*** NEWS RELEASE ** NEW RESEARCH REVEALS LACK OF AWARENESS OF SUPPORT FOR FUEL COSTS AMONGST THOSE ON LOW INCOMES A new survey commissioned by Turn2us, part of national charity Elizabeth Finn Care, has found that people on low incomes are unaware of the potential support available to help with their fuel bills. This is despite the fact that nearly two-thirds (64%) of those surveyed are uncertain if they can meet these costs this winter without experiencing financial hardship. Over a third (37%) of people living in low income households* have never checked their eligibility for welfare benefits and tax credits, and over two-fifths (45%) are currently not claiming benefits that they may be entitled to. Claiming benefits entitlements can not only boost income to help pay fuel bills but can also act as a trigger for eligibility from various fuel poverty programmes. The research also found that over two-thirds (70%) are unaware that energy suppliers have to offer cheaper ‘social tariffs’ to their most vulnerable customers and over two-fifths (43%) are not aware of the government’s Warm Front scheme which provides funding for insulation and heating improvements – despite the fact that they are on a low income and could be eligible for assistance from these schemes. Furthermore, over one in three (36%) have never or can not remember when they last checked they were on the cheapest energy tariff available to them. These results are particularly worrying in light of the findings that the costs of last winter’s fuel bills caused over two-fifths (44%) to feel stressed, nearly one in seven (14%) to suffer illness or physical pain as a result of cold conditions and over one in eight (13%) to fall behind on their bill payments. Shockingly, over half (55%) said that if they were struggling to meet their fuel costs, they would resort to switching off their heating altogether or only heating one room at a time and two-fifths (41%) would cut back on other essentials including food, yet only 6% would consider approaching a charity to see if they were eligible for a grant. The official definition of fuel poverty is where a household has to spend more than 10% of its income on fuel to maintain an adequate level of warmth. There are currently an estimated 4.75 million households in fuel poverty in the UK, around three-quarters of which are on a low income**. Turn2us is running its second annual Acting on Fuel Poverty campaign throughout the winter to highlight the support available to those struggling with their fuel costs, and has launched a dedicated campaign microsite at www.fuelpovertymap.org.uk. The microsite directs users to sources of help including the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to work out which welfare benefits and tax credits they might be entitled to, the Turn2us Grants Search database which provides access to over 3,000 charitable funds, information pages on increasing energy efficiency and energy efficiency grants, and a link to the Which? Switch energy tariff comparison tool for users to check they are on the best tariff available to them. The microsite also includes an interactive fuel poverty map for users to find out, according to the official definition, if they are in fuel poverty and compare different areas across the UK. Alison Taylor, Director of Turn2us said: “Our latest research findings show that there is a need for individuals and families to have access to clear information and independent guidance to help them find support with rising energy costs. Our fuel poverty microsite brings together a number of tools which are free to use – all in one place, which can help households identify whether they can maximise their income and reduce their energy costs ahead of the arrival of their winter bills.” Helen*** worked as a nurse for many years before she had to leave work due to ill health, and on a limited income, she found herself struggling with her household bills. Her house was damp and living in a rural village, Helen would travel to the nearest town library once a week to keep warm for a few hours. It was here that searching on the internet, she came across Turn2us. Helen identified through Turn2us that she was eligible for a charitable grant which paid for the damp in her home to be fixed and gave her some extra money to put towards her bills. Helen said: “The money I received has been a lifesaver and has had a huge impact on my quality of life. I now live in a warm home and the extra money for bills has really taken some of the pressure off.” Turn2us is working in partnership with a number of charities and organisations across the UK for the Acting on Fuel Poverty campaign, who will help to increase awareness of the help available for those in fuel poverty and how they can access it. For more information about the campaign, please visit www.fuelpovertymap.org.ukand www.turn2us.org.uk.

Hi, Bought a router through Amazon. Router kept dropping connections after about a couple of hours. Returned the router and obtained a refund for the router cost, however, Amazon refuse to refund the postage costs I incurred. I was under the impression that I should not be out of pocket when returning faulty goods? Any advice/comments would be appreciated

Good Evening All I have a question [well several actually] about costs orders. Who is responsible for admnistrating them. i.e. The Employment Tribunal or the Respondent? Who is supposed to comunicate to the plaintif the timing and how it is to be handled. The Employment Tribunal or the Respondent? Who is the payment to go to. The Employment Tribunal or the Respondent? What is considered the usual timeframe for the payment of a costs order? A Week/Two Weeks/A Month? [Full ET not due till end of November], leading to the question of who can set the payment timeframe. The Employment Tribunal or the Respondent? Cheers

Hi thinking of putting my 5 month old son into nursery 1 day a week to get him used to being there then when i return to work i will be putting him in nursery 2 to 4 days a week depending if we get help with childcare costs my partner is currently unemployed after being made redundant the nursery is £28 a day and just wondering would we apply to childcare cost help if so how much would it be im on £18,000 a year before tax

