Ask a CCCS counsellor a question

CCCS_Sarah

Dizzymum wrote: »

Hi not quite sure how to explain this but ...

When you list your Creditors for a Debt relief order, what would happen if between applying for DRO and OR making order, the creditor sold/passed on the debt to another company?

ie: if i listed joebloggs and co and when OR contacted joebloggs and co they said no sorry debt not with us anymore, what would happen? would OR be able to follow debt or would it not be included any more in DRO.

Thank you

Hi DM,

As Debt Relief Orders(DROs) will only be available from 6 April we have not yet got any practical experience of dealing with them. However, in the situation you describe above the debt would be included regardless of who was dealing with it, provided you list the debt when you apply for the DRO.

Any debts that are not listed when you go into a DRO cannot be added on later though, but this relates to debts that have been forgotten, not those which change hands between companies.

Hope this helps.

Sarah

CCCS_Amanda

Craigyh wrote: »

Hi,

I'm currently on a DMP with yourselves and everything is going well aoart from Halifax who have now started getting funny. They have for the past 6mths started adding charges & interest again which has put me in a worse position than when I started, they have ignored anything I have told them, I have informed them I was with the CCCS and they were receiving payments, I have sent them my budget 4 times each time they refuse to acknowledge receipt. They have now passed the debt onto a DCA, what do I do now, do I ring the DCA to inform them off my DMP? I'm at a loss as what to do,

Thanks in advance

Hi Craigyh,

If they have passed your debt to a Debt Collection Agency then you need to contact us on our Client Support Line. We need to change the details that we have on file and send out a new proposal. Hopefully the DCA will accept your reduced payment.

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that your creditors will accept a reduced payment. If they are unhappy with what you are paying then they will pass the debt to another DCA to try and collect. This just gives you another opportunity to negotiate the reduced payment.

Regards,
Amanda

CCCS_Amanda

SPskint44 wrote: »

Hello, i hope you can help as I'm feeling a little disheartened!

I've received a letter and a termination notice from Barclays as they do not accept the amount offerd on my DMP. Should I phone them and discuss it or just leave it? If it is passed to a collection agency will the collection agency accept the payment from my DMP? I'm a bit worried that there's still a while to go before nay payment gets made as my DMP starts on 1st April.

Also I wondered if there is any way to change the amounts? I know it's all been worked out properly but Halifax seem to be getting more than the minimum monthly payment from my DMP (£51 instead of £45). Could you tell me if this is right?

I understand you get loads of questions but any advice you could offer would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance.

Hi SPskint44,

There is no way to guarantee a creditor will accept your reduced payment. Each creditor has different criteria that must be met when they consider accepting an offer. If they do not accept the offer made on a DMP we continue to pay it to them anyway, your circumstances are still the same whether they accept it or not.

As you are just starting a DMP you really need to give it some time to work. When you make your first payment then you may start to get some positive feedback from your creditors. The first few months are always the hardest as it does take some time to settle down.

You should contact our Client Support Line (this number will be in your welcome pack) regarding your payment amount to Halifax. There are certain circumstances where your DMP payment can exceed your required minimum monthly payment (ie. you were paying a reduced amount on a 0% card), but it is always best to check if in doubt.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Amanda

CCCS_Matthew

howard1945 wrote: »

Matthew, I am in such a mess with my financial affairs but still struggling to come to terms with phoning CCCS and getting help. I am 63 and have always battled my way through and this feels like such an admission of failure. I did try to phone CCCS last week but their lines were so busy I couldn't get through and haven't worked up the courage to try again. I just feel like giving up but I can't and won't. I need to find a way of hanging on to the house for my wife's sake. We have been here 20 odd years. I am sorry, this all sounds so pathetic.

Is there another way to get in touch with someone at CCCS.

Hi Howard.

I'm sorry you've not been able to get through. As I'm sure you are aware we are very busy at the moment and our helpline is currently experiencing a record amount of calls. The lines are open from 8am till 8pm, so all I can do is advise you to keep trying and you will get through. If you have managed to get some figures together regarding your income and expenditure as well as your debts it will speed up the process of getting you booked in with a counsellor.

As you mentioned your house, do you have a respossession hearing or are you just concerned that if things continue it may get that far? If you have any major concerns then feel free to ask on the forum or send me a PM and we'll do our best to help.

Regards,
Matthew

CCCS_Matthew

filbertchick wrote: »

Hi,

I hope you can give me some advice. I have a loan with Northern Rock, but I've been unable to make the full payments since November as I have been in and out of work. I have been able to make small payments to them, perhaps £30/£50 a time. However, I have not made a payment for March. I last made a payment in February and they were supposed to be sending me a form where I could write down all my expenditure so that I could make reduced monthly payments until I was more financially stable.(I haven't received this) However, last week I received a letter from a Debt Collection Agency telling me that they they want full payment of £7900 by 2nd April!! What should I do? I was under the impression that NR were aware of my current situation. I have no letters from them to say that my debt was being passed on etc. I am sick with worry!

