Hi, would appreciate any advice regarding the situation of a relative who is a single Mother. She had an outstanding housing benefit overpayment which was being repaid monthly over a payment plan for the last few years. At the beginning of this year the council got in touch to say that they needed to increase the amount paid each month; following a review of her income and expenditure a significantly higher amount was agreed to be paid which she has paid without fail. The council also stated that they would review the payment plan after 3 months, however they sent a letter 4 months later with a means statement saying she needed to respond within 10 days. She was out of town and didn't see the letter until she returned 11 days after it was dated; she called the council who said that they have now passed the debt onto a debt recovery agency and she has to deal directly with them and that there is nothing they can do now. She is now very worried and has been sent letters by the debt collection agency. I think the councils behaviour is unfair and unacceptable, she has always made the payments agreed and was compliant with the agreed payment plan, they sent the means review later than they had indicated but are punishing her by handing her over to debt collectors because she did not respond to their late letter within 10 days. Does any one have any advice as to how she should deal with the council and the debt collectors? She is willing to repay the debt within her means and doesn't think it is fair to have to deal with bailiffs and risk losing her possessions or work to their aggressive repayment plans.

Just a quick question or two: My Mother, who's 80, has been overpaid by the DWP by around 1400 pounds, as she was kinda late in informing them of a change of circumstance. That I had moved in with her, as her carer, five months before. She's happy to repay the amount but we were wondering about how much to offer. I've suggested 10 pounds per week direct from her benefits. Does this sound like a reasonable amount? If not, can someone suggest what would be. Also, the DWP suggest we should call their 'Dept Management Team' , I'm kinda thinking that sending the offer by recorded delivery would be better. I really get stressed dealing with this kinda stuff over the phone, would that be acceptable? thanks in advance, bob

Good afternoon everyone. This is going to sound pretty silly but I have been paying Lowells £5.00 per month for nearly 3 years now, but I have no idea what it is I am paying for. Some of you have been helping me with an actual claim, so know the state my life was in a few years ago, so I won't go into that all again. Anyway - I think (but am not certain) that the debt was an old littlewoods catalogue. I have not missed a payment ever in the nearly 3 years it's been going on for - but my credit file just shows default every single month, so I am getting no benefit by paying it back. I'm rambling (as always) sorry; I just wanted some information on how I can find out what this is for. I am loathe to call them as they've lately been writing to me about an old mobile phone contract, and I'm nervous that getting in touch with them may open another can of worms. My credit score page just says Lowell, and nobody else so I don't have a clue what this is for. I imagine most will think it insane that I've been paying them all this time without knowing what it's for - but I just agreed a small amount to get the off my back at the time, and being homeless I have lost any paperwork they might have sent me long ago. Many thanks people.

Can anybody give me some advice on this please? I have been paying off an overpayment of a few hundred pounds at £20/month and have now received a demand for £2000 for an overpayment for the last tax year ( I always let them know of any changes so why they overpaid when they have up to date information god only knows). I rang and asked if I could just keep paying until it's all paid off and they want incomings and outgoings. I said I wasn't happy to give him all these details and he told me there was nothing he could do then. I told him I was offering to pay but he didn't seem interested. Do I need to give them my personal financial information and can they refuse my genuine offer to repay? Thanks all, B.B

I was left with a 4k benefit debt a couple of years ago which I have been paying back at the rate of £100 per month from my self employment and have had no problem doing that. Debt currently stands at £1700. However I have finished self employment and now receive Income Support and Carers allowance. Got a review letter from the actual DWP Debt management people other day wanting to review the rate of repayment and asked me to get in touch. I called them and said I would like the arrangement to continue at the original rate of £100 pcm as I am now in receipt of the above benefits they said they had to take the money back from the benefits now and not from the Direct Debit I have had in place for over two years. They told me that the repayment amount would be £29.60 per week from an IS payment of £133.30 which is approx 22% of the benefit entitlement. Just wanting to know if that percentage is about right I would much preferred it to have stayed as a Direct Debit has I had already worked out my income to take the DD into consideration and it would have been far less hassle.

