I've been reading around this forum before posting but I can't find an answer. I think I may be in an unusual position, so any advice specific to me would be great. I need to leave my job next week. Let's just leave it as a 'personality clash' (Manager is a , I'm not! lol) I've found a new job starting 1st November. Great! BUT, I went to the job centre on Friday and my area is trialing UC, and so the first payment I'd get is in 7 weeks from when I leave my job. Obviously I'll be working by then, but won't be paid till 1st December. I have no savings, but have paid a bucketload of tax over the last 25 years and something called 'National Insurance' to 'insure' me against being in a situation like this. But now I'm in need for the first time in about a decade I'm whole outta luck apparently!!! I've suffered with anxiety and depression my whole life but realised that life is better if I connect with other people through work rather than give in to my malaise - even if sometimes that work has been beneath me just to keep self-respect. Anything is better than just locking myself away in a darkened room and spending more hours on a computer than a full-time job would be sat alone at a computer trying to convince the JCP "I'm really sick, I can't even work at a computer, I need ESA", etc, all that bad-back . But I'm tempted to claim if ESA pays faster than the 7 weeks I've been quoted for UC. I only need what's my right having paid in, and only need it for a month to tide me over. Any ideas how best way to go? I'm going to hand in my week's notice tomorrow morning either way.

THOUSANDS of British Gas customers may have had direct debit payments taken twice following an IT glitch. British Gas told The Sun online that less than 1 per cent of customers were affected by the problem. It supplies gas and electricity to over 14million homes, meaning some 140,000 customers could be affected by the fault . A British Gas spokesperson confirmed that a “small proportion” of customers have had direct debit payments twice and that any money taken in error would be refunded. https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/2262624/british-gas-takes-direct-debit-payments-twice-leaving-customers-out-of-pocket/

On post 19 of this thread- http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?466480-Equita-threatening-court-action-despite-payment-arrangement(4-Viewing)-nbsp Dodgeball said " is he aware that whenever an EA is instructed the fees will be applied again by the new bailiff." That sounds as if a second fee of £75 can be charged and later another of £235. I must be reading it wrongly since I can see no reference in the Legislation for charging more than £75 and £235 for each L/O. I am unaware of how bailiffs are paid but I am guessing that the bailiff company will keep both sets of fees and pay their EA a proportion of them. So I would welcome clarification of the above statement since I imagine I have misread it.

A mother, furious at waiting more than 48 hours for her online shopping, stormed into her local Asda and took it from the shelves herself. Danni Leadbeater, 30, ordered a £50 shop from the supermarket for herself and her two young children last week. However, it failed to turn up twice after her order was cancelled by the store and then re-booked. And after waiting more than two days, and being charged twice for it, she took matters into her own hands. She went into the Eastlands superstore, opposite Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and began taking the items from the shelves and piling them into a trolley. After a stand-off with staff and security, and an intervention from the company’s HQ, she was eventually allowed to leave without paying for it again. However she has slammed the store for the way she was treated and has vowed never to shop with them again, reports Manchester Evening News. Full Story

See here >> http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Bailiff-tried-television-says-Derbyshire-landlord/story-28724803-detail/story.html From Scoop

As any sensible person will know, the Freeman movement are stating that using WeRe cheques are legal tender. Errm! Nope The Financial Conduct Authority have taken an interest in this and have published a statement. http://www.fca.org.uk/news/consumer-notice-were-bank If that doesn't convince you to stay away, you had better start investing in tinfoil hats

Hi floks, I think it's a reasonably simple issue (or so I hope). I have had set up by the property agency a direct debit for my rent of £800 from my account. It's been going smooth until today. The agency DD'ed the full amount - however, I'm moving out of the property 10th of this month. The agency, of course, knows about it as they have themselves informed me long time ago I had to move out as the landlord is sellling the property. I had in this bank account less than £800 so it shows right now that my balance is negative. I guess, it will have me incur, not because of my fault, various penalty fees on top of that. What next step should I take?