Also, I think I would like to set up a DMP with yourselves, I have other debts (some I have arranged lower payments with),but I just wanted to know where I stand on this matter before continuing.

Also, I am unsure of what I need to fill on the CCCS Debt Remedy calculator. I am currently claiming Job Seeker's Allowance and back living with my parents, but usually I rent a room from a friend. Should I fill this in as if I were still living with a friend? (I will be back living with them as soon as I have a job).

Really hope you can give me some adivce.

Hi there,

When using Debt Remedy you would need to include all of the debts you have regardless of whether you have made arrangements with them or not. If a DMP was suitable, we would always have to include all of the debts you have.

As far as your costs are concerned, I would currently leave out the cost of renting a room as you are not paying for it at the moment. Once you are working again the normal procedure would be you to redo the budget to ensure it now represents your situation. It's quite likely that a DMP will not be offered based on your current situation as JSA tends not to leave you much left to offer towards your creditors. With that in mind, you may want to see what Debt Remedy suggests for the time being, and then revisit it when you are working to see your more long term options.

As far as your loan is concerned, NR are entitled to issue a default notice against you if you've not kept up with your payments. This will often happen even if they are aware that you are making reduced payments and are happy with the fact. A default notice simply allows them to notify the credit reference agencies that you've not been able to keep up with the agreement, and to pass it on to a debt collection agency. Although you are often asked to pay the full balance, you will not be in the position to do so and NR will be well aware of that.

Hope this helps for now,
Matthew.

CCCS_Matthew

Mikey3001 wrote: »

Hi Sarah,

I'm after some advice as I've found myself in a desperate situation. I have 6 outstanding payday loans totalling £1200 that were due to be repaid today. This was fine as my annual bonus was due and easily covered these along with my usual wages. I got paid yesterday but my bank account got hacked into and before I even knew, all my money was stolen out of my account. I've been left with nothing. The bank could'nt give me an overdraft or a loan because of my poor credit rating and they have advised that they will investigate but this can take some time and I may not get any money back at all. My boss can't advance me anything and I have no friends or family that I can call on to help. I wrote to these payday companies last night explaining the situation and offering a repayment plan but I'm at work today and have had constant e-mails and calls from them asking where their money is. I'm so worried, I don't have any money for rent or food and even the local credit union can't help. I'm scared I'm gonna have debt collectors on the door and I don't even have anything of value for them to take. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Hi Mikey.

Try not to panic. The Payday loan companies are unlikely to send anyone to visit your property, and if they were to do so they do not have the power to possess your goods, they are not bailiffs. All you can do at this stage is explain the situation you are in, you simply cannot pay due to the fact your were subject to your bank account being hacked. I'm assuming that once the money is back in your account you can repay the loans as expected? Offer them what you can afford (if anything at all) and don't be pressured into paying anything more.

Regards,
Matthew.

jarbie

hi,
i have a dmp with cccs, one of my debts is the halifax credit card and it has piled so much interest on in 3 years i have paid £1200 roughly but it says ive only paid £150. My debt councellor told me today to go online to the bba and to check the banking code 14 and 15 and that i could write a letter of complaint to them cause they have signed a contract saying that anyone in debt has to pay 1% of their debt and im payin 2%, and that they will only charge you 1% interest for 18 months then they will sell it on to a debt collector interest free. But having looked at the bba the halifax is not on the list of banks and also it is a credit card not a bank i owe the money to.

icecube2009

CCCS_Sarah wrote: »

Hello Icecube,

If Debt Remedy recommended a DMP and you clicked this as your option then your advice booklet should contain a template letter with the heading “Notification of Debt Management Plan”. You can use this outline to write to your creditors to let them know what you are doing, and at the same time send them a token payment.

The Debt Remedy advice booklet should contain details of what your next steps are, but if you are not certain please get in touch.

Regards

Sarah

I had the debt remedy booklet emailed to me, but there is no template letter, any suggestions? or will that come in the post?

CCCS_Matthew

icecube2009 wrote: »

I had the debt remedy booklet emailed to me, but there is no template letter, any suggestions? or will that come in the post?

The Notification of a DMP letter will be sent to you in the post after you've selected the DMP on Debt Remedy. We will also send you out the forms we need you complete to set up the DMP. This is normally sent out about a week after you completed Debt Remedy.

Hope this helps,
Matthew

VanillaDelia

A Q for the new DRO


Hi just a Q. I have just started a DMP with CCCS with my husband, but my total debt personally to me are £10K so would this be the best option for me, as I only earn about £100 a month self employed. The car is in Husbands name so I dont own the car and have no assets such as a house, savings etc..

Will this effect my business even though i have no money in it, will it effect my current bank account as non of my debts are with my bank and i have had good standing with them.