hello, I have a problem, how to sort it out.. Around half year ago, received response pack from county court. sent them back defence N9B form, but they haven't received and i lost a case. I know I should send registered mail..but unfortunately. Now received notice of debt recovery from DCBL £261 + £75 recovery fee for parking ticket. The thing is I have a proof that vehicle on date of issue been sold already. Should I go to nearest court or any other ways?

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Help please. I have received a CCJ claim pack from Rentons solicitors in regards to a apparant debt linked to a overdraft I have no knowledge of. I have answered the default questions below. Can someone please offer advice / assistance on what I should do now please. I have completed the Acknowledgment of service on the money claim website so the clock is ticking now. Please help Name of the Claimant ? - Restons / Arrow Global re: Lloyds bank overdraft Date of issue – top right hand corner of the claim form – this in order to establish the time line you need to adhere to. Date of issue : 04/04/2017 What is the claim for – the reason they have issued the claim? - The claimant claims payment of the overdue balance due from the Defendant(s) under a contract between the Defendant(s) and Lloyds TSB dated on or about Dec 30 1994 and assigned to the Claimant on Nov 20 2013 PARTICULARS a/c no xxxxxxxxxxxxx DATE 10/02/2017 ITEM - Default Balance VALUE - 4500 Post Refrl Cr - NIL TOTAL - 4500 What is the value of the claim? £4500 Is the claim for a current account (Overdraft) or credit/loan account or mobile phone account? - Appears to be a overdraft for a account I have not used since 2011. When did you enter into the original agreement before or after 2007? Yes - appears to be Dec 30 1994 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. Appears to be debt purchaser - Arrow Global Limited. Were you aware the account had been assigned – did you receive a Notice of Assignment? No - I have not received any documentation in regards to the debt - didn't know it existed before receiving the CCJ claim pack as I was working out of the country since February 2011 Did you receive a Default Notice from the original creditor? No - Left the country in 2011 so have received no communication from Lloys of anyone in regards to this debt. Have you been receiving statutory notices headed “Notice of Default sums” – at least once a year ? - As above - Nothing received. Why did you cease payments? - Left the country - left account open but was completely unaware of any outstanding overdraft. What was the date of your last payment? - Nothing paid into account or account even used since Feb 2011 Was there a dispute with the original creditor that remains unresolved? No dispute. Did you communicate any financial problems to the original creditor and make any attempt to enter into a debt management plan - No communication at all ever had. What you need to do now. If you have not already done so – send a CCA request to the claimant for a copy of your agreement (except for Overdraft/ Mobile/Telephone accounts) - This appears to be for a overdraft - shall I still send CCA ? Thanks in advance for any advice guidance given.

Hi, I would be thankful of some advice please. In 2012 I defaulted on a Studio account and my debt was sent to a debt collection agency/solicitor dept due to low earnings due to illness a £10 a month payment plan was set up, this went without fault for nearly 3 years and I used to make payment by phoning up every month and paying via debit card over the phone. The company name I used to pay the £10 a month to now escapes me however for the final month I phoned up to pay there was an answer phone message stating that the company no longer operated due to being removed from some kind of authority to practice in the collection for debts, I forget the exact terminology but when I googled the company it seems they had been struck off for some kind of illegal practices. There was a phone number of a company that were now dealing with this struck off companies affairs and when I contacted them they could not find a record of my debt on their system and advised me to speak to the original creditor, I called Studio to ask them for information regarding the outstanding debt and was told the debt had been sold and they no longer had any recourse on the funds that were owed. I felt I was going round in circles and could not do any more so I forgot about the debt assuming when somebody wanted the money they would write to me. In November of last year (2 months ago) I received a letter from Restons solicitors demanding the full balance of a little over £600 by way of a "letter before action" I called them immediately and explained the situation regarding the struck off company and the payment plan I had in place and was told if I wanted to set up the same payment plan I had to complete an expenditure form on their website to show affordability which I did just before Christmas. I expect to receive some kind of response when they had analysed it but not the response I did get: Today I have received a claim pack from Northampton county court, This is new to me and after a bit of research I figure this is the start of a CCJ they want to get put on me. Now I have a few questions. Firstly how do I resolve it at this stage so I dont get a CCJ, Its only for a relatively small figure inc fees a total of £800 and if possible I dont want to get a CCJ for this amount, I have read if I pay the balance within 30 days It does not get recorded on my credit file, is this 30 days from the date on the claim form or from date of judgement against me? I have tried calling Restons to get some answers as to why they did this, however i get through to an answerphone message that states they will call me back but they havnt yet and Id like to be informed of my next moves before I do actually get to speak to them, thank you in advance for any help. I would like to add on the claim form it shows Cabot as purchasing the debt in march 2016 yet the first I heard about this was November from Restons, Cabot had not even wrote to me to try and get a payment plan set up.

