Hi, I need some advice about Sure Start Maternity Grant.I am pregnant and last week i sent filled form for this fund.As they write you can get if you or your partner receive benefit.So I sent because my partner receive income related employment and support allowance.I received letter today.They said I am not entitled to a payment because I don't receive benefits but they didn't mention nothing about my partner benefit.Do I have to contact them to look at my case again?

I'm new to the forum andcin need of some advice about where to begin please. Myself and husband have been ina a DMP for several years. Some accounts are being pursued by different DCAs and after reading various posts on CAG I wonder id we should be challenging some of these, who frankly are making our life a misery with harrassing phone calls. Can anyone advise me (in simplecterms) where I should begin please ?

Hi, I have just rec'd my bank statements from Aug 2001. On them I see that I had a Gold Service account, for which I was charged £8 a month. No idea why I had this, I cannot see what advantages this Gold service account gave me. I understand that I reclaim this back. Also I had an overdraft and regulary had O/draft interest (which I know I cannot claim back obviously) and O/draft usage fees and later charges called O/draft excess fees - varying from £25 to £85 a month. Now and then they would charge me £35 or so for unpaid cheque and Direct Debit. Does anyone know what the diference is between the usage fee and the excess fee? I would have assumed the excess fee was going over the agreed overdraft, is this correct? Is there anything I need to do before I send my letter off with the calculation? I am going to add interest. Also saw a few rejected standing orders which Lloyds charged £120 for! Thanks, mel

Hi, I am going to be looking into starting a PPI claim for some old Welcome Finance loans and Capstone mortgage I had, but I dont have the reference numbers. Can I still send an S.A.R. without stating the reference numbers? Can I use the relevant addresses for which the loans relate to? Many Thanks in advance

Hi, My first post. I'm trying to help my son get his finances sorted out. Besides the fact that he needs to become much better at managing his money I think he has valid claims for the following:- 1. PPI mis-selling on two personal loans 2. PPi mis-selling on a Credit Card. 2. Overlimit charges on a Credit Card 3. Bank overdraft charges Problem is which do I tackle first? What Subject Access Requests do I need to send. All of the above potential claims relate to the same bank. Will one SAR cover all of them. How do we obtain copies of loan agreements and PPI policy documents and the T&C's for the Credit Card (searched the internet without luck) Called in the Bank yesterday, they couldn't provide the full Credit Card T&C's for their current Credit Card. A few pointers in the right direction would be appreciated. Thanks

My husband had a debt with Abbey National years ago in 2002, for £8k. He was doing OK paying it off, but then had a few years of intermittent work and it defaulted. It was sold to Moorcroft and he made repayments each month for years. When he was made redundant in 2008, he followed the advice of the Debt Advice Agency (charity) who advised him to ask for the original agreement and statement and as they were unable to, did not make any more payments (stupidly, we were a bit naive to follow their advice). We want to put this to bed, now that we are in a situation to pay (something considerable to settle it). We have not heard from any DCA since Moorcroft returned the account to their client in 2008. I suspect he paid a fair amount in hefty charges, interest and PPI (it was included in the loan but we cancelled it as soon as we realised that it was a crock). The debt is still showing as £4,770 on the last Moorcroft statement, which astounds me considering how many years he was paying this off. There is no mention of this on the CRA reports anymore, and don't really want to stir the hornets up, as we would like to buy a house shortly. We were going to start with a SAR to Santander, does this sound right? Then contact them to see where the debt is - surely sold on by now? I would really appreciate any help!

Mac or PC and why?

Hi im very new to this site. I banked with lloyds tsb until 2006 and I know for sure I had 2 loans with them which were consolidated later. I was told I had to take out ppi or they wouldnt give me the loan (s) despite the fact that ive worked for the nhs for 17 years and get full pay for 6months and then half pay for 6months. I dont have paperwork from the loans I had and they were taken out in my maiden name, ive sinced married in 2006 so have no id from maiden name apart from my birth and marriage certificate. Could I go into lloyds tsb with birth and marriage certificate and proof of address and see if they can givd me old account numbers or is there a form I can send? Would appreciate some advice Thanks Joanne

personal tax code is 820 and if pay £4000 to pension so; £8200+£4000=£12200 so taxed at 20% from £12200 for the next £32000. £12200+£32000=£44200 so tax at 40% on everything over £44000 to £150000. Is this correct, need to earn £40200 to start paying 40% if no pension contributions?