Hi all Just a bit of info, maybe new info maybe not. I have just been to Turkey for a holiday Whilst there I made sure I had turned of mobile data roaming (didn't need it on as had wifi). But here is the pinch... I have been billed for calls I didn't make ... let me explain. I have a call reject list (several DCA numbers). Anyway, when you have call reject on the calls do not show on my phone (Galaxy S2) they go straight to voicemail (vm). This is fine whilst in UK because calls diverted to vm don't get charged, you will only be charged 10p to listen to your vm. However, go abroad outside of EU (Turkey is in band 5 - the highest) and unless you switch of vm and the call reject list before leaving the UK you will be charged, twice usually. Once for the incoming call, even if it is on a reject list and you don't answer and the second charge is for the divert to your mobile. Band 5 = £1.50 for each action. I have read that even if you switch your mobile on whilst abroad and your phone registers on the local network and you switch it straight of, the network knows you are there and you will get billed even if you receive a call and don't answer it and it doesn't go to vm. This is wrong because you cannot control people calling. It used to be that you only got billed if you answered the call, which you had the choice to do. Now whilst I am aware of this and even though it is a bit of a rip off, what I don't actually like is if you are pay monthly vm is turned on by default (some people may not know how to switch it off, I always forget) and the serious lack of info about this. I have been looking and I struggle to find much about it, it is usually a round about lot of info (typical for big company t&c's). Now whilst I say it's a bit of a rip off, I think it is extortionate and I am seriously considering switching networks at end of this contract (are the others any better I wonder). I am seeing some real horror stories on forums. yes I know people should know what they are doing but if the info is buried deep inside contract/t&c's etc it is difficult for people to find it. Call me cynical but that's why there is always so much text in these documents... to confuse the consumer. The new EU legislation unfortunately only covers usage within the EU, not companies based in the EU charging for out of EU usage. Anyway as I said earlier, just a bit of info I wanted to share and pass on. I hope I explained it clearly enough. I would like to hear other peoples views on this regardless of network. Maybe we can get legislation for out of EU usage introduced. Cheers Oscar

I have to fill in an income and expenditure form. Are there guidelines as to what are acceptable costs anywhere? For instance, I dont want to put down £100 per week for food to be told £80 is the allowable limit!

Morning all, Hope this is the correct forum for my post. I would like some advice for my partner please, I'll try and keep it short and simple. He received a CCG for outstanding solicitors costs totalling £344.08 (payment of £242.08 and costs of £102). He ignored the CCJ. A warrant of execution was issued and the bailiffs attended his house to seize his goods. They were unable to gain access or speak to him face to face. An N79a (I think it's called that) suspended committal order for disobedience was issued asking him to attend court for questioning or face 7 days imprisonment. It was at this point that he panicked and told me what was going on. If I'd known about it sooner I'd have told him to get it paid ASAP but that's the difference between me and him!! He attended court with evidence of income, outgoings etc and a variation order was issued stating that he should pay the £344.08 in weekly instalments of £10. This has now been paid but the solicitors firm (claimant) has written to him saying the matter isn't finalised and he still owes £150. £100 for the warrant of execution and £50 for the N79a. Can they do this? If so why wasn't the £150 included in the variation order? I'd just like to know where he stands on the matter. He'll pay it if necessary to avoid further court costs etc but surely if he has paid what was ordered by the court then the matter is finalised? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you

hi, popped into local NHS dentist to ask if i could get treated / check up and if it would cost me, they said it would be for free as i was on ESA, so they asked for proof, i took esa proof, they signed me up, then i had some treatment, over 2 visits, at no charge. Few weeks later recieved letter from nhs, routine check unable, so please send proof of esa and fill in questionnaire. totally forgot about this, was going to go to dentist to sort it out. then i get another letter from nhs, ie pentalty charge notice and fine, totalling a sum of over £300! if dont pay, debt recovery, county court, more charges. So i go to my dentist with my paperwork, they say if im on esa its fine, there should be no costs and thats its between me and the nhs as dentist did not charge me, so i need to proov to them now. So im now so stressed and already got mental health problems and awaiting urgent psychiatrist help and on some strong medication...i dont how to deal with this. I cant afford this cost, i only went to dentist as they said it was free to me. looking at my esa paperwork and nhs letters, i think it might be to do with income based esa or contribution based. around the same time of dental treatment i was switched from one to another, i believe from contribution to income, but the switch over date was just after dental treatment, but surely the dentist would have checked this? i took some ESA paperwork with me to dentist and they inspected it and gave me the go ahead for free treatment. the dentist has assured me, all esa claiments do not have to pay, twice now. do i need to go to cab? debt advisor? i dont know how to deal with this. i simply can not afford this Fee, i am in debt and cant even afford rent and food, im overdrawn, and on esa, unfit to work, no savings. can anyone advise please? thankyou

Hey guys, I am a new user to this forum and I hope someone can help me or point me in the right direction. I purchased a car on a Hire Purchase loan agreement in 2009 for a total price of £8500 for 24months, i paid £4000 deposit. I kept up with my regular payments until September 2011, until which I was made redundant from work. I contacted the finance company (carlysle finance) and told them of my situation. They decided to make a repayment plan for me and in which i kept up with my payments until January 2012, where i found myself in real financial difficulty, I couldn't pay any more money. I received numerous letters and warnings and in late may they took out a court order and a hearing date for 6th July 2012. I also received a claim form, from the court in which i completed stating my circumstances and my offer of repayment every week and sent back to the court. The total balance i owed the finance company was £1500. I decided to borrow some money off my friends and family and I have now paid £1350, I now have a balance of £150 to pay which I will be paying before the hearing date. My question is if i pay off the total balance remaining and they decide to cancel the hearing, would I still have to or liable to pay court costs?. I am on a low income at the moment and not able to work due to circumstances. Any help or advise would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

After I had a CCJ set aside the Judge "reserved costs to the small claims track" what does this mean?