Hi all, I haven't been on here for a long time, as I thought my debt problems had gone away. . Until today that is, I have been sent a county court claim form from Northampton. County court the claimant is lowells, they are claiming for an old capital one credit card debt, this was an original debt of about £150 lowells are claiming for £389.90. This debt was way back in May 2006, so I'm guessing that they shouldn't be able to get a county court judgement against me? The forms look real enough but I was going to phone the court on Monday to see if it is actually a real claim. There is no court stamp on the claim form it just has a picture of a crown in a circle with the wording 'the county court'. The court phone number is given as 0300 123 1056. I don't want to call this number and start discussing the case if this is a "fake" form and I actually end up talking to lowells themselves. Any help or ideas on this matter gents and ladies? Many thanks in advance for all and any help. Regards Moonlandings

Hi All, I've read lots of info on here but nothing that helps me for my specific case. I hope someone can throw their tuppance in! I have just found out that I have a CCJ in my name for a bill that I am not liable for. First thing I knew about it was when I checked my credit history. I am very distressed that this is on my credit history because I was hoping to get a mortgage in the next few months and this has completely messed up my credit score! The water bill at a place I now no longer live at is in arrears. I lived in the property as joint tenants with some friends from November 2013- March 2014. I moved out and they stayed on, amending the tenancy agreement and all the bills accordingly. I have loads of documents to demonstrate I moved out (council tax bill, tenancy agreements etc) the other tenants kept telling them I didn't live there but the water company refuse to change their records retrospectively. They quote a law which says we should have given 2 days notice which we did but it just wasn't recorded on their system. It's my word against theirs essentially. I had never received a summons or case judgement. Part of the money owed £85 was sent to a Debt Collection Agency and I've squared it with them. The DCA accept that I don't live there and put it on hold whilst they go back to the water company). However, I still have £600 debt in my name and this CCJ on my file. The other tenants maintain they didn't know about any of this but I can't 100% trust them on that. They said no post has come in my name but they didn't tell me my name was on the water bills they couldn't pay so I'm not convinced. However, the court document I got lists my recent address, and I assume they got this from the Electoral Roll, yet nothing turned up there either. Things I have done so far: • Scanned in Council Tax Bills and sent to water company (I've been told they won't take them into consideration). • Telephoned the water company to ask why the CCJ was issued in October 2015 in my name only. It was explained that they don't do joint claims and couldn't tell me why just that "it was policy to use the first name on the account" even though they had been dealing with the other names on the account. They told me that the other tenants had set up a payment plan which they missed a payment on, ignored the water companies calls and letters so the water company started court proceedings. • Written to the water company asking for copies of all correspondence. I plan to do a SAR/Data Protection request too. I have no idea of the exact dates, what payments have been made and when etc • Written to the court and asked for more info. I was told that the "claim pack cannot be reproduced" and they emailed me a scanned document with some basic details of the case. Not entirely sure what this document is but it lists the breakdown of costs and addresses of both parties. Anything else I should do? I know I need to get the application to Set Aside in ASAP but my partner is worried we'll lose and end up paying more money. I've explained that even if we pay it off it will still be on my history so I really need to fight it.

