Ask a CCCS counsellor a question

driver24ian

hi cccs, at the beginning of April 09 i spoke to one of your collegues who took my incomings/outgoings etc and sent me details of this in the post along with what i should do, he suggested possible bankruptcy! This freaked me out a little bit but i knew it was a option. So throughout the last month/6 six weeks i have cut back on my weeekly shopping by changing where i shop and quit cigarettes and using patches instead, really hard but the hardest part is over i think. i have managed to save at least £160 in a month. Would this be enough to start a DMP? If so how do i arrange this with CCCS?
Thank You, Ian

CCCS_Matthew

Scarlett wrote: »

My creditors don't respond to my letters outlining a payment plan based on a certain amount a month. Is it advisable to just send yet another letter offering the same amount, but this time with a cheque for that amount attached - if they cash the cheque, it's pretty much accepting my offer then no?

Hi Scarlett.

Often creditors don't actually respond to when you've made a reduced offer of payment to them, it's the same case with some creditors on DMP's with us.

Although you've not had confirmation if they want to accept it, pay the money anyway, they are legally obliged to take what you owe off the balance. I would suggest setting up a Standing Order rather than sending a cheque as a Standing Order is an automated payment. If you send a cheque there is no guarantee that they will cash it.

Hope this helps,
Matthew.

JWM

fayjordan99 wrote: »

Hi all I have posted on another thread but thought I would chime in here if thats ok.

I currently owe over 20k on credit cards £11.5k to American Express £7k to Citibank and £3k to Lloyds until recently I have kept up the minimum monthly repayments albeit by paying off and then living on credit for the rest of the month.

I got into this mess a few years back when I had cancer, it sent me over the edge and facing upto my mortality and the associated depression I just spent money on things I couldnt afford. I was working part time up until a year ago and was also happily married until the stress of the cancer came along, we are now on a trial seperation and he gives me £600 per month to live on which entails housekeeping and child fees for activities, the mortgage is paid by him as its all in his name and so are all the household utility bills..
I can no longer keep living on credit and cannot keep up the minumum monthly repayments so I contacted Payplan who sent me out a pack to make out a budget form and letter to send to my creditors. I have written offering each £35 per month as thats what I can afford and also asked them to freeze interest, my concern is Payplan do not seem that willing to help, I am due a major operation in a few months time related to the cancer and what with the debt and this I cannot cope, I had hoped Payplan would liase with them for me and maybe set up a DMP where I pay them each month...as I see it they have just sent me the forms and gone here you go now get on with it.

Should I consider using a private firm to do this? Gregory Pennington have quoted £200 to start me off but it seems ludicrous to have to find that sort of money when Im already in debt. The house is in my other halfs name so can they force him to pay from his house? I have an 11 year old at home and its just driving me insane..I swear if I didnt have him I would end it all today.

Thankyou for listening

Don't want to read and run, sending you virtual hugs and good wishes, it must be so tough. Be strong - there are many people here who can help you.

x

CCCS_Matthew

chuggingtongirl wrote: »

Hi

please can I ask regarding a self managed DMP as CCCS said our circumstances will change soon so they wont help till then

Weve been doing okay so far and just sticking to what CCCS would do and sending letters/weve changed bank accounts

One creditor has said CCCS need to ring them or they cant help us - even though weve said CCCS arent doing our plan! but they want CCCS to ring them! we said that they arent doing the plan but theyve just given us advice and weve given them the client number from CCCS incase they wanted to check weve spoken to CCCS? Was this right?

a few creditors have accepted the new payments but one is being painful!

theyve sent five letters in three days all saying different things ...-

they want copy of bank statement - done last week
they want copy payslips-done last week
they want us to set up a standing order-done last week
they want the letter signed-done although wasnt sure he shouldve signed it
and today we had a letter saying they wont accept our letter as the signatures dont match their one on file!!? so they just sent a short letter saying they cant help us as the signatures dont match!

what are we meant to do? My husband has the credit account with them so he has to ring but hes working away so cant ring and when he has had chance to call he gets through to an indian callcentre who hes ringing on a mobile so its expensive and he never gets any help from them.it cost him over £10 to ring them last week - we only allow £10 a month in our budget for mobiles! so its messing up our plan

Any advice?
thanks in advance

Hi there.

Unfortunately often creditors assume that because you've had advice from us it means that you are offered a DMP. Creditors often expect us to contact them on behalf of clients when we have no authority to do so. We can only act on behalf of a client once a client has signed a DMP authority form.

You've sent them a lot of information in order to help back up your offer of payment, but you're not actually obliged to do any of this. We would normally suggest that by sending a copy of your CCCS budget would be sufficient evidence to justify your offer of payment. Of course if you are comforatable sending them other documents too, you can do.

However I wouldn't allow yourself to be held ransom by them. My advice would be to set up the Standing Order yourself and perhaps write to them once more to say you've sent them everything you can do to back up your offer and you are going to continue paying the amount until your circumstances change. I wouldn't call them, as you tend to get more resistance speaking to someone over the phone and it's also expensive. Once they establish the fact you're not going to keep jumping through hoops for them, hopefully they will start to realise it's not worth pursuing further and move on to someone else.

Hope this helps,
Matthew.

