Could anyone help me please RE Charles Anderson and CT Arrears

[FunkayMunkay]

Hi there, Could anyone please offer some advice on what to do here. I've just had my gran call me in tears and it seems she's in a hell of a mess with Council Tax arrears and she is being hounded constantly by Charles Anderson. It turns out she owes around 5 thousand. She is a part time worker and her wages have already been arrested. They are also making her pay 15 pounds per week on top of that. Now they are starting to go into her bank account every week or two and the bank are charging her 25 pounds a time. Whenever she tries to call them, they are rude and abusive and demand 50 pounds per week on top of the wage arrestment. She is worried sick now that they are going to hit her bank one day and catch her wages. Could anyone please offer some advice on what to do. She has been caught in this cycle with them for years and the 5 grand is for multiple years. Because of this she cannot pay anything towards her current bills and they go straight to warrants starting the cycle all over again. Thanks for reading

[IdaInFife]

FIrst things first,

 

She should not be paying anymore than she already is. The court has granted a wages arrestment and this is the maximum allowed they can take because of her income.

 

 

I take it, it is a direct debit that has been set up for extra? if so:

 

1 Cancel the direct debit

 

2 write them a letter - send recorded

 

Dear XXXXX,

 

I have cancelled the direct debit today as I cannot afford to pay you more than that is already been deduvted throuh the current wages arrestment which the amounts are determined within the Debtors (SCOTLAND) Act 1987.

 

If the bank are charging for this it must be a direct debit so get it cancelled.

 

if she can afford the £15 she is paying then just amend the letter above to suit.

 

what you will have to remeber is that if she is paying say £30 per month from the wages arrestment then they apply for another, the £30 is split

 

obviously just try and keep up to date with current years in APril. What you should also check is that she is claiming for CT and HB to see if she is entilted. I know its not fife you are in but you can check the calcutions here to see if she can get anything

 

fifedirect - Benefits & Concessions - Benefits Calculator

 

Ida x

[IdaInFife]

http://www.aib.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/4/0000460.pdf

 

for reference

[FunkayMunkay]

Hi Ida Thanks for the quick reply. It isn't a direct debit. I'm sorry I didn't make that clear. She is sending postal orders every week. The letter from the bank claims that a 25 pound charge has been levied on her account to cover the cost of processing a bank arrestment. Edit. They (CA) havent been able to take money from her account as they have applied their bank arrestment on days when thankfully for her there has been no money in her account but the bank still charges her for it.

[IdaInFife]

Ok ,

 

they can only freeze it if its over £370 in credit.

 

It may be best sending a letter stating that she has a current wages arrestment that is already taking the maximum allowed amoutn dependant on her wages and that she is currently paying an £15 per week and that the contimual BA requests are cuasing bank charges which in turn are causing further hardship. send in an I and e with it. ask them to stop the requests and that when circumstances improve then she would contact them

 

 

there are being twats doing a BA when she already has a WA as they knew they wouldnt get anymore

 

Most important thing, if she at any time gets another charge for payment or summary judgement letter, make sure that she tells you so you can make an arrangement via the court and not the officers.

[FunkayMunkay]

Thanks again Ida. I'll get that letter off tomorrow and see how they respond.