I wonder if someone could advise please. I called on 5.1.16. for a DLA application for my child. I completed the application by downloading the form. My child who requires day and night care. He was awarded personal middle rate care and low rate mobility. The first payment was the date they received the application - not the date when I phoned i.e. 5.1.16. and I did enclose the page they sent which stated I called on 5.1.16. and it had to be back by mid February. I have called DLA and said that they have not taken into account the night time care my child needs. He is up twice a night for around 15-20 mins and sometimes has to sleep in my bed. DLA said that they 'thought' he only got up 4 times a week during the night for the toilet. I said it was clearly stated that every night he has nightmares and I have to get out of my bed to attend to him. They said they hadn't read that - it is clearly stated. I also said that even though I downloaded the application, the award started from the date they received it. They said the it was because I used the download form - even though I attached the paper page version of the date I applied. So it went to a mandatory. They wrote back and said that there was not enough medical evidence about the night time care enclosed with the application (I sent my GP's letter) - they have not contacted my GP. Now I've had my mandatory, if I'm not happy I have to go to appeal. This is unfair as if they had doubt about night time care, then they could have written to my GP. Is there anything else I can do about this instead of going to appeal as clearly they have not read the application properly and now I've 'spent' my mandatory. Also can someone advise me about when the DLA should have started. Many thanks. BTW I wanted the paper version for the Notes as I haven't got the money to keep paying to top up my ink on my printer.

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I invited a local estate agent to view my property for evaluation in early May 2010. I also invited another agent for the same purpose a week later. I invited agent (a) to revisit my home to take the listing. They backdated their signature on the Sales Agreement by nine days, without my knowledge or authorisation. My signature reflected the correct date of the Sales Agreement. The agent did not advise me that by placing my initials in a box contained within the Terms and Conditions of the HIP Pack, I was waiving my rights to the seven day "cooling off" period. They said that they had me do this so that they could proceed with the HIP which was abolished six days after I had signed the Sales Agreement, leaving me liable for the cost of the HIP and their listing fees, should I change my my during that seven day period. They instructed their own conveyancing solicitors to send a questionnaire re the HIP Pack. It was dated the 18 May 2010. giving no time for me to process the paperwork and send it back to them before the HIP Packs were abolished on the 20 May, 2010. Three years later, they started to pursue me for the cost of the HIP Pack. They took the matter to court. I was unaware of the action because they did not send me a copy of their Directions Questionnaire. The Judgment arrived in April 2015. There had been no demand for payment of the HIP Pack and their Listing Fees, + VAT until 2013. I have successfully had the judgment stayed. The other party did not show up in court. They have until the 31st July, 2015 to respond to the Court. After that date has elapsed, the case will be struck out. They continued to list it until end 2011, when they removed it from their listings as they said that my property was too expensive, and had not negotiated a more realistic selling price. There were no negotiations during that listing period, and they had recommended the asking price! I had already reduced the price in 2010, at their request, and then relisted with them in 2011, at their suggested figure, which was £15,000 over the previous year. Following the Judgment, the estate agent sent the sheriffs to me, ignoring the Court's Stay of Writ. The sheriffs advised that they would be here Stay of Writ or not. The estate agent ignored the Stay. I was in a state of shock for some considerable time following the arrival of the Judgment and the sheriff's unexpected appearance. None of the major relevant agencies are interested in this situation, all giving varying reasons for their lack of interest. I wonder what the forum makes of this situation. I seems ludicrous to me that there is no recourse open to me, considering the amount of anguish and trouble that I have been subjected to, I should mention that I am a 74 year old lady, and feel that I have been thoroughly taken advantage of. The other, obvious concern, is that as the relevant agencies are disinterested, the agent is free to continue similar practices.

