tt lady:

I'd have thought your bf would be eligible for job seekers allowance at the least.

From being in a similar situation myself I can pretty much assure you that he won't be eligible for JSA. For some reason, this government thinks that as long as one person works more than 16 or so hours a week, the partner doesn't need any money. In short; a full-time worker is expected to support his/her partner as long as the partner is out of work - and given the state of the unemployment crisis that could be for some time. It stinks but unfortunately the powers that be prefer to throw money at people who don't want to work, rather than those of us who genuinely need the help from time to time!

I think the best thing you could do at this stage is write (don't phone) to your creditors and explain the situation to them. Be honest, and include a monthly expenditure sheet showing your incomings and outgoings. Ask them if they'd be able to freeze any interest and offer to pay a minimum amount per month until things pick up.