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Ask a CCCS counsellor a question
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debtmuncher wrote: »thankyou for taking the time to reply...very much appreciated.
what i mean by the "income you do not get for ten months being used now" is that the extra credits/child benefit that we get in about ten months time (the double payments) is being used in the current budgets figures. to me it means that i am meant to have money that i dont really have. i cant understand how its all figured out. for example the new budget states more for the child benefit than we actually get. its twenty pounds more so where am i meant to find that twenty pounds since i dont actually get it till dec approx.
having thought about it ....does it mean that i just take the amount that i need from the next lot of payments because it would then eventually even out when i get the double payments?
hope it all makes sense!!
Calendar monthly is just taking the years allowance for something like child benefit and allocating it on a monthly basis.
i.e. Child benefit for 1 child is £20 per week.
£20 x 52 weeks in the year is £1040 per year
£1040 divided by 12 months in a year is £86.66 or £86
You are correct in saying that you do not actually get £86 per month but the expenditure on your budget should have been calculated the same way so it will even out.
i.e. £50 for food per week would show as 217 on a budget and not £200.
I hope this makes it a bit clearer.
Regards,
CCCS_AmandaI am a Debt Counsellor that works for the CCCS and have specific permission from Martin, to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on the CCCS and what it does in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article.0 -
Hiya, hope you can help
About 18 months ago I ended a contract with O2. I had to complain to their complaints department about the 'customer service' I received and about the fact that they were saying I owed money when I didn't. In the end they agreed to wipe my balance of £45.
About 6 months ago my parents started receiving letters addressed to me. (I never gave O2 that address for me as I haven't lived there for five years) It was also adressed to my full name when O2 have always sent letters to my title and surname (although they wrote them to Mr when I'm a Miss) They claimed that I owed them £27 on behalf of O2. I don't know where they got this amount from. They were threatening doorstep collections. My parents ignored the letters and nothing happened.
Next thing they know they're getting letters and phonecalls from another debt collection agency threatening the same thing. My mother called telling them not to ring again, twice, and that was the end of it. Then another debt agency starting sending letters, this time my mother sent them back unopened telling them not to send any more.
Basically this has carried on and it's being passed from one agency to another. The letters keep getting sent back and new ones keep appearing from new companies. Is there anything I can do that's long-term to stop this? Are the letters even genuine as the details are all wrong?
Thanks in advance0 -
solaeclipsx wrote: »would just like some info i was having problems with wescot and asked them to send me a subject access request witch i did pay for, i then had a letter saying thay where looking in to my account and would be in contact soon, i then had a letter bk after a few months saying thay no longer have my account and have passed it back to my bank what id like to know is, do i need to now ask my bank to send out the subject acess request?
and some more info please sorry if this is in the wrong place
equita have been sending us letters saying thay are comeing round to take our goods for unpaid tax for a propty we lived in 7 months ago now in our contract it says all bills included we have told equita that it was all included and the council but thay don't want to here it is there anyone that can give us advise on this or point me somwhere i can get some info from?
Hi solaeclipsx,
Unfortunately, you will need to make another Subject Access Request. Any request that you make is made with that specific company and is not transferable.
Your local council will have its own policies regarding the liability of Council Tax. You are best to contact them direct so that you can dispute your liability at your previous property; you will probably have to provide a copy of your old tenancy agreement. It might be worth writing to the bailiff to advise them that you are disputing the amount owed with the Council.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
CCCS_AmandaI am a Debt Counsellor that works for the CCCS and have specific permission from Martin, to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on the CCCS and what it does in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article.0 -
hi there.
I am in a bit of pickle myself and would really appreciate any advice you could offer.
I am in about 6-8K debt , this may not seem alot to anyone but it is to me and it involves me working 7 days a week and nearly 14 hour days . i am absolutely exhausted! and i dont see cent of what i earn.
i have been offered a really good job back in south africa and i intend to take it . this will be in the next 3 months that i will be leaving the UK for good.
i dont want to just leave the debt here as i have heard the banks will find you!
I can not afford to pay the banks from south africa, the exchange is ridiculous and i would be living on the street if that was to be the case.
If i approach my bank and negoatiate a settle ment do you think they would consider it? my other alternative is to go for Bankruptcy but i really do not wish to do this.
Ideally, if you are leaving the country, you would be able to pay off the debts before you leave. As you know, this is not always possible.
If you contact your bank and be honest with them they may consider a settlement for less than the outstanding debt. If they are faced with a choice of receiving a token payment from abroad every month or a lump sum, they may decide to take the lump sum.
If you want to consider Bankruptcy then you should really take some advice. It may be worth contacting us for an appointment to discuss your situation. You can either call our helpline on 0800 138 1111 or click here to go through to our online debt advice facility called Debt Remedy.