Hi, im new in here, and i really hope im in the right place to post this. In october 2007 (or thereabouts) i took a MasterCard credit card with LoydsTSB, and like everybody else, i've been paying (and i think im still paying) PPI on it. A couple of moth afterwards, i took a £2000 loan with LoydsTSB, in which i am most certainly sure i had to pay PPI as well. I live in Scotland (i've heard that the laws are different than in england, hence the reason i clarified it in advance). Now, for quite some time i have been wanting to do something about it, but for one reason or another, i've never came round to do it. I was really tempted to call them today, but i decided to check online first, and i came around here, where in a post someone said it was a very bad idea, which then put me back into square one, as i really dont know what to do. I really dont know where to start, how to do it, if i should ask for separated info as there is 2 different issues (loan and CC) if the accounts are the same (considering both were paid from the same account).... I would really appreciate some help..... Thx a lot in advance!!!!! MARTIN.

Hello all, First post here. I am looking for some general advice regarding my financial situation. As there is some really great information on this site, I thought I would register & see if anybody could help, or at least point me in the right direction. (Please don't shoot me!) To give you some background information: I am a 24 year old who has been absolutely hopeless (irresponsible) when it comes to managing my personal finances over the past 6 years, running up quite a bit of debt in the process. I have been burying my head in the sand and not dealing with it. Recently I went to set up a basic bank account with Lloyds (all of my current accounts are in unauthorised overdraft / default, presumably with DCAs by now) where the advisor insisted on doing an initial credit check. I was rejected for any kind of account outright. This has put me on the radar of a DCA (Wescott) who have now been in touch RE one of my current accounts, which has made me realise I can't hide forever and need to face up to this! I've applied for an Experian statutory credit report today to find out exactly what is owed and to whom. A rough idea of what I owe is: RBS - current account: £1000, personal loan: £2000 (no PPI) - last contact with bank in 2009. HSBC - current account: £200 - last contact with bank in 2009. Capital One - credit card: £200 - last contact in 2009. Santander - current account: £300, credit card: £3000 - last contact 2012. Obviously these will have accumulated late/non-payment charges and interest in the last few years, and this is really what my questions pertain to.. In essence, what is the likelyhood of getting unfair charges refunded or removed in the current climate? The two main examples are: Capital one - a small purchase was not paid due to unemployment/temporary work ending, which led to non-payment charges being applied. This snowballed until a letter found it's way to my parents house.. Paid the figure in full, but interest had not been applied to the account at the time of settlement and as I changed addresses in the meantime, this meant that the interest (literally pounds) snowballed yet again. What chance do I have fighting this? HSBC - my current account that was used up until around that time. Again, I was young and sporadically employed meaning that I ended up in a situation with snowballing unauthorised overdraft charges over the course of several years. These add up to many times the sum of what I owe them now. I'd imagine in the thousands. I want to get these refunded to make some headway in clearing off the rest of my debt. As I am not in 'financial hardship' (although I arguably was at the time) and it's been so long, do I realistically have any chance in achieving this, and what is my best course of action in doing so? I recognise I'm a fool for letting it get this far and I am not trying to weasel my way out of paying off my debts. I just do not want to, and do not feel I should, pay a penny more than I have to. I'm sure that non-payment charges will have been applied to the Satander card / current account as well as the RBS loan / current account too.. Does it make a difference if my debt is 'owed' to a DCA but I dispute the original amount of debt? What is my best course of action in contacting my creditors and disputing the sum owed? I'm really keen to contact my creditors and get the ball rolling negotiate settlement, but I am currently living with my very straight-edge girlfriend, the prospect of being harassed by DCAs and bailiffs is part of the reason this has all been put off for so long. Any advice would be much appreciated. Apologies for the rambling post - let me know if you need any more information. Best Regards and many thanks! J

Hi. I have recently started work (not enough hours to claim working tax but i do claim child tax for my 2 children) and have had a form from tax credits asking me for employers details and the date i started working for them. Does anyone know if hmrc will contact my employer to confirm my start date,pay rates etc once they've received my form? many thanks

Hi, I am trying to start claiming back PPI of which I think there is a lot. The forums tell me it is best to do it yourself rather than through a PPI claims company. A lot of the ones I am trying to claim were debts which were sold on although a lot were also settled. I am told I can still claim the PPI on all of them. I have written to Blackhorse with SAR letter and am awaiting a response, however I have found a copy of my agreement from 2007 which has PPI on it. What would be my next step on claiming this amount, also there is a print out with charges on it, can I claim these? I need to know the process of claiming the PPI and where to start! I intend to send SAR letters to all the other companies as well but with this one because I have the agreement I though I might as well get started! Thanks Roadhog1

I have all documents from past bank charges ie account numbers etc but not sure if i did pay PPI on them so were do i start would appreciate anyones help as i would like to try and do this myself rather than use a company..

