Thank you all for your advice, I will let you know what happens.

I will call the councillors tomorrow - it's a husband and wife team for the area where the flat was located. So far I've emailed both of them with an essay of what happened from start to finish and also the chief exec. I've now emailed the Head of Council. Is it ok to call them then? How will i be sure it goes to voicemail? I would freeze if any of them picked up the phone. I will use your message but thinking about attachment of benefits - I would starve if they took any more off me. thanks for everyone's replies which have made me feel a bit better.

No items have been listed and no bailiff has been in my home. Disgruntled, yes you are correct, I made it personal but isn't that what the bailiffs want, why they behave the way they do. I've had bailiffs on the doorstep before and don't usually get so upset, but Rundles seem to be a special breed. I need to clarify - Rundles have said they will consider recommending the above actions to their client. Rundles have replied to my email to say they won't reinstate the payment plan.

I have requested help from Canterbury Councillors and their CEO but I now need to send a follow up email as Rundles have written to me again. I wrote to Rundles asking to set up the arrangement again but they emailed me saying no and that only full payment would be acceptable. The enforcement agent has written today demanding full payment of approx £3k within 7 days or he will instigate: - bankruptcy - charging order - committal to prison I think he's making this personal because I muttered 'fat bastard' after being goaded for about 10 mins on the doorstep. I just cannot believe this is happening. I don't know who to turn to. I will try step change but I reckon they won't help because I have no spare cash hardly, and CAB won't help because they just don't. I am currently writing again to the council but think I could be wasting my time.

I should but I forget, and being stressed, and at my wits end it is difficult to focus on what I know, or should know. I did read some of the older thread but must have skipped the bit about right of entry. Thanks for the reminder to read stuff - I will take it in the spirit it's meant

I don't really own much at all, my daughter has bought all the furniture and it was on credit so we can prove it's hers. I own this dodgy laptop which I do need to try and get business with doing self-employed stuff. I also own a car which is of no monetary value - it is on it's last legs but i need it for running kids to school and also for the little cleaning job i'm starting this week. Them trying to take anything that I own would be a complete waste of time and wouldn't even dent the debt. I know I've got to make some calls in the morning - Canterbury Council, my own council as well, Step Change (who ditched me when I lost my job and couldn't pay several hundred to my creditors each month), the guy from the Royal British Legion Initiative who's helping me get back to work and who says he helps with things like this apparently. I've only met him briefly twice so not sure what he does. My own council tax is in a mess because the people at the job centre said it would be taken care of but it wasn't and apparently i'm supposed to apply to the council for a reduction. It's all such a mess and I think I am losing the plot a bit. The benefits system has brought me to my knees and I would love to get back to work full time but it's unlikely to happen now. I'm at rock bottom now but I don't want these bailiffs to get the better of me. I also need to pay £10 by midnight 31/10 to another lot of council bailiffs for a stupid parking ticket that went from £40 to £430. I only have £87 left to pay on that one, but the use of bailiffs is big business and they don't negotiate much.

So are you saying that if Rundles don't want to be co-operative then they can come into my home and take whatever regardless of me offering to pay what I can afford which is no more than £15-20 a month?

Would it be worthwhile speaking to the Canterbury Council as they agreed the £15/month with me, not Rundles. Where do I stand with courts etc?

Hi, yes it's the same debt, and I have been paying them the agreed amount until I lost sight of a couple of payments these last two months. The old thread is full of info that is not as relevant now though so wasn't sure whether to just start a new thread?

Hi again. I've had bailiffs on the doorstep again chasing an old debt from Canterbury Council. I had arranged to pay £15 a month and was doing ok it's now gone belly up. It seems I missed the payment in September but I didn't realise I had. I knew I had missed October but was waiting for them to represent the direct debit but hadn't seen it - on checking my bank account it seems I've set it up as a standing order so it only gets presented once - my mistake not remembering this. I now owe them £30 which I can get for them the bailiff said there's no more arrangements and he would be back to collect goods in four days. I don't have any goods of any value and my car is also worthless, but is essential at the moment. I have a liability order for council tax where I live now already really worried now about all this. I am on universal credit at the moment have so many sanctions that I'm struggling. I have been promised some work and just waiting for references to clear, but until then I will still struggle. I don't smoke, drink, go out, buy make up, get my hair done, buy clothes! Nothing. I'm so sick of it all. I 'm in my early sixties so jobs not easy to get anymore. Any advice please - I have posted before about this debt and others, but feel like I'm still drowning in them. It doesn't help that I call the bailiff a fat b either!!! I might have made things worse, but he was just so rude and condescending. thanks

Done. Thank you Andy. If I hear anything now from Mortimer Clarke or Cabot I will let you know but I suspect they will make me appear in court because they can give me a hard time there! But at the end of the day I fully read and understood the defence I was submitting and it is up to them to ensure we are all talking about the correct debt.

