Paris M on 11 May 2021
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Q. What is your experience of home during the pandemic?
Our Landlord has been great, actually, helpful and supportive but with maintenance, etc. The Estate Agency was really difficult, we asked for help / time to pay rent / reduction (as I wasn't furloughed when off for 3 months with health conditions), they said the rent money for all their clients was for their pension. Turns out our landlords have several properties, own a farm and are a buy-to-let landlord (a work colleague knows them personally as also involved in a farm). Estate Agency I'm sure never put our request to Landlords...just wanted their cut. Would be lovely if banks would consider you for a mortgage if you've paid rent long-term, and worry less about credit cards or loans which have high interest payments and put you in a debt spiral; I've paid rent for 21 years now, starting with £400 plus bills for a room in 2000 and between £725 & £975 pcm for flat or house since 2005, so can pay a mortgage...all my priority bills are also met - just the debt itself that causes a problem & stops us moving forward / having spare money to save. The current debt is mostly from paying such high nursery costs, with limited tax credit support, as our payments were between £350-£200 or under, with costs of £700 or £800 plus. Families need two incomes, nurseries should have high government subsidies from when you first go back to work, my son is 6 now, I've worked for most of the time since he was 8 months old and worked full-time from 2000 to 2015 (when he was born), paid taxes, NI, etc. yet little support for childcare so I can work and support the economy after being the breadwinner for 18 years...it doesn't pay to be female unfortunately. Son might be eligible for DLA if his assessment shows he's autistic (its a government assessment, not private one, his school are supporting it) which would help a bit, as sensory issues mean he's ALWAYS hungry and ALWAYS hyper.
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