I have recently lost my job and am finding it tough to find employment. With no income and a large amount of outgoings, I am under a lot of stress and cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel. I have cards, loans and overdraft to deal with on top of the mortgage, bills and food. I have some savings that wont last long. There is zero or negative equity in my house. I have seen the template letters for putting bills on hold with no interest for 6 months. Should I send one of these and letters to each account and also send a cca request? maybe if I send a cca and they know the agreement is good they may not be so helpful?

hi i have been referred to your website to look at claiming ppi back i have loans in maiden name and different address could i please have some advice on where to start

Up until 3 years ago I was totally uncaring about my money. Just buy what we wanted, when we wanted. If the balance at the bank was greater than the overdraft then play on. I've been fortunate to have reasonably paid jobs and left everything financial to the wife. Big mistake. I found out we'd been playing a lot of borrowing to pay off loans and finally escalating it to the point of the cash point refusing any money. No cash, no credit - Oops. A lot of reading on here helped me sort that lot out and now we're back in the black, and have learned how to stay that way. So we've had a few loans, lots of credit cards, but I have no real details on who from, when, how much etc. Pretty sure there will be PPI in there. So how do I go about finding out? I can't just fire off SAR's at £10 a time hoping someone will reply with something positive. So how can I discover who we borrowed from?

Hi Guys Hope you can all help me got a few threads going on these forums at the min just trying to sort my finances such a great forum both me and my husband have Wonga debts my hubbys is 873 and defaulted on 29.12.2011 mine is 559 and defaulted on 5.1.12 both are being handled by mackenzie hall do i deal with them or with Wonga? Are there any charges or fees i could get removed any help would be great Thanks Guys

hi there, i hope i have posted this in the correct place, if not please could someone let me know where to post it i became un employed in january 2012, after six years of working for a decent company it was made impossible for me to return to work after suffering from reoccurring depression. Since then i have been applying for at least 6 jobs every week for the past nine months with very few interviews and responses for potential employers. about a week ago i was offered a job as a web designer in an up and coming local company where i was more than delighted to accept with the understanding that i would need to have a better off calculation worked out to ensure i would be in a better position than when i was on benefits. To my excitement even with the extra travel costs i would be bringing home an extra 100 pounds at the end of each month so i quickly accepted. this is where the problems begin.... i approached the job centre and after giving me lots of greif about how ive filled my form in wrong and how now i might not get payed my next payment i was told that because i have now been put on the work programme for being signed on for + nine months im not entitled any access to the "flexible support fund" and that as far as their concerned i no longer get any support from them. after creating quite a bit of fuss i was finally told that it was my work programme provider that would have to support me financially and after asking my provider i was told that they dont have any funds they can offer me!! so basically im now in a position where i have a decent job (which pays on the 1st of the month) with future potential that i start this coming monday however if i start work then i will no longer get any financial help from the job centre. this wouldnt be a problem but i will only be able to work 2 weeks in december because their office is closed over the christmas week and i have no holiday to use and on top if this they are taking a week in hand which means i will have to wait until the first of feb for a full months wages! im really looking on what i can do next either for help on my situation or to show the job centre / local authority / government or who ever is responsible for this stupid situation up for the hypocritical idiots they really are. to me its really becoming clear why all the people that want to work find it so hard to get back into work! ive also managed to get the office number for my local mp and i want to give him a call to see what he has to say but at the moment im not sure quite how to approach him? any advice offered would be great fully appreciated as i fully intend to start this job on monday and if there is no support from the government that surly this needs to be raised as an issue

