Hi, I'm new here and hoping I can find some help and advice. We have several debts (some in my husband's name but most unfortunately in mine). Some of which are over 10 years old. I've been maintaining payment arrangements with the several collections agencies dealing with them for very small amounts (between £5-£10 a month) for years now. Now I'm in the situation where I have recently separated from my husband mid Jan and am now a single parent, starting over at 40+. We are putting the house on the market but there will be very little equity left in the property once the mortgage (and arrears) are paid off and what small amount is left looks like it may be distributed min 60% to me 40% to my future ex. To move on properly and have a future for me and my son I want to wipe the slate clean of all the stupid money mistakes we have made while being together. So I need to approach all of the collections agencies to ask for early settlement figures. Debts are as follows: £2445 (ex overdraft in my name which was originally with HSBC/First Direct) now with Robinson Way this debt is 10+ years old £1,738 (unauthorised overdraft from an old Halifax account in my husband's name) also with Robinson Way This is from a couple of year's ago. £5,344.83 (A Halifax Loan in my name which was paid regularly til my husband's redundancy) this went into default and has been in the hands of Drydens Fairfax Solicitors £2868.38 (an old HP agreement with Chartered Trust for a car which went into default) this is 10+ years old now with Mackenzie Hall Since the split I have spoken with all of them to let them know my current circumstances and all have agreed to put the accounts on hold for 30 days until it was clearer what may be happening with my personal circumstances. That 30 days has now ran out and the calls have started happening to chase me up. I'm not wanting to avoid speaking with anyone but I don't want to set up repayment plans - I want to ask what the minimum amount is they'll accept to wipe the slate clean. I am going to contact Step Change for advice but saw lots of advice on the debt forums here and thought I'd join to ask if anyone could advise on what my next move should be. I am self employed, working less than 16 hours a week and am looking into what benefits help I can receive now I'm going to be a lone parent and am currently living with my parents with my son to give me some breathing space to save so I can rent a new home. We need to sell our house asap to release what equity we have. This will then hopefully clear our debts and leave a small amount to give us a degree a financial security for the short term future. Although I know these creditors will want their pound of flesh I need this to be the smallest amount possible because it'll directly impact on the amount of money my and my lad have for our new life. Thanks in advance for any help

Hi, I am new on here so please bare with me, to cut along story short. I have worked for my employer for 6 years as a sales rep.I have been very successful and have an umblemished work history with them. I had 6 months maternity leave during 2011 and returned at the end of the year. A new manager started in April 2012 and requested a meeting with me 3 weeks in to their employment following a very brief day double working with me, infact 2 hours with me. I was advised the meeting was regarding the sales figures i had been requesting for several months of sales achieved versus targets but when i arrived to meeting HR were present. I was told meeting wasnt going to be very nice and then new manager began to rip me to shreds saying she had concerns about my ability to do the job (that i had been very succesful in), that i had no product knowledge and that they were going to put me on an "Improvement Performance Procedure", HR stepped in and said or there was another route i could go down which is a "compromise agreement". I refused the CA and said i would not be pushed out of my job by someone that had spent little time with me. The meeting ended with no steps in place to help me improve and just a date in the diary for 4 weeks ahead for my review meeting. Following the meeting i continued to do my job for a week in which time i was advised that the rest of the sales team had accepted their CA's and left the company. I then contacted HR and advised i was unhappy with the way the meeting had been conducted and that they had failed to follow their own procedures and would be willing to explore a CA. I was immediately put on leave and a week later received my first draft CA. I visited a solicitor and we refused the amount offered as it would not compensate me for loss of my job, car, healthcare, pension etc. They came back with another offer a week following and it was nearer to the amount i was happy to take but not quite there so my solicitor sent a letter with a counter proposal whch was instantly rejected and an ultimatum that i had 2 hours to sign, scan and email back a signed copy of the agreement or return to work the follwing working day. I did not sign the document or send it back as the document was completely incorrect with past dates, wrong figures, typo's refering to me as a he and not a she and advised i would return to work. The following working day i returned to work and put a grievance in against my manager for bullying and also a grievance for non payment of bonuses. I later received a call from my manager saying my review meeting would still take place at the end of the week (even though nothing to reveiw due to time on "leave") and that it would most likely end up in a disciplinary and then dismissal. I took some notes from our conversation and then added these to the grievance. The following day i rang in sick and have now been off for a week. During this time my solicitor has contact my employer and said i would reconsider a CA aslong as it was fair and reasonable but they have just replied to say no the offer is not available now. I just do not know what to do, they have made it obvious they are not happy that i am the only person that has refused to agree to their CA and are now going to try and get me out on capability based on a very brief meeting with me at a customers premises. I know everything they have done is underhanded and i should stand up to them but i have tried and it is making me ill. Any advise would be gratefully received!!!