Could somebody please clarify if you wouldn't mind. Parent received renewal form, and is currently repaying 25%. Renewal has an extra piece of paper stating if income over £20,000 repayment will be 50%. Is this amount before the tax credit amount or after it, meaning will income for 50% be taken off after total income (including tax credits) or before? Many thanks.

Child will not be receiving DLA or the disability elements of tax credits so huge loss of income there already, parent could just about manage yesterday told about repaying an overpayment (this is on top of the current amount being repaid) to another tune of over £50 per week. Parent asked for reconsideration yesterday about this added repayments but not informed of result yet. When DLA does stop parent will be losing approx £800 per month, this is without this added repayment. It's not a problem at the moment but will be very soon, household income will dramitically be cut. Leaving no disposable income, just about bills will be paid. Parent understandably very very very concerned. Tax credits can ask for proof of income I assume and whilst it's ok to provide this at moment as income ok, within a month this income will be reduced a great deal. Will HMRC possibly look at this again. Child extremely upset so there can be no intention of forcing medical assessment, please advise. I am wondering if parent could enlist MP for help dealing with HMRC?

I have been repaying my tax credit overpayment (from 2011-2013) at an agreed rate for the past 3 years & have another 7 to go I may be on a position to clear the remaining debt with a lump sum payment in the next few months - does anyone know what happens then? Will I drop off the Tax Credits system? (I no longer qualify to claim due to income) or Will they assume I have access to endless cash & check claims prior to 2011 (they already know I can't prove an alternative address for my ex husband for this time) in the hope of reclaiming more money? Also, as I was charged a penalty will my records have a 'fraud' marking? I was told this by the overzealous caseworker who sent my enquiry letter but have read elsewhere that if Tax Credits consider it to be a fraud case they would have done an interview under caution. I really want to repay what I owe & never have to deal with them again but worry that by raising a lump sum I will trigger more interest.

I am new to the forum so appologise if this is in the wrong section. Several years ago I was in Ltd company. We managed to secure bank funding but when the company failed we stopped and both the other director and I have been repaying the bank our debts in installments. We both signed a persobal guarantee. I have since discovered that for about a year he has stopped his repayments and because of the PG the bank is happy just to chase me. Is there something I can do to get make him continue paying and bringing his share level with mine? Is there also a way to pursuade the bank to split the debt equally? Thank you for any thoughts or advice, Jay

Hello all I have several debts that I am currently repaying, under a self managed repayment plan, to which all debt collection companies agree to every-time. This thread relates to one company, BPO last year they offered me a reduced rate of 12 payments of £? and the rest will be cleared, I paid the 12 payments and wrote to BPO stating that the account should now be closed and that all credit reference agencies notified that the account has been settled as per the agreement, I got a letter back, stating the remaining balance is still payable due to the fact they had nothing on their files that shows I agreed to the reduced payment options, I duly sent them a photo copied copy of the letter that I had received from them back in 2013 offering this method, and a copy of a letter of my agreeing to they offer which I posted back in 2013 to which I made 12 following payments. This followed by another letter from BPO now stating the remaining balance is due, due to not keeping up with payments, yet I have bank records of all 12 payments which were made every month for 12 months... .I do not want to continue correspondence with this company, as far as I am concerned I repaid 75% of the debt to which the account should now be closed and marked as settled. I will be sending one final letter tomorrow, asking for the above to now be closed, as I will send them the banking records, is they something I can put in the letter, that will stop further contact from them, or shall I now just ignore they letters ? When these companies offer reduced settlements, are they really worth it. I have no problems with my other 5 collection companies, they seem happy for me to make the monthly payments without any hassles from them. sometimes my debts get passed from one company to another, but they always agree to my repayment options. Just BPO side tracking on what was agreed.