Regards,
CCCS_AmandaI am a Debt Counsellor that works for the CCCS and have specific permission from Martin, to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on the CCCS and what it does in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article.0 -
I have been on a DMP since July. everything has been going reasonably well although I had a lot of problems with HSBC initially. I had a call from them today, they said they had parked my account for 3 months but that is now over so they confirmed I will start receiving phone calls again. (it used to be 3 x daily) I explained that I was at work but they continued the call for 16 minutes and then said they would phone me tomorrow because they need to do an up to date income and expenditure. They appeared to be putting pressure on me to take their managed loan, I explained that I could not because as they are aware, I am on a DMP. The woman also had the audacity to ask if I had family or friends who could pay the debt for me. The though of the telephone ringing 3 x daily from 9am to 9pm is really upsetting me. I am trying my hardest to pay these dates but they just fail to understand how difficult this can be with what I feel is undue pressure and charges which will make it take so much longer to pay off.
I'm sorry I kind ranted more than I expected but the main question was supposed to be about the managed loan and whether or not they can force you to take this by stating that they wil continue to charge interest and additional charges if you do not take it out?
Thanks
I know that it is very hard but try not to worry. It is quite common for creditors to only agree to repayments for a limited amount of time. Once you show consistently that the amount you can afford is only paid via the DMP then things will hopefully start to settle down. If your creditor is unhappy with the offer then they will eventually pass the debt to another collector; this will give us another opportunity to make your reduced offer.
If it causes you a lot of stress and anxiety when they are constantly contacting you then you can send a letter and ask them to stop contacting you by phone. I have attached a letter that you can use as a template when writing to them.
Dear Sir/Madam
I am writing to ask that you no longer contact me by telephone as your calls are causing me considerable stress due to the frequency, and that they are being made at inappropriate times. Please remove my telephone number from your database and send all future communication in writing to my home address.
I have provided the most recent copy of my income and expenditure to make you aware of my current financial situation. I will continue to make my payment of x on the x of every month and will keep you informed of any changes in my circumstances as I am keen to resolve this issue as soon as possible.
I understand that following this request if you continue to call I can contact the Office of Fair Trading to make a formal complaint.
Please confirm in writing that your records have been amended.
Yours sincerely
As for the interest, it's really hard to say. It's not always a case of which creditors are willing to freeze interest, as their decision is based on how realistic they feel the offer of repayment is, how long it will take you to clear the debt etc. The unfortunate answer is that it has to be a case of wait and see.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
CCCS_AmandaI am a Debt Counsellor that works for the CCCS and have specific permission from Martin, to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on the CCCS and what it does in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article.0 -
jellybean87 wrote: »hi
DH's business has had to close. So he is now unemployed but looking for work.
I just want to make sure I am doing everything I can and doing it right!
Dh has rung up to sign on for JSA and has a meeting at the local job centre on monday aswell. (I don't get why he has to do both?)
We have had one meeting at the Citizens Advice and have to wait until the 30th march until we can go and see the right person to discuss what to do (the person we saw was jsut to check we had the right benefits).
I am in the process of ringing up all our creditors and mortgage provider to say we have no money and will pay them £1 this month until we have our meeting with CAB and can put something formal into place, Will be paying £100 on the mortgage instead of £598, they said they will accept that this month, but I have been sent an expenditure form so we can sort something more official.
We have tried to lower our tarrifs on mobiles as we currently pay £75 p/m they wont let us, so I will be ringing to say we can't pay. I know we will be cut off, but what else can they do?
will be canceling net, depending on charge for leaving contract.
Dh is going to try and get the finance company to take the van back as he needed it for work but, obviously, doesn't now. where do I stand legally with this?
DH's grandparents have offered us £500 so we can pay off washing machine so at least that won't be taken. can we pay it off, even though we are only paying £1.00 on all other finances? or will it cause problems?
We are hoping we are eligible for the goverment scheme where they pay the interest part of our mortgage for 2 years, which is nearly all of it, but I have a feeling our council aren't doing it. Though that may be something else. Its all quite confusing! if we can get this we will hopefully manage to keep our house.
anything else I need to do? Or any other advice?
Sounds like you are very organised! You have been really proactive in dealing with the situation. I will try and answer your questions in the order that you have asked them…
With regard to your mobile phones: if you stop paying them and you are still tied to a contract then they will probably bill you for the remainder of the contract and disconnect you. This then becomes a ‘non priority’ debt and you would make them a £1 offer of payment along with your other creditors.
If the van is on HP then you need to asses how much of the agreement that you have paid. If you have paid more than 50% of the debt (the exact figure will be on the original agreement that he signed) then you should be able to give the van back to the finance provider with no further come back. The van will have to be in reasonable condition, but there would be no further penalty or money owed. If you have paid less than 50% then the van would be sold at auction and then you would have to pay the outstanding shortfall.
