How will I be able to tell if the interest rate was too high

Long story short - I originally had a 100% mortgage with N&P - then lost my job but repayments were covered by insurance, due to it being a 100% mortgage/account in arrears I was on a higher rate than usual - account then changed to Abbey and then Santander, I have since the Abbey days redone my mortgage every few years but remember the first time it was done a comment being made that I was on a unusually high interest rate - is it possible to ask Santander to review my mortgage account and check that I haven't at some stage been paying the wrong rate of interest

at the oment she is trying to find £160 a month for the shortfull whereas the LHA for a property of her size & requirements would cover it in full - do they not reasses Housing benefit on a yearly basis

A friend of mine is having problems with their Housing benefit - they moved into their property before the new LHA rules came in and their housing benefit was sent at a level that was under their current rent level - they have been trying to pay the excess but have built up some arrears which the landlord is now demanding that they clear by paying an extra £90 a week which they haven't got. If they were on the LHA for the area it would cover the current rent but she's been told as her claim started before April 2008 she can not get her housing benefit increased surely there must be a way for her to get her housing benefit changed to the new rate without moving or stopping and restarting her claim

I'd love to but would rather not risk them having a damn good search for the original agreement & finding it

There's no way I'm paying another penny - I've paid back the money I borrowed about 3 times over and if they hadn't been so heavy handed with their chasing I would have continued paying until the debt was clear - I'm not going to be looking at borrowing any money in the near future so any marks on my credit file can sit there - I can't see what more they can do to me

so if I don't want a black mark continue paying if I'm not that concerned don't worry about it

Here's an update sent off the dispute letter to NatWest and got a reply today - I'm at home so can't scan the letter in - basically they do not dispute the fact that they can not enforce the agreement but they do say "What we pointed out is that the loan agreement remains vaild i.e section 77(4) does not make the agreement void. The debt exists and we are entitled to carry out all actions that do no amount to enforcing the agreement. Reporting to Credit Reference Agencies your failure to pay sums due under the agreement is not 'enforcing the agreement'. I have stopped my standing order and have no intention of restarting it but do not want any black marks on my credit file - what is my next move?

Just wish I'd done something about it years ago - although they have shot themselves in foot as I was quite happy to continue repaying it until they started hassling me

I'm going to send the dispute letter today - what normally happens then?

Right - attached is the Letter I've received from Natwest (hope the copy is ok) Do I send the Account is Dispute letter and stop payments http://i684.photobucket.com/albums/vv209/NZRose/Natwest.jpg

An update - I didn't get a chance to do the letter suggested this week as I've been up to my eyes & this morning I've received a letter from NatWest saying they can't find the loan agreement and although they appreciate they won't be able to enforce repayments the loan remains valid and any continuing defaults will be reported to Credit Reference Agencies (I will scan a copy of the letter on Monday) - is my course of action the same - send the letter above & stop any repayments

I've noticed one the bottom of the statement it actually says "Do Not Send"

Is that 12 working days or just 12 days I sent the letter on the 24th April - their letter is dated 29th April - they have send be a "bank statement" showing the last 6 months worth of payments

I have today received a letter from them it does not acknowledge my request for a copy of the agreement instead it is a standard letter basically saying "we are pleased to have come to a temporary agreement with you and wish to confirm the terms of the arrangment to cover the next 6 payments" what should my next move be?

I have just done the letter and will got to the post office tomorrow & get the postal order & see what happens

should I sign it with my maiden name as that is what they have used

Back in 1994 I had a bank account with Natwest on which I had an overdraft, I got into a bit of trouble financially & the bank asked me to take out a consolidation loan which I did. Unfortunately a couple of months after I took this loan out I was made redundant & could not afford the repayments. I wrote to the bak several times asking them to freeze the interest until I returned to work but they refused and kept on adding interest, eventually the debt was transferred to their debt recovery department & in June 1996 I started to make small repayments of £20 a month they finally froze the interest in June 1997 by which time the debt was £6867.81,(I had managed to pay £260 since June 1996) I then started to pay £30.00 a month until the begining of 2000 when I asked for an up to date statement of account and some further information regarding the interest charged. They stated that they we unable to locate a copy of the loan agreement form at that time but they had recreated my position and they said I had borrowed £3582 at a rate of 29.5% (I can't recall how much the loan was for) - I resumed payments & increased them to £35 & then £40 a couple of years ago but have always refused to increase the payments further. This week I have received a letter from Triton Credit Services stating the balance is now £2232.81 and they want either full repayments or a substantial increase in the level of repayments or they will instruct solicitors who will get a charging order/inhibition against assests or a bankcruptcy order but I have not missed a single payment in 8 years. Now the loan was taken out in my maiden name which is how they still address the letters but I do own a house (with a small mortgage) in my own right in my married name. I don't really want to increase the repayments by much as if they had frozen the interest when asked I would have cleared the debt some time ago. What is the best approach to take with this? Thanks in advance for any help