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  1. Hi all I'm wondering if anyone can help regarding a Single Justice Procedure Notice regarding driving without insurance. I was stopped by the police for having no insurance which they had checked on their database. I have not had insurance for a while as I cannot afford it. I have done my best to drive my car very sparingly, infact have only driven a couple of times. To summarise, my vehicle was impounded and has been scrapped. I received the SJN and have plead guilty within the deadline of 21 days. I did not write anything in terms of mitigation as I feared it might be used against me. I filed my statement of means, which are very small as I work only part time (I am a student). I have a previous MS90 which I got by accident as I never received the SPN for very mild speeding but this charge is now spent. Will this affect the outcome? I am wondering what the likely size of the fine will be? And wether there will be any other consequences such as a driving ban? Thank you in advance for your help.
  2. Hi, has anyone out there heard of a company called dti who sold single premium mortgage ppi's back in early 2000. Any information on this company would be great. I took out a ppi with them in 2001/2002 and paid £3000 which was added to the mortgage when I came to make a claim I was told I couldn't as I was no longer working full time. This I was not told by the broker at the time as I would not have paid upfront. Unfortunately I have lost the paperwork so any info would be great. Thanks
  3. I live on the High Street in the London Borough of Sutton. Recently a visitor received a PCN while parked on the single yellow line outside my house shortly before 8pm. All the nearest (under 100m) yellow control signs for single yellows nearby show restricted times of Mon-Sat 08:00 to 18:30, however there is not a yellow sign directly at this location. Seeing the single yellow line, and the time, my visitor thought parking would be fine. At the location there is also double yellow blips, controlled by a No Loading sign. To compound the confusion, at this location there is a newly installed sign stating 'no idling, turn engine off while waiting'. She submitted an appeal expecting the ticket to have been issued in error by an over-exuberant TCO over the xmas period and to be overturned, unfortunately the appeal was rejected on the basis of no loading at any time. My question is, is there any point in continuing the appeals process on the basis that the single yellow would have reasonably considered to have been in force, on confusing signage / markings, was waiting/parked not loading, or possible other basis, or, to pay the discounted penalty before they remove the option. Thanks in advance. The contravention on the PCN - 02 - Parked or loading/unloading in a restricted street where waiting and loading/unloading restrictions are in force. Location postcode (for Google mappers!) - SM1 1LD
  4. Hi, TL;DR version of events: I received a SJPN. I believe I technically am guilty of the charge, but had ignorantly committed the offence out of sheer financial desperation, having had no money and just started a new job. I'm desperate to avoid a criminal conviction. I contacted TfL's IAP to apologise, explained my circumstances, and I provided proof for everything possible and asked to settle this out of court, and that I'm happy to pay the necessary fine. Today they finally responded - with a very generic response to say they wish to proceed with the case... However, the Revenue Control Inspector's statement is factually incorrect, has the date incorrect. The date provided is a date on which I can prove I had a valid ticket. Do I stand a chance at fighting this as 'Not guilty' in court, on the basis that their evidence is incorrect? Complete story: On Thursday 26th July 2018 - I was caught using my mum's 60+ freedom pass by a Revenue Control Inspector on my way to work. I had just started a new job 10 days before, on the 16th July. I had used the card between 18th-26th July (until I was caught) for my commute to and from work. I could not afford a monthly travel card at the time I had been caught as I had been unemployed for past 8 months; maxed out two credit cards, and had been borrowing money from my family to afford rent and food already. I only intended on using the freedom pass until I received my first partial paycheque at the end of the month. I'm not denying - it was a stupid idea, and I obviously hugely regret having used a card I had no right to use. I'm not typically a dishonest person, and this was my first and only offence. 5 months later, just after christmas, I received a Single Justice Procedure Notice, charging me for not having a valid ticket in a compulsory ticket area; 'Contrary to Byelaw 17(1) of the Transport for London Railway Byelaws made under paragraph 26, schedule 11 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999.' Understanding I was guilty of the offence, despite it having been committed out of sheer desperation. I'm also desperate to try and avoid a criminal conviction as I’m currently unemployed, and in search of a job again, and wish to avoid anything that might damage my chances of re-employment. So I emailed TfL's IAP email address, explaining my financial circumstances, expressing that this was my first and only offence, apologising and pleading for any way for this matter to be settled without landing me a criminal record for it would really damage my chances of getting employed again- supplying bank statements, credit card statements, providing anything and everything to support the facts I had stated. ... Today, I finally received a totally generic sounding email response from one of the prosecutors at the IAP department: “On the 27th July 2018 you were approached at ***** ***** station after using a pass to enter that activated the monitors. You produced a 60+ Oyster card that you admitted belonged to your mother. These passes are not transferable and therefore was not valid for you to use…” “…Transport for London intend to continue with the matter listed against you and I would advise you to complete the paperwork and return within the required timescales” I noticed that in their email response they have the date of the incident incorrect, (She said 27th July 2018 instead of 26th July 2018. On the 26th I was caught and cautioned, on the 27th, I actually paid for my fare and can prove it) Furthermore, the Revenue Control Inspector's statement says the incident happened on the 27th instead of the 26th. It's only on the second page of the SJPN under the "Statement of facts" that they have the date correctly stated as the 26th July. Do I stand any chance in fighting this case as 'not guilty' in court, on the basis that the statement given by the Revenue Control Inspector is factually incorrect, and if they were to pull CCTV from the 27th - they'd find that I'd actually used a valid ticket on that date? Any help or suggestions would be massively appreciated. I have 5 days to respond to the SJPN letter Many thanks!
