How do people find loan sharks?

starlite_2

I am wondering how you can get a loan from a loan shark, surely they do not advertise, so how do you know who they are?

Fran

starlite,

As you have asked for advice on benefits on the benefits board, I hope you are not looking for this information for yourself as it will only get you into more financial trouble.

The best thing you can do re increasing your income is to visit Citizens Advice bureau where they can make sure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to and can negotiate with the various agencies on your behalf which often speeds things up.

starlite_2

Thanks Fran..I am very clued up on all that being a regular moneysaver..but we are in a very desperate situation right now. Despite cutting back as far as possible, and selling off/pawning things we would rather have not, we are still short.
The cab are involved , and I am hounding the social but nothing has happened and now we face losing our home too. All for the sake of £200..it's really sad...

Fran

It sounds like you need to get on to CAB again and they can help move things along for you.

starlite_2

Thanks.. I will do..I can see them on wednesday...it's just things are more desperate than that.
I know I am not thinking rationally right now, with pregnancy hormones racing and the stress of it all.
you may be proud to hear i called 'provident' then hung up after three rings, when my brain actually kicked in!
I know that our family could help (with struggling on their part), but I am too proud to ask, even though I know they would prefer it to us getting into some nasty loan contract. There is also the issue of them feeling an 'obligation' which is a situation I would hate to put them into.

this all feels like a big black hole which is just getting bigger and harder to get out of..the least of things I want with a baby due in a few weeks!

myrnahaz

I'm glad you saw sense about the loanshark, Starlite. My younger sister (single mother on income support) borrowed £100 from Provident as she was too proud to ask her family to help, and she ended up unable to repay the very first £5 premium after the first week, so happy, smiley loanshark woman said it was ok for her to miss the odd week until she was 'back on her feet'. By the time we stepped in (only 2 weeks after she took out the 'loan') she owed £130 - 30% increase after 2 weeks!!

My little niece actually referred to Provident woman as 'our friend, Julie'.

Good for you for putting the phone down on them, and good luck with the CAB.

starlite_2

thanks..good to hear of somone who can see our situation from the other side of things.
I know my family would be horrified to hear I had gone for such an awful loan, but we want to prove we can cope by ourselves, if you see what I mean. Despite all the budgeting, and dp working overtime we just cannot survive..I guess I have to lose my pride and ask them.
I have read the horror stories about provident too, they are your 'friend' and can keep topping up the money, but they all work on a commision basis!
It is just such a desperate situation I feel like doing it even though i am clued up on the whole operation.
can I ask, would you have felt obligated to help your sister even if you couldn't afford it? as I would hate to put any memeber of my family in that position?

narabanekeater

Reading this made me thing when you mentioned that your pregnant. Have you applied for and got your £500 grand that you normally get while pregnant. If not apply for it. Im sorry I cannot remember what its called but it may be called a sure start payment im not sure.

Jay-Jay_4

It's called the 'Sure Start Maternity Grant'


Starlite, I hope you find another way out and don't go down the loan shark route x x x

SAHARA

Sure Start Grant- Ring your DWP office and ask them to send you out a form, as long as you're getting Income Support,Incapacity Benefit or Tax Credits that eare more than the child payment, (more than £540 a year) you should qualify. I got mine withiin 10 days of filling it out.
Theres a form on the back that your midwife or someone similar has to sign, or they'll just send it back to you(my friend didn't see that bit!)
My sister has been in this situation, and I helped her, not because I felt obligated, but because I didn't want to see my sister out on the streets. She was absolutely determined not to ask, but I could see what was going on, her whole mood had changes cos she was stressed out.

Fran

starlite,

Good luck at the CAB on Wednesday. A lot of how you feel at the moment is down to being pregnant and wanting to get your nest just right.