I am all at sea when it comes to cruise payment
Q: I booked a cruise last year with a travel company based in Manchester to travel next year.
I paid a £250 deposit at the time and in March paid £750 for flights as the cruise involved a few countries and would end in Australia.
The remaining balance is due to be paid soon.
I am unhappy at going on the cruise due to current Government advice on cruises and I do not want to potentially quarantine for two weeks on my return to Scotland.
I have emailed the company explaining this and it has taken two weeks for a reply, but they are now not responding to my emails.
I have asked the cruise company to rebook the holiday for a cruise next year and instead have been offered a voucher for the amount I have paid thus far.
What are my options?
A. You would be in breach of contract with the company if you did not pay the balance and would not be entitled to any refund.
You are advised to check the small print on the contract for any clauses as if you cancel it could be classed as a disinclination to travel and you would not be entitled to your deposit money back.
You could ask your travel insurance provider if it would be possible to claim through the insurance policy.
If you feel that the company have acted unfairly due to the pandemic then you could complain to the Competition and Markets Authority general. enquiries@cma.gov.uk or contactable by telephone 020 3738 6000.
Alternatively, you could ask the travel company to issue you with a voucher that matches what you have paid so far, as they have suggested.
Q. My neighbour who is in an owner occupier flat and lives upstairs has flooded my home and I have no contents insurance.
I am a council tenant and have no money to sort this myself.
What should I do?
A. In the first instance it would be advisable to contact your upstairs neighbour as they are responsible for the damage to your home and you would have to claim on their insurance.
It would also be best to contact the council as you are a council tenant and they would also be able to provide advice on what they will do as your landlord.
If you are experiencing financial hardship trying to buy goods for your flat that have been ruined you could apply to the Scottish Welfare Fund for a crisis grant, this can be applied for online at the South Lanarkshire Council website.
Your housing officer may be able to offer you further advice as to what to do and the council offer contents insurance that is affordable (this can be found on the SLC website under housing and homelessness; council and social tenants).
Alternatively there are comparative websites that you can use.
Q. I am due to receive my state pension in a few years’time, but I have decided to take early retirement this year.
I have double checked my national insurance record through the government gateway website and when I retire this year I will not have enough contributions for a full NI record and therefore state pension.
I am wondering if there was anything I could do to make up
these contributions.
A. Because you are taking early retirement you have the option to make voluntary payments yourself via direct debit through HMRC.
You would have to contact them to enquire to the payment regularity and the amount that would be required.
Q I have recently been discharged from hospital with Covid- 19 and I have a two-week period of self-isolation.
I am on Universal Credit and I am unemployed.
I have been told by a friend that I can get a self-isolation support payment of £500 from the government and I am wondering how to go about getting this.
A At the moment this payment is only available in England and has not been rolled out in Scotland yet.
Q. My daughter is in hospital with a serious illness.
I have been put back on furlough by my employer until it ends in October and I am wondering when this ends, would I be entitled to compassionate leave, and how long would it last?
A. Check your contract of employment, all work places operate in different ways and some employers may offer more generous time off than others.
There is parental leave which can be for up to 18 weeks in total for each qualifying child, but generally an employer can limit it to four weeks in any one year, if there is a collective or workplace agreement, this will be unpaid.
You may be able to claim benefits as a result of the reduction in income. You would also have to give your employer the notice period required for the type of leave you are going to take.
Q. My four year university course ended in July and my graduation was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
I have had some fixed term contract employment since July which has recently ended. I now have no income. I applied for Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA) on the advice of a family member and was rejected as I did not meet the National Insurance contribution criteria.
Would I be able to apply for Universal Credit?
A. You could be entitled to the standard element of UC and any housing costs if you privately rent, are part of a housing association or are a council tenant. You can apply online yourself or if you do not feel comfortable with applying then you can call The Citizens Advice Help to Claim line on 0800 023 2581 where skilled Universal credit advisers will guide you through the process.
Interviews at the Job Centre to complete the application have been suspended at present and you may be phoned to verify your identity instead.
This can be done online at the Government website, but can be difficult to complete.
The first payment can take five weeks and you can apply for an advance which is repayable over 12 months from your UC payments.
You will have to check your UC journal and complete your to-do list on a regular basis but any work searches have been suspended at present due to Covid-19.