in a right mess.....

[wendy-su loi]

Sorry if this is a little complex, but, I have had credit cards to meet living expenses, for several years and have managed on minimum repayments never missed any. Then interest rates have rocketed.

 

I had been working but had my hours greatly reduced in order for the business to continue operating (all of us had to do this)

then due to an accident had to then go on benefits.

 

A few times I have had my benefits stopped but appealed and got them reinstated.

This has taken its toll.

 

Currently I am in 20 thousand of debt to credit cards,

 

I had repeatedly changed them to a 0% to try and make the money go further

but now I have had them all on 0% and the offer has ended.

 

Therefore I have written to each credit card to explain that I will be paying a small amount per month until my position improves.

 

now, I think it won't, because i have to have an atos assesment to take me off my benefits

and I know I can expect to have to appeal and live on an even smaller amount., if indeed anything at all.

 

i dont own my house. I don't have a car.

 

During a discussion with a friend, I am worried incase I should have told the credit card companies

that I was no longer working as she says that this will be classed as fraud

 

and if i havent told them of periods of time I claimed benefits I can be prosecuted.

 

Because when i first got the credit cards i was working full time.

 

Although I have never missed any payments, so havent breached my contract. ?

 

Would they contact DWp at all?

 

I can't see I have done anything wrong?

 

What should I do?

 

I feeled very stressed now.

 

Thanks.

Edited June 25, 2013 by wendy-su loi
typo

[Dan9976]

Hi wendy, if you want to discuss this matter i would be pleased to help/offer any advice that i can. do you have an email address? have a chat and i can maybe point you in a good direction i hope.

[wendy-su loi]

Thanks Dan cannot PM you as I dont have enough posts, you have to have made 30...and I havent. If you could advise me on here or PM me yourself? Perhaps a good idea to reply on these boards as anybody else with same problem may read it and benefit also? Thanks again.

[dx100uk]

please do not respond to poster that offer private advise.

 

ours is free.

 

firstly

 

all credit card/alike debt is a civil matter

theres nowt they can do to you

 

so your friend is very wrong.

 

best idea is to list your debt s here

 

and have a read of the debt blog below.

 

dx

[dx100uk]

Hi wendy, if you want to discuss this matter i would be pleased to help/offer any advice that i can. do you have an email address? have a chat and i can maybe point you in a good direction i hope.

 

 

we do not allow that here sorry

 

dx

[Dan9976]

Hi wendy, ok no probs.

well im no expert but i know a little in regards to your current situation

 

obviously you dont want to get into a situation where your paying debt management fees ect as this would take you longer to pay.

 

i would suggest making an appointment with citizens advice they offer you free advice and help.

and give you the tools to set up a payment plan with your creditors by putting everything in writing with pre written letter templates.

 

they can also assist in getting interest and charges stopped.

you can offer from as little as £1 per month as a temp measure to pay the creditors,

they will probably review this agreement every 3-6 months but it buys you time to get your benefit payments sorted.

 

also have you checked these cards for ppi?

 

if you have it claim it back go through financial ombudsmen to help you as they dont charge a fee

alternatively you can do this yourself but it will involve digging out paperwork and looking through it all to see if you have paid it.

 

also its not always down as ppi it can be disguised as something else essentially wolf in sheep clothes

but you can still claim this back and possibly put it towards the debt to reduce the balances.

 

finally there is an organisation called turn2us, they help and assist people to claim the benefits that they are entitled to and any grants that you may also be entitled to.

 

now i cant put there number or email on here due to the posting restrictions but if you search "turn2us" via any search engine you will find them

they to can offer help and support regarding your debts and they will asses your situation over the phone.

 

i hope this helps you or anybody else reading

[Dan9976]

we do not allow that here sorry

 

dx

 

ok sorry thats my bad just i wasnt sure how private the poster wanted to remain, hopefully my reply will be approved

[wendy-su loi]

Thanks for replies

 

slowly going through stuff,

 

there are two other cards which i had completely forgotten about and missed a £5 payment on each,

and I havent done their letter yet explaining my intentions.