Guide to taking in a Lodger What is a Lodger? A Lodger is a person who rents a room in your home without having exclusive rights to any part of the property. Usually there is a formal arrangement in place that sets out the rooms that the Lodger can use and those that they share with the rest of the household (e.g. the kitchen, living room and bathroom) for an agreed payment. Close family members such as a parent, step parent or parent-in-law, a son or daughter, step son or step daughter, a son-in-law or daughter-in-law, a brother or sister are not normally classified as Lodgers so you need to be fully aware of this. Do I need Permission to take in a Lodger? As a Private Home Owner --You may need to inform your Mortgage Provider. --You may need to inform your Insurance Provider. --You may need to inform the Local Council (Council Tax). --You may need to inform DWP if you Claim any Benefits. As a Council Housing / Housing Association / Housing Trust etc Tenant (Social Housing) --You may need to Request Permission from your Landlord to have a Lodger. --You may need to inform your Insurance Provider. --You may need to inform the Local Council (Council Tax). --You may need to inform DWP if you Claim any Benefits. We would recommend that you always get Permission in Writing from the Landlord. Do I need to provide a Furnished Room? To comply with the Governments Rent a Room scheme to earn a tax free income you must provide a Furnished Room. How much can I charge a Lodger for a Room? This will depend on the area where you live and what condition your property is in. Have a look on www.SpareRoom.co.uk at other rooms available in your area to get an idea what the going rate is likely to be. How do I Evict a Lodger? It is easier to evict a Lodger than a Tenant but you will still need to give ‘reasonable notice’ to the Lodger if you intend to evict. We would always recommend a written agreement between you and your Lodger(s) so the conditions are agreed upon in advance. Will I be Taxed on my Income and do I have to Declare it? Under the Government’s Rent a Room scheme you can earn up to £7,500 a year tax free by taking in a lodger and, provided you don’t earn more than this, you won’t need to declare it. Important if you do earn over the amount you must inform your Local Tax Office ASAP. Do I need to Comply with the New tenancy Deposit Laws? The law only applies to Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) so you can take a deposit without having to use the tenancy deposit scheme. (Ensure you have a Lodger Agreement signed by Lodger and Yourself) Do I need to Comply with Right to Rent Laws? As of 1st February 2016, the law requires everyone renting out property in England to check whether their tenants are legally allowed to live in the UK, regardless of the type of agreement, whether they're written or verbal. (this includes Lodgers so you need to be aware of this) Right to rent checks introduced for landlords in England Right to rent document checks: a user guide A short guide on right to rent Right to rent checks: what they mean for you Check your tenant's right to rent The PDF below contains the above information but also: 1. Lodger Agreement 2. Lodger Interview Form 3. Inventory List 4. Example Notice to Quit letter. Guide to Taking in a Lodger.pdf

LODGER INFORMATION PACK ALWAYS SEEK ADVICE AND CONSENT IN WRITING FROM YOUR LANDLORD This pack is intended to be used by council and housing association tenants who are thinking about letting a spare bedroom in their home to a lodger. The pack takes the form of: Ø A series of questions and answers about things you need to think about and do before you let your spare room to a lodger. Ø A lodger licence agreement which you can use to establish an agreement between yourself and your lodger. Lodgers some basic information What is a Lodger? A lodger is a person who rents a room in someone else’s home. Usually there is a formal arrangement in place that sets out the rooms that the lodger can use and those that they share with the rest of the household (e.g. the kitchen, living room and bathroom) for an agreed payment. Close family members such as a parent, step parent or parent-in-law, a son or daughter, step son or step daughter, a son-in-law or daughter-in-law, a brother or sister are not normally classified as lodgers. Do I need permission to take in a lodger? YES As a Tenant of a Social Landlord (either a council or a housing association) if you hold a secure tenancy you have the right to take in a lodger, your landlord needs to provide you with their consent in writing. If you are an assured tenant it is highly likely you have the right to take in a lodger but you will require the housing associations consent. Ensure you check your Tenancy Agreement for any clauses stating you cannot have lodgers. Always get written consent from your landlord and keep it safe. In both instances it is a good idea to let your landlord know that you are thinking about taking in a lodger, as they might be able to offer you help and advice. Things to think about when you consider taking in a lodger Before you ask for your landlord’s agreement to take in a lodger, you might want to think about whether you’re