  5. Hi All Jut after bit of advice. I recently lost my pandora bracelet and 8 charms on holiday. I made a claim when I returned on my travel insurance. Limit for a single item was £300. My claim for the bracelet and charms was £490.00. They will only pay £300 as they say it was 1 item. Would you say this was correct? Charms were all bought separately over a period of a couple of years.
  6. 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.
  7. Good Morning. Please could anyone offer advice or shed light on my situation. Hubby and i split 2016 after i discovered he was having an affair, never thought to finacially seperate as lots of things were going on and i was dealing with heartache. Fast forward to June 2017 and we decided to give our relationship another go, i failed to inform tax credits as wanted to make sure that the relationship was going to stick...mistake or not i was stupid. Recieved a letter of compliance asking In Nov 2017 asking for information to be sent as they have links that x was linked to address, called them and told them that i fact i was back with hubby and i was sorry i didnt call earlier, lady told me that as i hadnt finacially seperated and i had no proof he wasnt staying at the property earlier my claim would have to be cancelled from April 2017 and now if things like this happened again i had to make sure i finacially seperate from hubby and that i would be able to make agreed payment amounts to pay back overpayment. Recieved a letter the following week from compliance team saying “ thankyou for disclosing that i was living as a couple, my claim has ended and i would recieve a new award for the year. Following week recieved a amended statement saying if nothing changes between now..nov 2017 and april 2018 i would have a overpayment of just over £4000 but this was still to be confirmed. Fast forward to present day and i still havent received this final overpayment letter stating what i owe. Is this normal? 7 months is such a long time and i am panicking they are looking into other things that could lead to me being prosecuted and being sent to prison. Before our split we had never had to claim tax credits as we were above the threshold. No other benefits we claimed during our split just tax credits. I dont know if i am being silly and worrying over nothing. Shall i call HMRC and enquire when i am likely to hear or just leave it unti they contact me. If anyone can offer even the smallest of advice that would put my mind a rest i would be eternally grateful. Many thanks
  8. 've had one of those worrying letters! We have info linking "your ex" to this address. Please send bank statements, bills etc. We have genuinely been separated for six years and been through this before and found "not guilty" he pays 105 per week into my account for the kids and 115 per month maintenance for me, will this be a problem? All the bills are in my name apart from the mortgage which is still joint for future equity reasons. Is is it worth sending additional stuff or just what they have asked for. I really want this closed. Ex can supply tenancy agreements of where he is living, do you think it's worth me sending things like holiday bookings that are clearly just me and the children going away. Just wondered if it would help. Feels like a big cloud and although I know I'm doing nothing wrong still very stressful.
  9. Good morning, I have found this site via various google searches and really hope someone can help. I have been claiming ctc & wtc as a single person but have a partner living with me. Stupid I know. It was always a case of I will let them know but never have. I have become totally reliant on the money due to large debt issues, payday loans, doorstep loans etc. No excuse, Im just rubbish with money and an idiot. Yesterday I received a letter from HMRC compliance saying they have reason to believe Mr X is living at my address and wish to check a 6 month period of my current claim. I rang up, told the adviser that my partner indeed lives here since the date they are querying, but volunteered no more info than that and was not asked. He said he would stop the claim and a letter will be sent re overpayments (around £3000 I think). He said I do not need to do anything further. Is this all I have to do? Is it only the 6 months stated in the letter they seem to be concerned about? I am terrified they will check my last 5 years of claims as I no doubt will owe tens of thousands. 30000 + I know have been stupid and everything else. Obviously havent slept worrying about the implications of court, jail and so on. My partner knows not a thing about this. Has anyone else ever been in this situation or similar that could give me some idea of what happens next. I am so ashamed of myself and feel ill at the thought of prosecution and it all being made public. Please please can someone reply as I feel bereft. Thank you for reading.