Andy, do I just cut and paste 1 - 7 into the defence bit? What I mean is, I know I used the credit card etc and wondered if the judge will think I'm taking the proverbial with this, or is this just the way these things work? Do I need to substitute the word 'defendant' with 'me/I' ? Oh, just seen 8 - 9 which I will also cut and paste into defence thanks

Hi Andy, yes I've logged in and can access the section for 'start a defence'

Thanks DX. Do I have a defence? Lost job, can't pay? I started off with debts of £69k and reduced them to about £24k before I started suffering redundancies etc. The £24k is starting to creep up as these claims add money to them. I also have Lowell (Lloyds and House of Fraser), and Cabot (MBNA), and Robinson Way (Santander) coming up the rear. Two CC claims so far so they seem to think this is the way to deal with me. The House of Fraser account was only for about £200 but has crept up to £500 with penalties etc. 1) Is my defence unemployment as I can't think of any other defence. 2) Shall I send the CCA requests to all my creditors or their collectors/assigns (Lowell etc). 3) If Mortimer Clarke have requested the judgement in default but you think I might be ok for the AoS, shall I not contact them? 4) Shall I write to all creditors/reps telling them my situation even though I can't offer a payment at the moment? Thank you for helping with this. I must have missed the deadline by hours as I tend to work in the night once the toddlers have gone to bed and chores done etc.

Ah, the date on the AoS is 8/5/17. I'm so angry with my situation that I couldn't get this done by the deadline. Damn. Does this mean game over? If it is game over I need to stop them going for a repayment of £50 a month. I am truly broke and cannot pay that amount. But I've sent off the CCA request so will I be shooting myself in the foot if I call them? If they can't enforce the debt right now, will the CCJ supersede any CCA requirement? I understand you're all busy and so on so if you don't get a chance to respond early ish tomorrow I will call the court instead of the solicitor although not sure that would do any good, they are very nice on the phone but not always knowledgeable. thanks

Hi I completed the AoS as above. I have now, yesterday, received a letter from the solicitors dated 10/5/17 saying "We have not received any response from you to the Claim Form served on you in the above matter. Accordingly we have now requested that the Court Grants Judgment in Default in favour of our client. ...... We have requested that the Judgment sum is payable by monthly instalments of £50" there's more but that's the bits I focussed on. I am now very confused. I completed the AoS. I also sent the CCA request and the other letter to the solicitors. They would not have got them until Friday gone as I missed the post and they were recorded delivery so I couldn't use the post box. thanks for all the help.

In order for us to help you we require the following information:- Name of the Claimant ? Cabot Financial (UK) Ltd Date of issue – . 19/4/2017 What is the claim for – 1.By an Agreement between Tesco Personal Finance PLC and the Defendant on or around 28/06/1999 ("the Agreement") Tesco Personal Finance PLC agreed to issue the Defendant with a credit card. 2.The Defendant failed to make the minimum payments due & the Agreement was terminated. 3.The Agreement was assigned to the Claimant. 4.THE CLAIMANT THEREFORE CLAIMS 3767.66 What is the value of the claim? = 4032.66 total Is the claim for a current (Overdraft) or credit card /loan or catalogue or mobile phone account? Credit card When did you enter into the original agreement before or after 2007? Before - probably in 2000 Has the claim been issued by the original creditor or was the account assigned and it is the Debt purchaser who has issued the claim. Cabot Were you aware the account had been assigned – did you receive a Notice of Assignment? I received something from Tesco about the debt but didn't read it fully Did you receive a Default Notice from the original creditor? I believe so but can't be sure Have you been receiving statutory notices headed “Notice of Default sums” – at least once a year ? I can't be sure - I haven't seen any for a while from creditors who would just enclose them with the statements I think, but I don't get statements now, just chasing letters Why did you cease payments? I was in over my head in 2009 and went on DMP for years but lost my job(s) and lost the last one in Nov 2013 which is when I stopped paying Step Change What was the date of your last payment? It must have been around Nov 2013 via Step Change Was there a dispute with the original creditor that remains unresolved? No dispute that I can think of; they did chage PPI at first but cancelled it when I complained, no problems since then. I also had a car loan with them in 2000 before I had the credit card and car loan paid off Did you communicate any financial problems to the original creditor and make any attempt to enter into a debt management planicon? Yes I did. I also wrote to all creditors in 2015 saying I was unemployed and asking them what would be the minimum they would accept a month, but none of them (approx 12 in total) bothered to write back as far as I'm aware Not sure what I need to do - I know I need to write to the claimant and solicitor with a postal order but will need to search for details and my defence is I'm broke, no other reason for non-payment thank you

