Foreign working in the UK, now living hand to mouth... help?
Discussion
I have a friend of a friend that is in the UK now for coming up to 4 years.
All the time she has been here she has worked in a very low income job in a Finnish call centre.
After a split with her OH she moved out and is paying for a 1 bed property in an ok(ish) area but nothing special, just enough to live in.
Now she is getting to the stage were its increasingly difficult for her and so she is living hand to mouth, she has nothing to go back to Finland for, cant afford to do it anyway, but she is too proud to ask for help and its making her more and more ill with stress, depression (allegedly) and migraines.
Is there anything she can do to help her self out with support?
Im not one for benefits like this, but she works all hours and then sits at home the rest of the time trying to find a different job that is better paid.
I have suggested training courses, but they cost money that she doesnt have, so its almost like catch 22.
I want her to help herself so no financial support is being offered to her, not that she would take it anyway.
(not sure if this is the correct forum, but its about jobs/benefits/health, so thought I would start here)
All the time she has been here she has worked in a very low income job in a Finnish call centre.
After a split with her OH she moved out and is paying for a 1 bed property in an ok(ish) area but nothing special, just enough to live in.
Now she is getting to the stage were its increasingly difficult for her and so she is living hand to mouth, she has nothing to go back to Finland for, cant afford to do it anyway, but she is too proud to ask for help and its making her more and more ill with stress, depression (allegedly) and migraines.
Is there anything she can do to help her self out with support?
Im not one for benefits like this, but she works all hours and then sits at home the rest of the time trying to find a different job that is better paid.
I have suggested training courses, but they cost money that she doesnt have, so its almost like catch 22.
I want her to help herself so no financial support is being offered to her, not that she would take it anyway.
(not sure if this is the correct forum, but its about jobs/benefits/health, so thought I would start here)
elanfan said:
Must be some demand for Finnish translators surely?
looked at that route and because of her upbringing in several different countries, she has no mother tongue, she knows bits of english, german and finnish, but only really to speak them and not write very well.Its something I have queried in the past for her to go do a course on but it fell on deaf ears and here we are 3 years later.
Without sounding mean, we can ignore the fact that she is from Finland. The real crux is she has worked in a low skill or pay job for four years and wants to progress but cannot see how. She is worried about her future and how she will survive financially and believe this is having a negative affect on her health.
Thinking practically and short term, how about a re-mortgage if the property is mortgaged or speaking to the lender with a view to reducing the monthly cost? A second evening job in the short term to build up a buffer? Ask the employer for a salary increase?
Trying to find a job is not the same as actually interviewing for a higher paid job. If she is not at that latter stage then she should fix the input at the front end stage.
Thinking practically and short term, how about a re-mortgage if the property is mortgaged or speaking to the lender with a view to reducing the monthly cost? A second evening job in the short term to build up a buffer? Ask the employer for a salary increase?
Trying to find a job is not the same as actually interviewing for a higher paid job. If she is not at that latter stage then she should fix the input at the front end stage.
edc said:
Without sounding mean, we can ignore the fact that she is from Finland. The real crux is she has worked in a low skill or pay job for four years and wants to progress but cannot see how. She is worried about her future and how she will survive financially and believe this is having a negative affect on her health.
Thinking practically and short term, how about a re-mortgage if the property is mortgaged or speaking to the lender with a view to reducing the monthly cost? A second evening job in the short term to build up a buffer? Ask the employer for a salary increase?
Trying to find a job is not the same as actually interviewing for a higher paid job. If she is not at that latter stage then she should fix the input at the front end stage.
sound as mean as you want, however there a few things that mean shes not in a good a place as owning a flat.Thinking practically and short term, how about a re-mortgage if the property is mortgaged or speaking to the lender with a view to reducing the monthly cost? A second evening job in the short term to build up a buffer? Ask the employer for a salary increase?
Trying to find a job is not the same as actually interviewing for a higher paid job. If she is not at that latter stage then she should fix the input at the front end stage.
Cant pass a credit check
Rents a 1 bed flat that by normal standards is cheap and cant afford anything more.
Job at the moment is on Finnish time so no can do with a 2nd job, as she works later hours and starts later so kind of rules out another job, until she realises that the Finnish call centre job needs to go first.
Always been a worrier which makes me think she should see a GP soon rather than worry about NHS waiting lists to see a therapist, so not bothering.
I would suggest moving into a house share type arrangement.
When I rented a house out to multiple sharers, many were people like your friend who were living in one bed properties and looking for somewhere cheaper. It might only be a one-bed property but she will have council tax, water rates, TV License, insurance and the usual utility bills to pay on top of the rent whereas in shared accommodation many of these are included. She could easily be £200+ better of a month.