prepared to have a lodger living in your home and whether it’s right for you. Having a lodger living with you means that you’ll be sharing your home with a stranger. If you live alone this might mean that you will have some company but it also means that’ll you’ll be giving up some of the privacy you enjoy at the moment. You need to ask yourself whether you are prepared to do this? If you have children you might want to consider whether you want a stranger living in your home, particularly if you don’t know a great deal about their background.As a parent or guardian of a child or children, your first duty to them is to ensure that they have somewhere safe to live. If you do want to have a lodger living with you, providing you with another source of income, it is important that you choose who lives with you very carefully. Getting ready to take in a lodger Who should I inform that I’m going to be taking in a lodger? If you are thinking about taking in a lodger and after you have received consent from your landlord, you should contact your Home Contents Insurer and inform them that you intend to take in a lodger. They may want to obtain certain information from your potential lodger and they might in some circumstances adjust your insurance premiums. It is important that you contact your insurer and advise them that you are taking in a lodger. If you don’t and you make a claim on the policy you might find out that the contents of your home might are not covered. Once you have taken in a lodger you need to let the following organisations know: Ø Council Tax – if you are a single person and receive a single person discount on your Council Tax you need to let the Council Tax section know about your lodger. If your lodger is a student they will not be considered to be a full time occupant and you will not lose your single person supplement. Ø Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)– if you receive benefits you will need to let the DWP know that you have a lodger and the amount you are paid each week by your lodger. If you don’t advise the DWP that you are receiving additional income from a lodger, you will be committing benefit fraud. Ø Housing Benefit – if you are on a low income and receive Housing and Council Tax Benefit, you will need to let the Housing Benefit Team at your council know that you have a lodger and the amount you are paid each week. If you don’t advise the Housing Benefit Team that you are receiving additional income from a lodger, you will be committing benefit fraud. What condition should my home be in? When you let your spare room to a lodger, your home should be clean, carpeted and in good decorative order throughout. The spare room should be bright and cheerful and spotlessly clean. If it is not it is unlikely that someone will want to come and live in your home. You might want to hang pictures or posters in the spare room or allow the lodger to hang their own pictures of posters. If you don’t want the lodger to use nails or blue tac, you should provide a noticeboard or pinboard. You should ake photographs of the room that the lodger will use before you let it, to record its condition. What furniture should I provide my lodger with? As you are going to be letting the room to the lodger on the basis that it is furnished, you will need to ensure that you have the right furniture in the room. The furniture you provide in the room will depend on the size of the room but you should provide the following: Ø A comfortable bed and mattress. It is a good idea to fit a waterproof cover over the mattress. Ø A desk or table with lamp and chair. Ø Shelves on the wall or a small bookcase. Ø A bedside table and lamp. Ø A wardrobe and chest of drawers. All of the furniture you provide must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings(Fire)(Safety) Regulations 1988. If you’re buying new furniture this won’t be a problem, but if you’re using older furniture it is a good idea to check for labels to ensure furniture is compliant with the regulations. (Labels can be found on items such as padded headboards, sofas, mattresses, pillows, cushions, cloth covers on seats, curtains). It is best to buy new electrical items and make sure that you keep the receipts and instructions. If you can’t afford new items, you should get them tested by a qualified electrician but this could be expensive. You will also need to provide the lodger with access to pots and pans, cups, plates and cutlery and you should make some space for them to store their food in your kitchen cupboards and fridge and freezer. You should provide an inventory (a written record) of the items you provide the lodger with, noting their condition. You can find a copy of an inventory at the end of this pack. Should I establish house rules? It is important to set some rules about what you will and will not allow in your home, so before you let your spare room to a lodger you need to give this some thought. For example you might not want a lodger to smoke in the property or to keep a pet. Whilst you don’t want to develop a list of rules which is too long you will want to set out the standards of cleanliness and tidiness you expect of your lodger. You will