Microsoft has taken a stand against the US Government and put itself into contempt by refusing to hand over data stored on it's Irish cloud servers to the NSA. More and more companies are using the cloud and if they can't rely on privacy and secrecy of their commercially sensitive data, they will stop using the cloud for storage. Microsoft has a number of allies include Apple, Google, Dropbox, and Amazon. May they win for all our sakes. If business stops using the cloud, there will not be enough income to maintain the services just for the public storing music and pictures so they will close. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxNZRSuuTzg

After every flight, Qantas pilots complete a form called a "Gripe Sheet" which tells the mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems; document their repairs on the form and the pilots then review the Gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that the ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (P) and the solutions recorded by the maintenance engineers (S) Apparently Qantas is the only major airline that has never, ever had an accident. P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement S: Almost replaced left inside main tire. P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough. S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft. P: Something loose in cockpit. S: Something tightened in cockpit. P: Dead bugs on windshield. S: Live bugs on back-order. P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent. S: Unable to reproduce problem on ground. P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear. S: Evidence removed. P: DME volume unbelievably loud. S: DME volume set to more believable level. P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick. S: That's what friction locks are for. P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode. S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode. P: Suspected crack in windshield S: Suspect you're right. P: Number 3 engine missing. S: Engine found on right wing after brief search. P: Aircraft handles funny.... (my favourite this one) S: Aircraft warned, straighten up, fly right and .... be serious. P: Target radar hums. S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics. P: Mouse in cockpit. S: Cat installed. And the best one for last.. P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer. S: Took hammer away from midget.

The state-owned arm of Northern Rock has brought a legal claim against itself to test whether or not it owes compensation to 43,000 customers who took out loans before the building society’s collapse. Northern Rock Asset Management (NRAM) is on Tuesday appearing at the Commercial Court in London in the hope of getting legally-binding confirmation that customers with loans of £25,000 or more are not entitled to have their interest payments returned or written off. One of the defendants in the case is named as Jeffrey McAdam, who leads unsecured debt recovery for UK Asset Resolution (UKAR), the parent body of the Northern Rock assets not already sold off or wound down. He is understood to hold one of the loans involved in the case. UKAR set aside £271m in 2012 to compensate customerswho had borrowed less than £25,000 before April 2008, after it was found their loan documents did not adhere to the Consumer Credit Act. The organisation has already contacted 152,000 customers to correct the wording of their loan paperwork and some have been compensated for interest that was incorrectly charged. However, there are about 43,000 other customers who took out loans of more than £25,000. These loans would not typically come under the protection of the Consumer Credit Act, as NRAM and its lawyers have long maintained. The Financial Ombudsman Service has also found in the firm's favour. NRAM has accepted that some of these customers received incorrect letters telling them they were covered by the law. The organisation has brought its own case to court to clarify the exact legal position and confirm its stance on behalf of the affected customers. A ruling is expected before the end of the year. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/11236824/Northern-Rocks-bad-bank-takes-itself-to-court-to-confirm-customers-arent-owed-loan-compensation.html

My wife and I have debts totalling £45k to Lloyds TSB (the CAB arranged £5 a month two years ago on each £35 a month in total) These are 3 credit cards and 4 unsecured loans All was well on keeping up payments and still would be but I have had a letter saying they want to review the payment. Is it just likely to be that or in the light of charging order legislation is it more sinister.? A little about us The reason I fell behind is my health and I an now barely able to walk or use my hands and I am getting worse and my wife is to put it kindly "confused" and suffers from athritis we are 68 and my wife70. Last year we tookout a lifetime mortgage(or equity release) to pay of our interest only one and get some things to make the house more user friendly. That was £50k from Aviva. I don't like owing this money to TSB but I could not raise any more capital and we live on pension credit and attendance allowance. So are Aviva the main priority debt and able to tell TSB where to go or not? Am I just a silly old man who is worrying to much? I would be very grateful for your help and advice. BTW the last loan was given to my wife at 68 years old(with no income) £13,000 and a credit card with a £2,500 limit. Like fools we spent that to survive as our health was making it almost impossible for me to work.

Hello, I don't know if any one can give me any advice. Last week a bailiff from the Marston Group turned up at the house - I was away with work; my wife answered the door - he demanded payment of £875 or the car would be towed away and subsequently clamped the car. My wife was desperately trying to get hold of me - but I was in meetings, so couldn't speak to her. She was trying to get our six year old and four year old ready for school - and was exceptionally upset by their intimidating, aggressive behaviour, under this duress she paid. We had no idea where the fine came from - until I investigated, it was a PCN from a London Borough. We moved house over a year and a half ago and the authority / Bailiff had sent the letters to our old address - now I had registered my driving license to the new address but not the car with the DVLA. Therefore, all info had been sent to our old address. Do I have a legal leg to stand on as the bailiff's warrant was for our old address, they said it was my legal duty to register the car to the new address. I asked how they got our new address - they said they drove around the town and happened to come across my car - yeah right. As you might understand, I feel like we've been absolutely screwed over - if I had been around it might have been a different story - however, to intimidate a woman with a 6 and a 4 year is completely out of order. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Chris