even then, £120 back wouldn't do anything, its a drop in a very big ocean that keeps getting deeper with the cost of living increasing. It would be instantly swallowed up by another priority bill all the while leaving me in the same situation. I've been on this merry-go-round for almost 6 months, Im exhausted and every day is spent spending hours trying to understand forms, deadlines, who I need to do something for, then who ive forgot about or its a similar circle ask for support, told try here, try there, they say try X and you go to X to be told we dont do that, we dont have budget for that and then its back to the start to go over the same again. I currently need legal support, but I've no means to pay for it and can't find any way to get support otherwise, I tried one avenue to be told they can't represent only offer 30 minutes for free, then whats the point the qualified solicitor at courts just going to tear strips off me while im getting confused, exhausted and not capable of putting forward a strong enough case.

I'm just under a year on from a major domestic abuse incident and my lifes fully destroyed as a result. But nothing ever leads to help or support, I'm just made to stand in the eye of the storm while I watch it destroy everything left worth having in my life. But if I suggest giving up, because logically in the equation of life I've exhausted every avenue infront of me yet still end up back at the same space the only option is if I cant improve, change or divert the situation is to remove myself from it, the worst part is vocalising this "I'm" the problem, im the one whos crazy and has suicidal tendencies, if you were stabbed with a knife every day and knew the same will happen all day tomorrow and youve done everything to stop them stabbing you then what else can you do? Insanity would be wake up the next day expecting not to be stabbed. Sanity would be provent the stabbing before it can take place and remove myself from the equation that just doesnt work.

WhatThe

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1128366#Comment_1128366

I don't think it is but I'm relatively secure here now and that's enough.

Pup_Rascal, you absolutely need a supply of drinking water! You're entitled to the single person rate in your two-bed property and should be on their priority register. I hope you hear from UU soon about all the financial support available to vulnerable customers.

I'm sure other members in the morning will try to understand what's happened to your UC payments and advise a course of action.

OverlyAnxious

Hi,

New Style ESA is always deducted from Universal Credit in full. That's the same for everyone who gets both. There isn't a financial gain to claiming both at the same time.

However, if your entire UC payment is being wiped out by NS ESA then it sounds like you don't have the LCWRA health element, just the basic UC element? If that is the case then you need to make a change of circumstances asap to add your health conditions and start the process towards getting LCWRA. You will need a fit note from a GP to confirm those conditions.

There isn't much you can do about bedroom tax unfortunately, it's applied to everyone equally and is designed to move people into properties that better fit their bedroom needs, to free up larger properties for families who need the space. (A good idea, but doesn't really work in practice). If you live alone and don't need an overnight carer then that has been applied correctly. Moving is the only way to remove it. You can ask for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help cover the cost but they don't have to accept.

I'm not sure what's happened to your Council Tax Reduction. That does sound like an error.

I can see several outgoings of yours that are much higher than mine, but everyone's situation is different and I don't want to start lecturing you on reducing bills. Just one that seems very high is internet and TV. I use freeview so no cost for TV. And my internet costs just over £20 a month. I use a 'social tariff' from BT, although other companies offer them as well. If you're out of contract, it might be worth looking into those as a start to reduce outgoings.

WhatThe

Santosha, thank you so much for this information.

SheffieldMan1976

15 years ago I went through a similar problem when I was living in a HA Flat, the HB weren't paying the rent or other utility bills on time, and British Gas and other companies were making noises about forcing their way into my Flat and taking goods to the value of what was owed (which was rather a lot of money)

Naturally Dad went barmy and threatened to report the HA to BBC Watchdog.

It's one of the reasons I told the HA around this time last year to kiss my you know what and moved out.

justsaying2025

Hi Pup_Rascal,

I hope you've managed to make some progress. I know all the signposting can be overwhelming but in the end (I've been there) it does pay off.

I had to brutally bring down my outgoings and increase my income to create a gap.

I had the help of stepchange (debt help) which is a hard process but they were really helpful.

One source of income you may wish to consider (perhaps not straight away) is renting the spare room out. These days there is much demand for and there are various sites. There is also a homeless charity based in Manchester who will vet & match you with someone. When I was looking they paid £500 pcm. The income doesn't affect UC award. You'd have to double check with ESA but I suspect it's the same ie not counted as income.

Anyway, sending my best wishes to you in this difficult time. x