  10. Hello everyone, I'm currently a single mum of 2 and claim working tax credit and child tax credit. My boyfriend and I are thinking of moving in together (him moving into my home). I said I will inform Tax Credits accordingly and make a joint claim once he moves in. The problem is, he has made it very clear that he will not provide proof of his wages etc (it's his privacy). He said that he wants to provide and we won't be eligible for anything so I should just call them and close my claim. My question is: Can I just call to say I wish to end my tax credit claim as my boyfriend will be living with me?. Will they not ask for his employer, salary details etc? I don't want to end up with an overpayment. Also, is there a best time to close tax credit claims because my friend said that I should wait till end of tax year April or July? Really confused so any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
  11. To quote from Thames Water on their Assessed Household Charge Now I was assessed in late 2008 and placed in band 1 and have been billed band 1 ever since. Only recently did I discover that the single rate also exists so have applied for it and been accepted. Now luckily I have a copy of my original meter assessment form (completed and signed on the day of my assessment) which states on it 1 bed 1 person.......... I can't remember a bill or leaflet that advertised that they had brought in a lower rate I was eligible for or I would have applied for it. So the question is since they had the information that I was eligible and failed to adequately advertise the change to me........ Would this be worth pursuing? I know with benefits etc that them having the information but not applying that to future changes is an easy win at appeal but what about this scenario with Thames Water? It could mean a refund of around £700
  12. Hi everyone I’m just desperate for a bit of advise I got a letter last week stating we have links to you and mr x who is the father of my 2 eldest children and ex husband we have been separated now since 2005 but never divorced mainly due to my religion and neither of us have been in a real relationship with other people we have a disabled son and we are very amicable he helps out with our eldest a lot and is very close with him. I pay all of the bills in my name we have a joint mortgage on the house and house insurance together he lives around the road in his mums and would come in and out to help our son shave hygiene tasks etc I have letters and proof that he lives there plus he is on the electrol roll at his mums I have a few problems firstly the house mortgage, the insurance plus he is a second named driver on my car insurance as this brought my monthly price down if I added him! Also he asked years ago if he could get a car out to my address and as this was for him to go to work I never minded if any post comes here for him he collects it from the hall table over the years he has had a few things registered here (all finance) reason being his mums house is blacklisted and also she would open his post I never thought this would be a problem but now see that it really is I am soo panicked I’m worrying morning noon and night can’t sleep I have visions of them saying that we should have had a joint claim, stopping all my money which panics me as I have soo much debt credit cards and loans then reading all sorts online I now have myself going to prison!! Any advice would be more than welcome
  13. I am currently in the process of a claim with Tesco Bank with regard to a single premium PPI policy added to a loan and interest charged on top of the total. I rang them today for an update (this is the seventh week of the claim) and I was informed that the final response letter is with their quality control team before sending it out to me, I was just wondering if this is a normal part of the process and if anyone has experience of how long the quality control team takes to release the letter. Also does anyone know what is the success rate for single premium claims?
  14. Hi, Just had a friend of mine on the phone in tears as a Bailiff has been to her address regarding Council Tax arrears. She did let them in her house, and they are saying they will be back tomorrow to remove items unless £250 is paid today. Her partner left her early this year with 2 children and she looks after her other child part time which receives DLA, she claims Housing and Council Tax benefits. This seems to be from last year. She had made an arrangement with the council to pay her arrears and was doing at £20 per month, but in the upheaval missed a couple of months. There are very few items of value in house, and she no longer has a car. Any advice on how to proceed who be very helpful. Thanks JJ
  15. Hello CAG Can you help. You have been very helpful to me in the past so i am wandering if you can help me with this situation. I have received a SINGLE JUSTICE NOTICE PROCEDURE i has given me 21 day to fill out and return the forms that was 25 day ago. yes i know i should have returned them but honestly i dont even open my post any more because it seem like there is somebody always chasing me for money..... to say the least i am feeling more and more stressed as time goes on and i have a "i dont care attitude" which i know is not healthy. I phoned the relevant speeding department and have asked what can be done....Nothing can be done. I was traveling at 37 mph and was court by : manned equipment charge sheet 1: fail to give information relating to the identification of the driver 2: speeding - exceed 30 mph on restricted road - manned equipment I haven't been working since Christmas as i closed my business down and i am living on a limited income.... Can you help...
