I found your site because i am considering declaring bankruptcy due to debt, and was worried my bank would take all my/my daughter's benefits before I could feed my daughter and pay our bills.

Your wonderful advice on Rights of Appropriation means I have now typed a very legal sounding letter to my bank, which hopefully will stop them even considering taking my money (they haven't done it yet, but why wait until it happens?).

There's so much to read, I must go post my letter as this site can cause me to sit here for hours. I don't have a bank charges problem (as yet, but who knows), but i see that other consumer issues are dealt with too, and shall read more of those soon.

Happy to be on this site.

Alison

You may not have charges on your bank accounts but what about your debt? Any late payment charges or admin charges for writing letter to say you're late may be reclaimable. Write about your circumstances in the debt action area and you'll get some help. Some here have realised that most of their debt is charges and been relieved of thousands of pounds by reclaiming these charges.

Hi Alison and welcome to the forums.

Further to Jenschnifer' wise words, spend some time reading as much as you can and when you feel ready to, start thread/s in the general debt or debt collection forums. There's plenty of friendly people here all willing to help and lend an ear..

Good luck and best wishes, Dave.

Hi Trinity

Suggest you re-post on your particular bank's thread.

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you. HSBC was taking and chewing up our OAP state benefits. They responded to my letter concerning this with a computer generated response about OFT, claims on hold etc.

I have now opened a parachute account for our benefits so there's not one red cent going into the HSBC account.

My wife had a stroke 18 days ago, followed by three more and is still waiting to see a NHS consultant!!!

There was an article in (I think) yesterday's "Daily Mail" saying banks were ignoring the law in refusing to consider hardship claims.

They keep phoning, and I keep refusing to give them "security information". It's really a bit like a Monty Python sketch:

"I need to ask you a few security questions - what's your date of birth?"

Me: "Over 21 - what's your's?

Her: "I must speak to Mr. Van der Merwe"

Me: "You have that pleasure."

Her: "But I have to make sure etc. etc.

Me: "But you've just phoned me"

And so it went on until I told the (admittedly polite) woman I had sent five letters, none of which had received a reply, cogent or otherwide and that as far as I was concerned my main concern at the moment was the survival of my wife who had been an unfortunate 'beneficiary' of NHS care.

I told her I would only correspond in writing - as and when I had time - as my first concern is my wife. Ten minutes later the phone rang again.

We are old and rejected by society (69 and 72 respectively).

Stress - compounded by debt - has caused and aided the problem.

I allocate my day into several parts (I'm sure you know men are not multi-thinkers)

I try and give 30-40 minutes day to newcomers to CAG. The site has helped me enormously and I feel I should give the same in return.

If I've helped give my scales a click ( between the green ball and the red triangle)

Good luck and best regards.

Vandermerwe