CCCS_Matthew

debbie43 wrote: »

Hi, does being on a DMP stop companies for applying for a statutory demand??? I did go through a budget plan with CCCs on the phone and then chickened out, i am currently paying all debtors (all credit card debts) token payments of £2.50 per month and have been doing for 7 years since becoming disabled and losing my job. However one company is trying to get us to sign a charging order against our property or they are gonna issue a stat demand, or unless we can come up with £50 per month payments, it would be a struggle so have offered 20 quid and am waiting for them to get back to me, but if being on a DMP would stop this then i would deffo sign up, please advise me asap, many thanks, Debbie

Hi Debbie.

A DMP does not stop a creditor for issuing a Statutory Demand against you as it doesn't constitute a legally binding arrangement. However, the threat of issuing a SD is often used as a 'scare tactic' in order to pressure the indivudal in giving in to allow larger payments or a voluntary charge.

I would be inclined to continue with your offer if you are comfortable knowing that's as much as you can afford and see how things go. Recently the OFT have sanctioned First Credit for issuing so many SD's when they have no intention of actually making someone bankrupt.
http://www.oft.gov.uk/news/press/2009/20-09

If you do get anything through the post that does constitute a SD then get in contact with us straight away. But in the mean time, try not to worry.

Matthew.

snowymalone

Hi

We fully acknowledge and take ownership of our debts, and don't want an IVA as we wish to pay off what we owe in full - however, under present circumstances we can't possibly do that on the terms that our creditiors demand, so we filled out your online debt remedy yesterday, identified that a DMP is the best option for us, and are awaiting the booklet through the post from yourselves. We have some queries about what we do in the interim whilst we are waiting for the DMP to be set up.

1) As payments will almost be certainly be due before the DMP is up and running, what is the best way of making these? We usually pay by single payment bank transfers, but apparently this can cause problems. Also, should we send them letters explaining the small payment and that we're handing over to you, or just send the payment and let CCCS deal with them?

2) We've included a 7.5K NatWest overdraft on the DMP: meanwhile we are in the process of making my own HSBC current account (which only has a £100 o/d and to whom we owe nothing else), into a joint account and into which we'll have all wage etc payments made. Now, once the DMP is established how soon will NatWest be likely to freeze the existing heavily overdrawn account - ie, should we shift money over as soon as we get paid this month? We're not about to ask NatWest that question as we know what'll probably happen...

3) We know that we've recently been overcharged by Halifax owing to a !!!!-up on their part - however, as they are one of the named creditors is it worth arguing with them or just let the DMP takes its course?

All advice gratefully received

pegginout

Not sure if I have asked this in the right place.

My friend is in a real mess because of Barclays Reserve on her account. She went over into the reserve and has been charged £88 this month. She just can't seem to get out of the reserve so keeps getting charged.

I would love to help her but financially I am unable to.

She is a single parent, working, and just trying to get by. No fancy cars, holidays etc . She earns enough to cover day to day expenses but her washer has broken and she has ended up in a pickle.

She has 2 accounts, one student one current.

Can these charges be frozen??

Also, can she reclaim these bank charges?

Godiva500

I received info today that I got my DRO, so I was very happy. Now I see that my Pension has been paid into my old overdrawn HSBC bank account, even though i wrote to them on 16th April and gave them info of my new co-op account, and told them not to pay it into the HSBC account.
My account with HSBC has been frozen, so I can't access it!! I will phone the pension people tomorrow but think they can't do much now, and HSBC will never let me take it out!!

What can I do - any ideas?

fluffthecat

Hi, I need some advice and help.

I have a booking with a CCCS advisor on the 4th June. The last time I spoke to somebody at CCCS for initial advice was about 2 weeks ago. They told me to write a letter to my creditors(8 credit card companies)and offer them all a £1 postal order as a token payment until I get some CCCS help and perhaps start a pro-rata payment scheme.
I have since posted all these letters by recorded delivery, however, I have still not heard from any of them and I have now missed 2 monthly payments with 2 credit cards. They have both charged me a £12 late fee.
What should I do please? Should I call each creditor to see if they have received my letters, or wait a bit longer until my interview with CCCS. In the meantime, I will miss another 2 payments!

Thanks for any advice.

Regards

Fluff

sandalwood_2

fluffthecat wrote: »

Hi, I need some advice and help.

I have a booking with a CCCS advisor on the 4th June. The last time I spoke to somebody at CCCS for initial advice was about 2 weeks ago. They told me to write a letter to my creditors(8 credit card companies)and offer them all a £1 postal order as a token payment until I get some CCCS help and perhaps start a pro-rata payment scheme.
I have since posted all these letters by recorded delivery, however, I have still not heard from any of them and I have now missed 2 monthly payments with 2 credit cards. They have both charged me a £12 late fee.
What should I do please? Should I call each creditor to see if they have received my letters, or wait a bit longer until my interview with CCCS. In the meantime, I will miss another 2 payments!

Thanks for any advice.

Regards

Fluff

If it is any help to you we still have had charges added to our accounts we dont officialy start our DMP until 1st June,and I have sent token payments out,I spoke to Payplan earlier and they told me not to worry about the charges for the moment,once the DMP is up and running for a few months they may freeze interest for a while and then you will be able to look into claiming back the charges,also,have you checked your statements to see if the token payments have been paid in? this will give you a indication that they have received them,they may not get back to you for a while,but dont panic,as said you can try and claim these back at a later date
hope this puts your mind at rest for a while