My son has fallen into the snake pit of PDL vipers (and other vermin) and I am about to deploy my snake charming skills, learned from within these hallowed frames! He has recently lost his job (misconduct) and is on the benefit that replaced Incapacity Benefit, as he has suffered from Depression and Anxiety for many years, so has no other income at present. In addition, he has parted from his girlfriend and is now living at home, so we are dealing with a lot of 'fallout' after his world imploded.. So, learned counsel, given that he has racked up multiple debts that he is totally unable to service - and disposed of the proceeds on drugs and alcohol - is there a minimum amount of money he is 'entitled' to keep for his essential living expenses, or can his creditors simply plunder his bank account as and when they find money in it? He is in the process of opening a 'parachute account' -as advised, thanks to previous CAG input on my behalf some years ago ) I can deal with the 'admin' side of things and am looking forward to dealing with some of the lovely DCA's who are swimming around in the pond currently (apologies for mixed metaphors). My current thinking is that there is nothing they can do to enforce any of these alleged debts, some of which were activated 'under the influence' - and apart from a trashed Credit History, any potential court action will only result in awards of a pound or two a month at best - n'est ce pas? It's quite touching to think I was so naive about debt once and how I used to TELEPHONE them when they wrote to me and give them information - oh dear, I'm cringing with embarassment again I would appreciate any specific or indeed general advice that may be on offer which might assist me in relieving some of the pressure he is currently under - and yes, he is truly repentent and ashamed of his behaviour - much good it will do him now! Many thanks - and keep up the excellent work guys!!

Hi everyone Can someone help with a query re different courts and debt? I had a costs certificate issued from London regarding a case I am still fighting. I applied for this to be set aside as the matter isn't finished. The hearing will take place in two weeks about this. However, today I received an Order of recovery of award from my local court. I am confused and not sure what to do next Scott

Without going into all the details, My daughter was issued a points of dispute regarding a court costs. Due to the lack of legal knowledge a Default Certificate was issued, I attempted to have it set aside but the judge has said that she must list each point by 21 June, The cost exceed £15000 and she has a young baby and living on her own in a rented home. She is unable to pay this amount, or challenge the bill of costs. If we agree them and offer a small payment, would they threatened to issue a Statutory Demand which I would assume will make her bankrupt.

Can anyone explain what this means? I'm in an ongoing case and the costs order was made very early on, i now notice that the solictors are now including items for pre action in their costs and thought that these had been wiped out by the order made but now i'm not so sure so if anyonecan explain the above wording i would be very grateful.

I have recently had a judgement against me, which was rushed through without giving me a proper opportunity to defend the matter [another story], but i managed to source funds to repay the debt in full. Whilst the funds were being sourced, i continued contact with the solicitors updating them as to what i was doing. This was done over a 2 week period since the judgement was issued. The final judgement included costs and interest. The solicitors have now written to me and added another few hundred pounds in costs! Can they do this? If so, can they enforce it? If not, have I any recourse of action? Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you.

Hi, Just a quick one wondering does anyone know if this is lawful- I requested an invoice that the claimant mentioned in his POS as the invoice amount seemed like a higher figure than I was aware of - he has sent the invoice after I requested it using the very helpful request template on this website CPR 31.14 however he has added $400 for 'debt collection' onto the invoic hence the higher figuree- can he do this? it just sounds totally trumped up

Residential market update There was an improvement in market conditions in April according to the RICS. Fewer surveyors expect price falls, new buyer enquiries stabilised and sales rose slightly. The number of housing starts was 22% higher in the year ending in March 2011 than the previous year. While this shows more activity, the RICS has warned that house building is still at historically low levels Cost of running a home still rising The average annual cost associated with owning and running a home rose by 1.4% from £8,956 in March 2010 to £9,083 in March 2011, with gas and electricity charges and maintenance being the highest risers. With thanks to SG Landscope

Have just received a FPN for parking 'on a roundabout' at 4:05pm. The road in question is a close with a small roundabout at the end. on the green is a sign showing a parking restriction from 8:15 to 9:15am and 2:30 to 4:00pm. The community officer was still there when I returned and said that I parked illegally. I pointed out sign & said it indicted that I could park after 4pm she said she issued a ticket anyway as I am parked on a junction! (its hardly that!) Notice says it I do nor agree can ask to have matter dealt with by court, what I want to know is has anyone got any experience of this - what happens? If I do go to court & lose will it end up costing me loads?