Hi folks Please don't hammer me for not reading the forums. I have! - just finding it a confusing mass of information, really need to find guidance on the first steps. I've read a lot about what PPI is, SAR letters, and the letters to make the claim. Read lots of peoples experiences etc. What i am not sure about is the first steps i should take - i have no idea whether i have a claim or not. Should i ring up all my previous lenders and ask if i had a policy? Should i do a SAR to literally every lender (cc's, personal loans, mortgages) - to get the info first? that's a £10 x ? - maybe £80 or more, which i don't have to risk if i don't even know if i have a case. Was seriously tempted to use a firm to chase the PPI claim, because i know a few people who got money that way - but got seriously put off by some posts on here (sounds like the PPI claim companies are as bad as the banks). If probably got myself confused reading too much on here and am suffering a bit of information overload paralysis . If you know what i mean. Basically - any advice or links to a page i may have missed, showing how a complete 'PPI virgin' should start off - would be most welcome. Regards AJW

Hi. I have a query regarding an outstanding debt of my wife's that is being handled by Rockwell. I'm new to all this, so if someone could point me in the right direction (ie. which forum title/board to post under) I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks in advance. J

Hi, I am receiving housing benefits, the landlord has told me to move out by 18th October because they need the room. I have paid the rent til the 18th. I had big trouble finding this room because people dont want to rent out to people on benefits and many of them cant give you a tenancy agreement because they are not allowed to rent out rooms. If I find a room now, will I be able to get HB for that room now or wont I get it until the 19th? I am worried that I wont find a room with an agreement but at the same time I cant pay a room on my own if I find one tomorrow. I am scared of ending up in a hostel since I have bad experience from that and they wouldnt pay all of that. I live in East London now but I am interesting in a room anywhere in London.

http://www.prime.org.uk/courses/

Hi All, Apologies I am sure this post from others has been posted many times but I really wanted some useful help and advice for myself. I am really, really keen on setting up and starting my own business: I know its not easy, I know its not all good, all of the time, and it comes with stress but after working for people for years I just feel if I dont do it now, I never will. I really want to sell in my own shop, but I think starting out online would be a good starting point....But I want to focus on gifts, home accessories, cards and wrap a very tough market I know... So I've got my ideas, I have got my trading name, I have made some contacts with suppliers and been to some trade shows. Have contacted some people from the net for logo/website design. But what now, where to next? I dont have any spare income to use, but am working so wanted to continue this until I get everything set up.. Would love some advice from anybody who has been in the same boat. Would love to be my own boss this time next year. thanks

Hi, I have just begun(a few years late by the looks of it) my battle to claim back some of my bank charges and thought I would share the steps I take on here so as to help anyone else thinking of doing it, and also for anyone who has already been successful to perhaps guide me if I reach a brick wall.(as I am fully expecting) Several years ago I held a current account and joint account with my ex partner, both with HSBC. For one reason or another my account went overdrawn(unauthorized) by about £50, and so when pay day came I put this back in and then paid about £50 more in charges, this then left me short the next month, and so I went even more overdrawn.. . as you can imagine this caused a spiral effect, Ending up with my account being overdrawn by about £150 and the bank charging me a further £150 in fees each month. I couldn’t manage those payments and so this also happened on my joint account. Before I knew it I had 2 accounts overdrawn by about £150-£200 and paying £300 a month in fees between them. This went on for about a year with no call from the bank to offer any advice. I called the bank and asked them to block me from going overdrawn after I put my wages in and they declined saying they can’t do this and so my account continued to go overdrawn for some time. Eventually I got back on my feet and paid all the charges off, I even closed one account and although I opened a new account with them, they pressured me to pay off the full balance in 90 days. I paid some each month but they continued to count down the days every time I called them. It was all pretty stressful and Very difficult to manage. We are now a few years on, My accounts are much healthier but i’m still pretty bitter that the bank did not intervene in any way or agree to stop overdraft as I requested. With this in mind I sent a SAR to them on Friday and so am expecting a full list of charges and fees for all 3 of my accounts I have ever had from them. According to money saving expect people are still being successful in their claims for charges if they meet certain criteria. (i tried to link to money saving expert here but it wont let me with only 1 post on my profile.) Here they point out that you must be in financial hardship to be successful. I was unsure if I would have a chance as recently I am not in financial hardship. I have a steady income and have done for 2 years or so however at that point(4-5 years ago) I certainly was in financial difficulty and could not manage with the charges they were asking of me. If anyone could share any experience on this? Do the banks looks at financial status now or at the time they were charging? My SAR should have been received by them today and will take around a month before I hear from them. Once i do I will be able to calculate just how much i have paid. I will then respond and keep this updated. If anyone has claimed recently from HSBC i would also be keen to hear your thoughts.