want to tell a potential lodger about your house rules when you meet for the first time, as they need to know whether they would be comfortable living in your home. Should I use a lodger agreement? It is important that you and your lodger sign a lodger agreement, so that your rights and responsibilities as the landlord and the rights and responsibilities of the lodger are clearly set out. It is also important that you sign a lodger agreement if your lodger needs to claim Housing Benefit to help them pay their rent. Your lodger will need to provide a copy of the agreement to the Housing Benefit Team. A copy of a Lodger Agreement is part of this pack. You and your lodger should sign two copies and each keep a copy. How much should I charge my lodger? You can charge whatever rent you feel a lodger will be willing to pay. One approach is to look at adverts in newspaper and on the internet and charge an amount that reflects the average weekly rent in your local area. Things to bear in mind when you’re setting your rent: Ø If you’re a taxpayer you can earn £4,250 each year (or £81.73 a week) tax free under the Government’s Rent a Room Scheme. If you receive more income than this you will need to declare it on a tax return Ø If you are thinking of letting your spare room to someone who receives Housing Benefit to help them pay the rent,you need to be aware that if the rent that you charge is greater than the rent allowed by Housing Benefit, your lodger will have to fund the shortfall themselves. You can ask your Housing Benefit Team for the Local Housing Allowance shared room rate which will tell you the maximum rent that your lodger will be able to claim. Should I charge the lodger a deposit? A deposit is a payment taken by the landlord to hold as insurance against the lodger damaging the property or failing to pay their rent. If the lodger leaves the property in the same condition as you let it to them and they did not develop any rent arrears, the deposit needs to be returned to them when they leave your home. It is a good idea to ask your lodger for a deposit. However, you must remember that when your lodger gives you their deposit, you are holding it on their behalf and it would be a good idea to put the deposit in a savings account. For lodgers on low incomes or benefits, affording a deposit could be a problem. Some organisations provide bonds or guarantees for lodgers, which will cover any damage or loss you experience should you need to make a claim. You need to consider whether you consider this to be an acceptable form of security. Finding a Lodger How should I go about finding a lodger? There are many ways of finding a lodger and these depend on where you live and the typeof lodger you are willing to have living in your home. You need to think carefully about who you want to live in your home as a lodger. Renting a room is a business transaction between you (the landlord) and the lodger. If you rely on word of mouth to find a lodger, this is likely to mean that the lodger is a friend of a friend or a friend of a family member. This might cause you some difficulties if you have to ask the lodger to leave, for example if they fail to pay or they behave badly. If you live in an area where there is a university you might want to advertise for a lodger at the accommodation office of the university. Please note they might want to inspect your home before they advertise your home to students. You might want to consider putting an advert on notice boards in colleges and place adverts in shop windows in areas where students live. If you live close to a hospital you might want to consider contacting the hospital to find out whether they maintain a list of lodgings for staff and relatives of patients and whether you can go on that list. You will also want to put adverts on notice boards in the hospital. You can advertise for lodgers in local newspapers, in local shops and on the internet. There are a number of internet sites which aim to help you find a lodger for example http://www.spareroom.co.uk/ and http://uk.easyroommate.com/. You could consider using these. In Wales a website has been developed to match landlords with lodgers called House Share Wales http://www.housesharewales.co.uk/. Not only does House Share Wales provide you with an internet site to find a tenant, they also provide accommodation brokers who can direct you to organisations who can help you putan advert on the website and help you find an appropriate lodger. The brokerfor North East Wales and Powys is based in Cefni Lettings and can be contacted on 01341 423266. How should I select a lodger? It is always a good idea to meet with people who respond to your adverts for a lodger. The meeting should ideally take place in your home. This gives the potential lodger the opportunity to meet you and look around your home to find out if your home is somewhere they want to live. The meeting gives you an opportunity to explain the basic rules of the house and find out whether they are comfortable with them. The meeting also gives you the opportunity to find out whether they’re someone you’re happy to share your home with. You might want to meet your potential lodger with someone