Hi all First time poster Ended up in a huge mess - trying to face up to my responsibilities. Am repaying a CCJ I didn't know was out there - too late to seek redress or dispute it. All my available money spare is going towards that. There are a few other old credit card debts that an ex-partner racked up in both our names which have just come to light, and also a payday loan or two which I foolishly took out to try and clear other old debts off. I know...............!!! I tried to just sort out immediately but have ended up getting into further trouble, So. These other debts have come forward now - and I have been told that I do not have to pay these while I have a CCJ in place with all my spare cash allocated to that and I have no spare funds devoted to these. Is this true? Thanks in advance!

Hi, hoping I can get some help. I have an overpayment that I'm repaying from 2011/2012. They have been reducing my tax credits by 25% per week which was fine and it should be repaid by February 2015. The problem I have is that my husband is no longer working due to health issues and receives DLA and ESA support group. I work part time and earn around £9500 per year. The amounts they are taking is causing financial problems and I've asked on 2 occasions if the can reduce they amount they are taking but the request has been refused both times. Can anyone advise what I can do next or is their decision final. Many thanks

its been a while since my last post but please can anyone help...i have now recieved an overpayments letter asking for 2400 pounds...omg....how. long will they let me pay back ad husband is on an iva and we have little money now.....i would be grateful for any advice xxx

Hello all I had a few bills that needed to be paid so did something a bit stupid - I used an unauthorised overdraft on my Lloyds TSB account. I did try asking them to authorise a overdraft but they refused the application so it was either that or go down the route of a Pay Day loan and thought it was a lesser evil of the two. The trouble is, I'm not in the position to pay it all back in one go so looking for advice if it would be possible to get them to freeze interest and charges and pay them back over the next 6 months? (amount owed is about £800) The other issue is that I have two accounts with Lloyds - this one and my main account which is used for all my direct debits, wages etc and that has a overdraft of £2500 and is maxed at the moment and rely on that - would me trying to set up a payment plan on the other account affect this? Thanks for any help

In late 2010 I applied for a current account online with santander, they accepted me and sent me out a debit card with a £100 overdraft limit. I spent the limit, then got a letter through the post asking for £80 in unplanned overdraft fees because I'd apparently spent £106 over. The last transaction I remember doing on the card declined, so I think maybe that's the one which which took it over. I want to contact santander to try and sort this out now, but I've never had any correspondence from them since about it. All the contact info on the site says are phone numbers, but I'd rather email them if I could. So basically, how can I email Santander about my account, and how much am I looking at repaying now to get the account back in good standing? I wanna sort all this out! I don't have the debit card for the account, and I forgot the PIN number for it. And the account is registered to a previous address, so any letters they'll have sent out will have been returned.

Hi I guess this may sound a bit basic for many on here but I am very confused about what my best course of action would be. I have been searching for over an hour but getting more confused by the minute. I have a couple of defaults registered on my credit file for a loan and credit card from when I was made redundant. The dates of default are in 2008 and early 2009 and so i believe would come off my credit file in 2014 and 2015 (so within 2 years give or take a couple of months). I have not heard from the Debt Collectors - MKDP for a number of years but have move addresses a few times. I have recently set up my own company and should very soon be in a much better financial position in order that I could afford to settle the debts (in full or part - i believe 60% is generally accepted?) - but will this really help me with regards to obtaining credit over the coming couple of years? So what would you do? Continue to bury your head in the sand and wait for the debts to fall off your credit file in 2015 / pay in full / make an offer of 60%?? Does a settled debt improve matters to the point it is worth contacting MKDP myself to make an offer?? Thanks for any advice - and correcting me if my understanding of the options is wrong.

Hi, I missed my jsa signing on day and Im currently paying back my budget loan, Im worried whats going to happen with paying back the £6.75 instalment that usually comes out of my jobseekers allowance every week. Thank You for your time and help.

Hi all info needed, i have been paying lewis group £3 a month for a vanquis credit card debt and completely forgot to pay it and then got a phone call just saying because i have defaulted they can't accept payment and because we are waiting for a claim for me to look after a family member for carers allowance i don't work which means no income, my mum pays the debt but between us we have forgot to pay it i said to the cheeky cow on the phone if they are not happy to take me to court was that right or not or what do you suggest i should do i've paid it regularly till may's payment and its completely been forgotten