  16. This is another recent decision from the Local Government Ombudsman. This particular case addresses the common subject of single parents and whether or not they may be considered 'vulnerable' for the purposes of bailiff enforcement. There have been a couple of Ombudsman's decisions regarding 'vulnerability' and as in this particular case, the LGO confirm that it is for the debtor to provide evidence as to how their 'vulnerability' affects their ability to pay or deal with the debt. LGO Decision: North Hertfordshire District Council Miss X complains the Council has used bailiffs to try and collect a disputed council tax debt, even though she is vulnerable. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint as she has not seen any evidence of fault in the Council’s actions. The complaint 1 The complainant, who I shall call Miss X, complains via her MP that the Council has used bailiffs to try and recover a disputed council tax debt, despite her telling the bailiffs she is a vulnerable person. Back to top How I considered this complaint 4 I have considered Miss X’s complaint to us, the information her MP sent and the Council’s to Miss X’s complaint to it. Miss X has had the opportunity to comment, via her MP, on an earlier version of my final view. What I found 5 In 2010 the Magistrates’ Court granted the Council a liability order for a council tax debt it said Miss X owed. The Council passed the debt to its bailiffs in the same year. 6 Miss X disputed the debt, saying she should have received council tax benefit. The Council said she had made claim for backdated council tax benefit, but this was refused as it was outside the time limit for backdating benefit. 7 I note the points above as background, but I am not looking at why Miss X owes the debt as any complaint about her liability is be late, and the Ombudsman has previously considered a complaint about Miss X’s benefits. 8 In spring Miss X sent the bailiffs a ‘‘cease and desist’ notice saying as a single parent with a seven year old daughter she was a vulnerable person and the bailiffs should not be taking action to recover the debt. 9 The bailiffs wrote to Miss X asking for further information so they could assess her situation and decide how it affected her ability to pay. As Miss X did not send the information the bailiffs visited her twice later in the year. Miss X then complained to the Council about this. 10 In 2014 the Government issued National Guidance for Enforcement Agents. Paragraph 77 says - “Some groups who might be vulnerable are listed below. However, this list is not exhaustive. Care should be taken to assess each situation on a case by case basis.” 11 One of the groups listed who might be vulnerable are single parent families. 12 The Guidance is clear that if a debtor falls into the list the bailiffs must assess the individual case to see if they should take extra care in recovering the debt. Just because a debtor is a single parent does not, of itself, mean they are vulnerable. 13 The bailiff’s asked Miss X for more details of why she was vulnerable; she did not provide any information. So I cannot say the bailiffs were wrong to continue their recovery action. 14 I will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council using bailiffs to recover a debt from a vulnerable person. Miss X did not send any other information to support her claim and the Council and bailiffs were not at fault to continue recovery action. http://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/benefits-and-tax/other/16-010-888
  17. Hi, I'm a single expat (this is starting like a lonely hearts advert! ) but, I still own a house in the UK which I rent out. Currently it's empty and I've been paying council tax. I applied for the single person discount but it was denied on the basis that I was a landlord. However, I assume this is normally done on the basis that you are getting single person discount on the property you live in elsewhere. In this case that does not apply to me because I live abroad and am not getting single person discount on any other UK property. The property in question will be nominated as my main home for capital gains if I sell it and was my last residence in the UK. Do I have a case for disputing the denial of single person discount with the tribunal? I've email the council several times disputing their original decision and they have not replied. The council in question is Brighton.
  18. I am currently living apart from my wife. We are planning to get divorced,but have not begun proceedings, yet. Neither are we legally separated. However, all expenses are currently separate. For the purpose of completing the tax credit application form, would I be considered single or married?
  19. Please help. I have made a horrible mistake in not informing tax credits that I resumed a relationship with my partner in early 2015 and started living together. I had every intention of doing so but I became dependent on the money I was receiving and it's become harder and harder to admit to them What I've been doing! I have recieved letter asking whether I am living with mr .... (my partner) and to send documents such a bank statements, mortgage statement, car insurance, council tax. My husband is on my council tax as I always intended to tell them he was living with me again. He is also a named driver on my insurance. They want information and docs dating between 1st Nov 16 to 31st Jan 2017. Do I just send them Ono for those dates and see what they say? Or should I come clean about everything straight away. I have already updated my status online yesterday as I wanted to make sure I stopped receiving anymore payments. But instead of giving the actual date he moved in I said he moved in 6th Jan 17. I am now regretting this as I think I've made things worse. I am terrified that I will be sent to prison for fraud and that I will give birth in prison (i am due 1st may) I also have a 2 year old and a 15 year old. Please tell me what to do. I can't sleep eat and I have been physically vomiting all day!!