 

Also I have had from 3 or 4 of them, a letter saying they can't accept the £5 payment

and would like a breakdown of my outgoings,

 

I havent managed to do this yet,

but whilst I am paying the £5 I am at least paying something,

so it should keep them off my back whilst i compile the list shouldn't it.

[DuffNCustard]

Sounds to me like you're doing a great job.

 

I wasn't confident enough to do my own DMP, CCCS (Stepchange) ran mine for me.

 

They had an income and expenditure form which was based on the that used by the courts.

 

I was really glad I used it, there were things on there that I would never have thought of

- hairdressing, emergency funds provision, pet insurance, dentist, glasses and on it went.

 

They also said it was imperative to be scrupulously fair in sharing out disposable income among the creditors.

 

I sent each of my creditors a copy of my i&e plus a list of my creditors and the amount owed.

 

If you can only pay each £1 a month then that's the way it is and don't be bullied by one aggressive creditor

trying to snaffle a bigger portion.

 

its not for them to dictate the terms what they get is based on how a court would approach this.

 

Should one of them ever decide to go for a CCJ,

refusing to co-operate with your plan when laid out in this way would be seen as obstructive.

[Peterbard]

The I&E you're referring to is called a Common Financial Statement, though excellent, free, comprehensive examples can be found at National Debtline and NEDCAB. I'm sure there'll be one on this site too somewhere - I'm too new to know my way round yet.

[brokebutnotbeatn]

NEDCAB is great because they also provide a guide as to the industry accepted allowances.

[wendy-su loi]

QUICK UPDATE:

 

Well my 6 months of offerring to pay £5 a month off each card is up now.

 

I have made all the monthly payments as I said I would.

 

However I have not filled in any of the SOA forms thay have sent to me.

 

I have had loads of several- times- daily phonecalls from all of the cards companies

I decided I would communicate by letter and have done this and stated this.

 

However, they still phone. I dont pick up.

They repeatedly phone my old job despite being told I am not there,

and despite them (management) saying they will not enter into any discussion about me in any case,

as its contrary to the data protection act, but they still continue, and refuse to give their names.

Is this what normally occurs?

 

I have a couple of queries,

 

1. would it be possible to write again say my situation hasnt improved and I am willing to continue my payments for a further 6 months

- or less if my situation does improve?

 

Having asked that, in the meantime despite me paying the £5 monthly sums,

some have referred me to their in house debt collectors,

and one natwest has sent a letter to say the debt is with a debt collector now and i think they are a independent not from their offices.

 

I ahve also got default notices from most of them,

I didnt think they would do that as I have kept up the payments although a smaller sum than what they had wanted monthly.

 

Should my next step be to file for bankrupcy now before they do it to me?

Not sure which is the best way forward and becoming anxious.

[dx100uk]

you write again as promised.

 

as for going BK or whatever

 

i'd think long & hard about that

 

you never did list your debts?

 

can you do that please

 

dx

[wendy-su loi]

Ah thanks so much dx100uk, Bless you ,

I didnt expect to get a reply so quickly,thanks very much for your time.

 

Would like to say my house is not mine its rented,

i own very little, no car, nothing of value, no jewellry those kind of things,

this is why i thought about bankrupcy and went on the stepchange quiz thingy.

 

Does the default note and the debt collectors letter mena that tehy will now take me to court,

and if they did would the court not think well this person has offered to pay a reduced amount,

 

so not refusing payment, and allow me to continue?

[havinastella]

You may find a DRO is the way to go Wendy

 

https://www.gov.uk/options-for-paying-off-your-debts/debt-relief-orders

 

I know in your first post you said the debts were about £20,000, but are there any charges/PPI that would bring the total to below £15k?

[havinastella]

In your circumstances 'bankruptcy' looks a good way to go.

[dx100uk]

please list your debts