present whose judgement you trust. Their views might be important to you when you make your decision. When you meet the lodger it is a good idea to gather some basic information about them,such as where they live, their contact address, their telephone number. Your home contents insurer might want you to obtain certain information from a potential lodger. Also you might want to ask to see some form of identification and find out how they intend to pay the rent. The form which is included in this pack will help you record these details. When you meet a potential lodger you will also want to ask them to provide you with 2 references. It is important before you agree to let your spare room to someone, that you contact their referees to find out a little more about them. You should ring everyone you meet to let them know your decision. The Money Can my lodger claim Housing Benefit if they have a low income or receive benefits? If your lodger is on a low income or claims benefits, they are able to claim Housing Benefit to help them pay their rent. They will need to make a claim for Local Housing Allowance (this is the term used for the type of Housing Benefit payment the lodger will receive). To be able to claim Local Housing Allowance your lodger will need to be able to show the Housing Benefit Team that he or she has a formal written agreement which enables him/her to occupy your home as a lodger. It is very important that you complete two copies of the lodger agreement and give a copy to the lodger, to enable him/her to present it to the Housing Benefit Team. Your lodger will have their Local Housing Allowance paid direct to them and they will be responsible for passing the payment onto you. Recoding rent payments You should give your lodger a rent book, or a written statement that confirms that you have received their rent payments. How will the money I receive affect my tax? Income Tax The Government offers people who have a spare room an incentive to rent their spare room out to a lodger; this is called the Rent a room scheme. This allows people who let out a spare room in their home to a lodger to receive £4,250 a year tax free. You can find more information about the Rent a Room scheme by clicking on the following link. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/TaxOnPropertyAndRentalInc ome/DG_4017804 If your income from your lodger is less than £4,250 a year you do not have to complete a tax return. If your income from the lodger is more than £4,250, you may have to complete a tax return. Council Tax If you currently live alone you should receive the single person discount on your Council Tax. The single person discount is 25% of your Council Tax bill. You will need to tell the Council’s Council Tax Team that you have taken in a lodger. In most cases this means that you will lose your single person discount, unless your lodger is in one of the groups who are disregarded. You can find out which groups are disregarded by contacting your Council’s Council Tax Team or following this link http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/YourlocalcouncilandCounci lTax/CouncilTax/DG_10037422 How will the money I receive affect my benefits? If you receive benefits, you must inform the DWP and your Council’s Housing Benefit Team that you have taken in a lodger. Failure to do this will mean that you are committing fraud. The benefit payments you receive will be reduced to reflect the additional income you receive from your lodger. If you receive a means tested benefit (Income Support or Income related Employment and Support Allowance or Income based Job Seekers Allowance) the first £20 of income you receive from your lodger will be disregarded and not affect your benefits. Your benefits will be reduced by any income more than the first £20. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE Jane receives Income Support of £100 a week and receives full Housing Benefit to help her pay her rent of £80 a week. She takes in a lodger who pays her £55 each week. When Jane’s benefits are recalculated she receives £65 in Income Support in addition to the £55 rent she receives from her lodger, a total of £120 a week. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you are on a low income and claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit the way that your benefits will be adjusted is different. The first £20 of income you receive is disregarded and your Housing Benefit will be reduced by 65p for every £1 you receive over that amount. Your Council Tax entitlement will be reduced by 20p for every £1 you receive over that amount. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE Jane works on a part time basis and receives £20 Housing Benefit each week to help her pay her rent of £80 a week. Jane takes in a lodger who pays her £50 each week. When Jane’s benefits are recalculated her Housing Benefit is reduced to 50p per week. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If I under-occupy my home will taking in a lodger mean that I’m not affected by ‘the bedroom tax’? The answer to this question is usually yes. If, for example, you under-occupy your home by one bedroom and the lodger you rent your spare room to uses your home as their only home, your home will be assessed as being fully occupied, so the amount of Housing Benefit you receive will not be reduced. If you were under-occupying your home by two bedrooms and took in one lodger, you’d be considered to be under-occupying your home by 1 rather than 2 bedrooms and the amount of your rent eligible for Housing Benefit by increase from 75% to 86%. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXAMPLE Jane receives Income Support of £100 a week and receives full Housing Benefit to help her pay her rent of £80 a week. Jane under-occupies her home by one bedroom and her housing benefit will be reduced by £11.20 each week. She takes in a lodger who pays her £55 each week. When Jane’s benefits are recalculated she receives £65 in Income Support in addition to the £55 rent she receives from her lodger, a total of £120 a week. In addition her Housing Benefit payment covers the whole of her rent, as she is no longer considered to be under-occupying her home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you let your spare room to someone who is not using it as their only home, for example a student or some-one who lodges with you from Monday to Friday and returns home at the weekend, you may still be considered to be under-occupying your home, as the lodger is not using your home as their only home. These rules will change when Universal Credit is introduced. Under the proposed rules any lodger will not count as part of your household which means that you will be affected by the bedroom tax, but you will be able to keep all of the income you receive from lodgers, without it affecting your benefit. Dealing with problems with a lodger How should I deal with a problem lodger? You should try to deal with any problem you have with a lodger at an early stage, for example if they haven’t paid their rent or they are not complying with one of your house rules. You should talk to the lodger and find out why they have broken the agreement. If following your conversation the problem hasn’t been resolved, you should write to your lodger, setting out what the problem is. You need to keep a copy of the letter and make sure that the letter is dated. If after your first letter the problem still hasn’t been resolved you need to try a more formal letter, which says that if things don’t improve you will be asking them to leave. Again you need to make sure that this letter is dated and that you keep a copy. You should also keep a note of all incidents. If your second letter doesn’t work you will need to give your lodger a notice to quit. This is a letter which says that you are giving them a certain amount of time (7, 14 or 28 days’ notice) to leave the property. A sample notice to quit letter is as part of this pack. If the problem is of a far more serious nature, such as violent or criminal behaviour a shorter notice period may be appropriate. In such cases you should contact your local housing office, who will notify you where you can get appropriate advice about ending the lodger agreement. In housing law, lodgers are considered to be ‘excluded occupiers’. This means that they have very few rights and can only stay until their landlord asks them to go. How do I evict a lodger who’s causing me problems? If you have asked your lodger to leave (either by speaking to them or giving them written notice), in the days leading up to the date you want them to leave you should ask them what their arrangements are for leaving your home. If they need a little more time (a few days more to make alternative arrangements) you should consider agreeing to this. If they state that they have no intention of moving out you will need to evict them. It is important that you seek legal advice, from your local Housing Options Team or your local Citizens Advice Bureau before taking any action to remove your lodger. A Lodger Agreement, Lodger Interview Form, Inventory Form and example Notice to Quit letter are available in PDF Format at the end of this document and is –APPENDIX 1 LODGER INFORMATION PACK - Social Housing Only ----------.pdf

Hi, I received a county court claim pack from Northampton (CCBC) the claimant Welcome financial dated 28th may. I filed my defence on-line stating that this debt was statued barred etc. .on the 6th june. I did not hear anything after so i sent a email to the CCBC on 26th September asking what is happening with the case. Today i received an email back from CCBC Thank you for your email. I confirm that your Defence has been filed and, due to no response from the Claimant, the case has been marked stayed. Unfortunately, we are unable to amend the claim status without the Claimant’s confirmation. Please contact the Claimant with regards to this matter. My question is what do I do now to get this matter resolved also can I get the debt taken off my credit report because there was no payment made or contact with them for well over 6 years and they have somehow defaulted the debt on my credit report on sept 2011. Any help would be greatly appreciated Regards Jason

Dark not lager. John Smiths etc is good. Heavy, beer, ale, bitter, easily pleased! Looking for something to kill during Eurovision.