I found this info on a previous claim you guys helped me with: So next step, have you registered on mcol (moneyclaim) ? If not, do so Tick defend all Leave jurisdiction unticked Exit mcol Send a s78 CCA Requesticon to Hoist Portfolio Send a CPR 31:14icon to the solicitors I also completed a form last time but the link isn't working. I'm hoping to get as much of this done today as toddlers off to nursery for a few hours this afternoon. But I think my internet may be cut off soon so might have to use local library. thanks

Hi - I've messed up again and would please like some help in being pointed in the right direction again. I received court papers for an old Tesco credit card debt. The issue date on the papers is 19/4/17 and I am just about to login to respond. I had a similar problem last year with a creditor and following advice from this forum they dropped the case. I can write to Cabot and to their solicitors Mortimer Clarke like I did on the other claim, but I need to find again what it was I needed to write. What should I write on the court defence page - I will, in the meantime, try and locate the old thread and find out from there but if anyone is online and could help, I would be very grateful. It was suggested that I write to all my creditors and I do want to do this but I am under immense stress at the moment and have very little time to do anything. I am constantly caring for two toddlers and I'm too old for it so I am a bit stressed and unable to think straight or concentrate half the time. I cannot pay anything at all to creditors at the moment. My universal credit sanctions have left me with no money at all to live on and not even enough to cover my rent. Life is beyond stressful, hence leaving this stupid claim and not dealing with it. I just hope I haven't left it too late to do the online response. I think I've exceeded it as I think it's 14 days?? Any assistance would be most appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Thanks Flumps. I can imagine it must be awful at times being recognised as somebody who worked at the job centre. I would not do that to somebody but I would have no hesitation in saying to their face, at their desk, what I think of them. I've read on one site (but can't find it again) that staff are expected to put forward so many people for sanctions each month or whatever. If that is true then those staff should be ashamed of themselves for getting sucked into that scenario. This woman had only just met me, she couldn't even look me in the eye all the time I was sitting in front of her. Her attitude was patronising, and disrespectful to me. She asked me to explain my medical problems yet she has no professional medical status to be asking such questions, and then raises a 'doubt' because she has no idea what I'm saying. I offered to bring in a sick note/fit note that week and also offered to go home an write up more info about my job searches, but she just blanked me. On our second meeting she asked for access to my Universal Jobsmatch account, which I was going to give her but now I'm not going to. My trust in the system has been crushed. So, do you think I am being stopped £291 or five times that? One letter for each week all saying £10.40/day x 28 days? Do we have to spend 35 hours a week job searching? There just aren't that many jobs around my way that fit what I'm now looking for. I am appalled that such level of sanctions can be imposed on somebody. Don't I have any human rights? Eg the right not to be plunged into poverty, the right to dignity and so on. I am so depressed and upset by this. I'm seeing my GP later today. I have now been given a three week sick note by the GP but not sure whether to use it or not? I am going to have to call the centre today to find out what the sanctions are as I am just not clear on this and nobody has been able to give any info on whether it's £291 or five times that. If having a three week break does not affect my UC claim then I will take it.

And can I request a new work advisor before I go back there? thanks MR P, Thanks for the explanations. I am capable of working, but no longer able to commute into London or work long hours - so I'm looking for about 20 hours a week at the moment. I will never be able to go back to what I did before as I lost my last job because of stress, depression and illness. I'm just old and worn out now. But I'm going to ask GP for sick note for a few weeks and hope it will give me some breathing space, unless they stop me for it which will not help at all.

Hi. Thanks for replies. I don't know what a WCA, WRAG or SG is. I didn't go to the GP as the illness was on and off but it was quite serious in that I could hardly walk and my arms felt numb and so on. I have a GP appt for next Monday. I am going to ask to be signed off sick for a while maybe. I didn't take lots of job search evidence as I thought it was a bit overkill. In my opinion the 35 hours a week requirement to hunt for work is overkill. Nevertheless, I am actively seeking work but not even getting interviews. And these horrors that work in the job centre look down on you like you're beneath them because you haven't found anything yet. It is very depressing. So I've had FIVE letters each saying I will be stopped £10.40/day for 28 days. That is either £291.20 or £1456. I just don't know which. It is disgusting that they can do this to someone. My half the rent is £775 and I only get £974 a month so their stoppages will severely affect me. I will find out about the hardship payments but they are the ones that put me in hardship to start with. I don't know if I can demonstrate 175 hours of work search for the period I was sick but I will try. Do we get bank holidays off? It will take me a while to sort out a written appeal on this basis.

