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I'm hoping someone can advise on my spiralling debts and how I might best deal with the situation.
Basically, I've messed up and usually when I mess up, I move payments back to the end of the month. Effectively, I'm always one payment behind.
Now, I don't think I can put this off come the beginning of June when the next set up payments are due.
Here's some details of my finances,
Monthly Incoming
Wages - £1305 (will go up to £1455 at the end of July and £1655 at the end of August as my boss, bless him, has been subbing me to stave off various rolling debts)
Bills Money from Housemates - £210 (I sort out the household bills but have royally ballsed this up)
Total - £1515
Monthly Outgoings
Co-op overdraft - £100 (automatically reduced at the start of the month - can't negotiate this one)
Dixons - £50 (pre-agreed card payments for a laptop where I messed up a while back - not sure if I can cancel these if I've signed a document saying it's OK to do)
Rent - £345
Council Tax - £128 (for the whole house)
Southern Water - £42 (for the whole house)
Electricity & Gas - £105 (for the whole house)
NTL - £55 (for the whole house)
TV License - £11.85
So from the outset, I can't even meet my payments for this month. But then there's this lot which I still owe,
Overdue Debts
Rent - £345
Council Tax - £701 (Have been getting Court Summons and Notice of Proposed Recovery letters about this)
SOUTHERN WATER - £320
Electricity & Gas - £105
NTL - £65
Beneficial Loan - £469.04
GE Money - £86.62 (currently getting letters from Viking debt collectors asking about paying back the outstanding balance of £494)
Argos - £60 (have received a letter from Moorcroft Debt Recovery but since going on advice elsewhere on CAG, have got them off my back as they can't produce the contract)
Total Arrears - £2109.66
So this month,
Total Outgoings, Overdue and Debts - £3752.77
Total Incoming - £1515
Meaning I need £2237 to break even this month.
Now, I'm thinking of paying the following back,
Co-op Overdraft - £100 (Will automatically come down - I can't stop this)
Dixons - £50 (automatically charged)
Rent - £690 (Keep the roof over my head)
Council Tax - £328 (Sort this out to as much as extent as I can)
SOUTHERN WATER - £142 (Same as above)
Electricity & Gas - £105 (As above)
TV License - £11.85 (Household bill that housemates expect me to sort out)
NTL - £55 (Household bill that housemates expect me to sort out)
Total - £1436.85 out of my available £1515 - would give me something to live on.So now I'm wondering how best to approach creditors.
If I phone up and say "sorry, I can't pay you this month" what will they do?
Can someone advise as to a suitable, longer term solution to my problem?
I'm gutted it's gone this far but I can't keep burying my head or re-financing loans anymore. All advice and help would be greatly appreciated on the matter.
sit down again an make up your own income and expenditure sheet but you must allow more monies for yourself for food and clothing and essentials them make offers to them obviously the ones with more due make them more then the little ones
you have the righ idea buit are not allowing yourself enough expense money for you.
you could alos contact payplan or national debtline who can help you with this and make arrangements with your creditors.
is there any charges or ppis on loand and card that can be claimed back or bank charges with any bank accounts that might help reduce the amounts?
ida x
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Thanks for the advice. Just what I wanted to know. I downloaded a desktop application called iMoneyManager that seems to be able to draft all the letters necessary but will compare these against the templates.
What is a reasonable allowance for food, living essentials, etc?
Have downloaded the National Debtline help guide and want to go through that as well.
I claimed back my bank charges a while back. Afraid that money has been and gone. I've never bothered with PPI so that's not an option either.
you also have another option with credit cards and loans. you can send them a cca request which entitle you to check the paperwork to make sure they are entitled to collect payments.
i think you will find living expenses on the nation debtline page as well
ida x
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An IVA is also an option for you.
This is a 5 year, legally binding agreement with your creditors. The IVA company would draw up a proposal including your income and expenditure, showing how much disposable income you have and what you would be prepared to offer for 5 years. If your creditors accept this, your interest and charges will be frozen on all accs and your creditors can no longer chase you. At the end of this period, the remainder of your debt is written off. A lot of IVA companies charge upfront fees, however Payplan do not charge anything upfront, so even if your IVA is rejected, you wouldnt get charged.
It is very important to make an arrangement to clear your priority debts such as your rent and council tax arrears. Good thing is with an IVA, is that if you make a payment arrangement to clear your rent, they will allow for this extra payment in your expenditure to clear this. With your council tax, you would need to make an arrangement with them each month until the IVA is set up, so they do not take legal action. However, Your council tax arrears can be included as a debt in the IVA and be written off after 5 years like the other debts. You state you are in arrears with Argos and GE Money, and Beneficial. All balances including arrears are included within the IVA. Your water arrears, electric, gas and NTL arrears will be included as a creditor, however they would put you on a meter, and NTL may stop supplying, however you can then choose a cheaper company.
Advice needed prior to financial meltdown
me to stave off various rolling debts)
- £100 (automatically reduced at the start of the month - can't negotiate this one)
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