I'm sure sitting home alone every night isn't doing much good for her mental state, so the housemates could prove welcome company for her as well.
When I rented a house out to multiple sharers, many were people like your friend who were living in one bed properties and looking for somewhere cheaper. It might only be a one-bed property but she will have council tax, water rates, TV License, insurance and the usual utility bills to pay on top of the rent whereas in shared accommodation many of these are included. She could easily be £200+ better of a month.
I'm sure sitting home alone every night isn't doing much good for her mental state, so the housemates could prove welcome company for her as well.
Du1point8 said:
elanfan said:
Must be some demand for Finnish translators surely?
looked at that route and because of her upbringing in several different countries, she has no mother tongue, she knows bits of english, german and finnish, but only really to speak them and not write very well.Regardless of her 'depth' of understanding in these languages, the fact that she has some understanding is the basis of progressing into translation services sector and I'd really be pushing her into courses to expand upon these, starting with English. This will achieve two things:
1) Creation of a higher level of self-esteem, itself a perpetual positive attribute, created by the sense that she is doing something with a defined goal.
2) Creation of a set of marketable skills. Wether she ends up translation or not doesn't matter, She goes forward into the world as a trilinguist (not sure that's a word - ironic I know!) and capable of a higher level of employment beyond cleaning....which she'll probably have to do whilst she's learning.
Either way, on what you have described, further education is really the key here (IMO).
Du1point8 said:
sound as mean as you want, however there a few things that mean shes not in a good a place as owning a flat.
Cant pass a credit check
Rents a 1 bed flat that by normal standards is cheap and cant afford anything more.
Job at the moment is on Finnish time so no can do with a 2nd job, as she works later hours and starts later so kind of rules out another job, until she realises that the Finnish call centre job needs to go first.
Always been a worrier which makes me think she should see a GP soon rather than worry about NHS waiting lists to see a therapist, so not bothering.
Finland is 2 hours ahead of us, she must be starting earlier and finishing earlier? Anyway, this is no reason for not getting a 2nd job as there are plenty of menial jobs that are to be had 24/7.Cant pass a credit check
Rents a 1 bed flat that by normal standards is cheap and cant afford anything more.
Job at the moment is on Finnish time so no can do with a 2nd job, as she works later hours and starts later so kind of rules out another job, until she realises that the Finnish call centre job needs to go first.
Always been a worrier which makes me think she should see a GP soon rather than worry about NHS waiting lists to see a therapist, so not bothering.
If you really want to help, go with her and search around for a safe decent flat or house share instead of renting a flat. Digs like this should save her some £££.
The local adult education centre should be able to help find her night school courses in whatever it is she want to study for. Worth trying that route.
I know plenty of people who worked all the hours in the day to get back on their feet after break ups and there are plenty of jobs out there (albeit low paid) that will enable a real grafter to dig themselves out of a hole. Better that than sitting staring at 4 walls stressing.
Have you asked her what sort of profession she wants to work towards?
She works for a Finnish call centre already but is adamant that it takes up all her time everyday (yet to be proven) as I have said to get a 2nd job as bar tender, etc...
As to what she wants to work towards... Let's forget that one... All I will say is she was quite successful in Finland then moved to uk expecting to get a similar job in the industry (TV & film) so that she could jump ship in a few years and go to LA... She won't go back to previous industry in Finland as that is deemed as 'failure' as opposed to doing what she is doing now.
As to what she wants to work towards... Let's forget that one... All I will say is she was quite successful in Finland then moved to uk expecting to get a similar job in the industry (TV & film) so that she could jump ship in a few years and go to LA... She won't go back to previous industry in Finland as that is deemed as 'failure' as opposed to doing what she is doing now.
Ditch the flat and move into a house share, that will be eating up fortunes.
Change jobs. Call centres are depressing and antisocial, and if they don't pay good money, best off avoided. Go for a cafe or a shop, something that gives a bit of flexibility with hours and similar numbers.
Work on her language skills.
And for you:
Don't over think it. Girls love whinging about stuff, crying and generally acting like their particular current problems are somehow the worst thing that anyone has ever faced and pushing them to the brink of a breakdown, when in fact they're just having a bit of a grumble in their own female way.
Change jobs. Call centres are depressing and antisocial, and if they don't pay good money, best off avoided. Go for a cafe or a shop, something that gives a bit of flexibility with hours and similar numbers.
Work on her language skills.
And for you:
Don't over think it. Girls love whinging about stuff, crying and generally acting like their particular current problems are somehow the worst thing that anyone has ever faced and pushing them to the brink of a breakdown, when in fact they're just having a bit of a grumble in their own female way.
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