  20. Hi Every time I read about Single Premium PPI, I am always told that most financial institution will add the cost of the policy to the principle loan and pass both amounts to the borrower as said loan as per the credit agreement. If most do that, what do the others do? I ask as my partner a had Single Premium Policy which was deemed mis-sold however she never actually received the cost of the premium ie the premium was not added to the principle loan and deposited in her current account, although the cost of the Single Premium was added to the loan account to be repaid, which she did. I think she was swindled but she says it is not the case. Can anybody advise regarding my question above? Thanks!
  21. Please can anyone advise me on Council Tax single person discount. I'm living with my 2 children. My eldest moved out Sept 2015. In Sept this year the council started taking 50% increase on the amount Ive been paying. They had an old letter that stated my eldest child was on a college course until Aug 16 (when in fact she had moved out a year prior to this). I notified the council that she wasn't living here and not to take another inflated payment from my account as I wasn't in a position to cover this. Initially I got a reply within 3 days to advise about the letter being the reason they had increased the amount taken. I replied, all done by email to state that categorically I was the only adult living at the house and needed single person discount applying. Then one evening during a particularly manic tea time, a woman called at the door, I was in the middle of taking a phone call at the time. She waved a paper under my nose and asked if the electoral listing was correct. I said no, my daughter wasn't living here she was at University and living in another city. The woman said it was ok, this was just for the purposes of a vote, did I want her to have one? I said I did. I emailed the council and told them about this and clarified that she didn't live here and asked again for them not to take another payment. I heard nothing from them for 26 days (they state a reply within 28) which seemed odd since all my previous emails had been replied to within a week. This also meant that another payment had then been taken. Ive had a reply to say that while my daughter is at university she is deemed to live with me and I needed to provide a certificate to say what course she was on and the dates. Is this regular? She doesn't live here. She doesn't live in student accommodation, she has her own housing contract and she very definitely doesn't live here. I wanted to challenge this but TBH in order to resolve it quickly and prevent further payments being taken I asked her to get a certificate and sent it off. I have now received another letter so say that this isn't the correct certificate (even though its an official notification from the uni with the course dates which is what I was told I needed). This all feels like a total runaround. I'm not sure what I should do, I shouldn't have to provide my local council with info about her, shes an adult living her own life in a different city. Thanks in advance for reading.
  22. A new financial guidance service to provide advice on pensions, managing debts and other money issues is to be created by the government. It will replace the heavily criticised Money Advice Service (MAS) as well as two pension advice services. The government thinks a single advisory body will be more efficient but has yet to decide how the new service will actually work. The abolition of the MAS was announced in the Budget in March. It was criticised for failing to help those who needed it most and paying its staff too much. No timetable Like the MAS, the new organisation will be paid for by a levy on financial services companies. The new body will also take on the roles of the Pensions Advisory Service, and Pension Wise - an organisation set up in response to pension reforms introduced in 2015. The government looked at setting up two bodies to replace the MAS and pensions services. But industry and consumer finance groups raised concerns over how they would work together effectively. The new body as yet has no name and there is no timetable for its creation. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37597567
  23. I switched to OVO Energy around 3 months ago and gave them the reading at the time. I kept forgetting to give a meter reading so they used their own estimates based on a 1 bedroom flat. I recently got a letter to say they want to put my direct debit from £32 a month to £57 a month because I was £1.19 behind. Remember that everything is based entirely on their own estimates, so how have they came to this conclusion? Just to add, I gave them a reading recently which was much lower than their estimates. How can they justify putting my DD from £32 to £57? Anyone else had this happen before? P.S, just to add, NPower did the same thing and put my DD from £36 to £72 because they took the highest month usage and applied it to the whole of the next year.
  24. To put it bluntly Councils have been saying to people faced with homelessness that you will have the same issues as the street homeless have now so are not more vulnerable. Also because you have these issues before you become homeless there will be no risk soi we do not have to help you. Judge says [naughty word]! http://nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/2015/05/vulnerability-a-fresh-start/
  25. Hi all I thought I would share this, I moved into my property 2 1/2 years ago, The property had storage heaters originally, so was on a Dual meter (night and Day) Now by I have had gas central heating since I have been here, Dual meters are only good for your pocket if 60% of the electric is used on the night side of the meter, I queried this and asked it to be changed as there was just over 5p per KW difference. Look's like I have just save about £400, as the company are now back dating the account with the lower rate, Worth looking into. Leakie
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