As long as your washing machine was not purchased on HP (Hire Purchase) then there is no real benefit to singling out that creditor. If it is purchased with a finance agreement the finance company ultimately want the money back and not the washer. You will need to check your agreement.
Your mortgage interest should be paid after a 13 week waiting period as long as you qualify for Income Based JSA.
Like I said you are organised and are doing everything you can to deal with the situation.
We also offer free debt advice; if you want to contact us then you can either call 0800 138 1111 for a telephone appointment with a Debt Counsellor or you can visit Debt Remedy for online advice.
Regards,
CCCS_AmandaI am a Debt Counsellor that works for the CCCS and have specific permission from Martin, to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on the CCCS and what it does in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article.0 -
Hi
We've been on a DMP with CCCS since November and all is beginning to settle down with most of our creditors. Both myself and my OH have debts with Barclaycard but we are being treated very differently. My account has had the interest frozen so I am seeing the debt decrease (slowly but surely!) wheras my OH is still being charged interest at double the amount he is paying so each month his debt increases. As a relult, overall our debt with Barclaycard is not reducing and our debt free date is now infinity!
Please advise us what to do.
Also HSBC have asked us to make them an offer to clear the balance owed to them. We are not in a position to do this ourselves but could possibly borrow some from a family member if the amount was significantly less than the amount we owe. Do you advise this? What would a resonable offer be on a debt of £2300?
Thanks
S x
It would be worth ringing us on the number provided on your statements as we would then be able to send another proposal to Barclaycard to see if they would reconsider the interest charged on your husbands account.
We would also be able to discuss the implications of Full and Final settlements and the impact on your budget if you have to repay the family loan.
Regards,
CCCS_AmandaI am a Debt Counsellor that works for the CCCS and have specific permission from Martin, to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on the CCCS and what it does in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article.0 -
princess80 wrote: »Good Afternoon
I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advice, it's quite long sorry!
I was with my ex partner for just over 3 years and we lived together in a house he bought just before he met me, I was never on the mortgage. I knew he had money issues and had borrowed money over the years we were together but to be honest i didn;t know the full extent and didn't really want to.
When we split up i left everything behind and then found out he had thousands of pounds of debt (over 50k) and that he was making himself bankrupt. I also found out that he had forged my signature on two loans secured on the property. Now the companies over 3 years ago tried to chase me for the money and i wrote a long letter explaining that i was never on the mortgage so how could something be secured against my name on something i didn't officially own?? Never heard a thing back, have since moved and got married but the house owned by me and my husband is just in his name with a deed protecting my interest, solicitors advice in case said secured loan company tried to take it off me. Today i have received a letter from the secured loan company at my present address but in my old name and also addressed to my ex partner saying that i have to start making repayments and that the aco!!!! has been passed to the local office.
Sorry that this is long winded but just wondered if anyone had any advice about this???
This is a legal issue and you need to get professional legal advice especially as you say that your signatures were forged on the loan.
You could contact Community Legal advice. click here.
They offer a free, confidential and impartial advice service on legal matters.
You could also ask the loan company to send you a copy of the original agreement so that you can check the signature.
Regards
CCCS_SueI am a CCCS Debt Counsellor and have specific permission from Martin to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on CCCS in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article. If you find you're struggling with debt and you need further help try our online advice facility Debt Remedy0 -
Hi,
I am waiting for my appointment with CCCS at the begining of March (been waiting since December :eek: ) I know I will need to send in proof of earnings, I can provide OH wage slips but I am full time at uni and receive a bursary - will my bursary letter (dated Jan 09) be sufficient or will I have to send in my bank statements? Do I have to send in working/child tax credits and child benefit letters or again my bank statements? Do they want proof of everything?????Many thanks
H
Hi hheadcase and thank you for your message
We will need up to date proof of all income including tax credits and child benefit.
It would be helpful if you could send a copy of your bursary letter and bank statements as well.
Regards
CCCSI am a CCCS Debt Counsellor and have specific permission from Martin to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on CCCS in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article. If you find you're struggling with debt and you need further help try our online advice facility Debt Remedy0 -
caramia1812 wrote: »Sorry but bumping for an answer to the above and an update. I received a letter today about ONE of my accounts stating that HBOS would be able to help me with reduced monthly payments and hold on interest if I used a 3rd party debt managment service. No mention/response regarding my offer to them making F&FS's to both accounts. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place now.............
Hi caramia1812
CCCS Amanda has answered your previous message on post 1168 and she has left you a number to ring for an appointment to discuss your situation further.
Regards
CCCSI am a CCCS Debt Counsellor and have specific permission from Martin to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on CCCS in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article. If you find you're struggling with debt and you need further help try our online advice facility Debt Remedy0
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