Hi I received my first UC payment in November. I also received my first monthly (I think) pension payment in December. I didn't find out about the pension until this week as I hadn't opened my post (as it's always bailiffs or some other horridness). I haven't got round to notifying UC people yet but when I went for my JCP meeting yesterday the woman mentioned "have I been getting pension yet" and I said yes, and said that a payment had just come through. She is reporting me to UC people because she thinks I haven't been looking for work as I missed my appointment mid December due to illness. She asked me about my illness and asked me to describe my symptoms. I tried my best. I also said that even though I had been ill on and off for several weeks I had still been job hunting, but my illness has now limited the types of jobs I will apply for, etc. I also suffer from hearing loss and she made a snide comment about that. She's not my usual advisor but she's booked me to see her again next week. I'm dreading it. She is still reporting me and said I may get a sanction even though I am struggling on the amount I get each month. I'm now thinking I should just not go back, the woman got me so upset and stressed with her attitude towards me. I am desperately seeking work and have worked all my life. I sold my house due to redundancy and used the equity to live off - totally stupid decision possibly but there you have it. I've read several posts and stickies but struggling to find the info I need which is, how much aggravation do I have to take from this woman, can I just not speak to her? She made me sign my 'excuse' for not demonstrating how I had been seeking work since mid December and I think she doubted I had been ill. I am on universal credit and this started in late October 2016. I missed an interview with the job centre in December because I was unwell. I was unwell for weeks on and off but during that time was still looking for work. I eventually spoke with the control centre and got a new interview date for mid Jan. I went in with details of the job hunting in the week prior to my interview. It seems that was a mistake and I should have taken in 4-5 weeks worth of info. I have some email evidence etc to support my search for work. I've also found that most of the jobs are the same and few new ones are coming to the market so I keep reapplying for roles. I'm losing the will to live. this awful woman at the job centre said I had not given her enough evidence of seeking work and she was going to raise a 'doubt' with the centre and a decision maker would write to me. Well, today I received five letters - one for each separate week, including xmas/new year - and each saying I would be sanctioned at £10.40 a day for 28 days. I am speechless, totally speechless, and just want to either curl up and die or pick up the phone and tell them what I think of them. What can I do about this? My universal credit just about covers my half the rent and heat/light - nothing else really. Oh, and just to make matters worse, they put me on fortnightly interviews and I have missed my first one. I'm tempted to try and go self-employed so I don't have to suck up to these disgusting jobsworths. Help, anyone? I'm wondering how I can appeal this, and also whether it is £1500 or have I misunderstood the letters. thanks

Hi. I received a letter yesterday from the solicitors for the claimant saying the case is being discontinued. I am relieved. They did caveat that this doesn't stop their client at some point in the future etc etc. But I will cross that bridge when I get to it. Thanks for the help and advice.

Thank you for responding and the information you've given is reassuring. The letter he left is headed 'Attendance notice to take control of goods' 'Your debt remains outstanding despite our previous attempts for payment. Therefore, I have called today to take control of your goods in order to secure the debt outstanding. Please contact me immediately. If you fail to contact me I will return and complete my action whether you are present or not. T he cost of my next visit to transport goods to the place of sale will be added to the total owed.' I have not spoken with Rundles about this debt before, only the £300 debt. I didn't open the door to the bailiff because he looked like a bailiff - or maybe my spider sense told me he was. I spoke with him through the letterbox. I told him I had written to the council and was waiting for a reply. He said the council had sent them to collect and that he would be back. My daughter heard all this. I called the council after he left and I am now waiting (again) for them to get back to me as I was only able to speak with a customer service person. I have offered to pay the council although it won't be by the end of the financial year, but nevertheless I have offered to pay. The flat is now occupied and no doubt they are getting council tax from the new owner. My debt probably relates to the two years prior to the current year so cannot understand why they insist on being paid by the end of March. But I have offered to pay. I do have an old banger outside the house which has two baby seats in it. We need the car as getting about with two small toddlers without the car would be difficult. Are they allowed to take cars which are essential? Also, the car is used to help me look for work and I am applying for jobs where there will be a fair amount of driving/travel. I don't know what to do about this one.