Ask a CCCS counsellor a question

CCCS_Alan

mysuni wrote: »

hi, i was advised by cccs that i have a deficiet of approx £850 a month so having been making token £1 payments as advised. Barclaycard have via Mercers told me that they will only accept less than £5 if approached by cccs which i believe you won't do. should i offer them £5 a month? or should i just let the inevitable happen sooner rather than later and let them persue me in court?

Hi Mysuni

Only ever offer the creditors what you can afford, and in your case with a deficit offer the token £1 and stick to the offer. Even if a debt went to court they would not make you pay more than you could afford even if it was still only a £1.

At this point you creditors are not important, what you have to look at is the deficit in your budget and trying to balance it to survive on your income.

Regards

CCCS_Alan

CCCS_Alan

SHANKS1000 wrote: »

My husband has set up a DMP with the CCCS due to start on 1st July. However as we have to pay an IOU to a family member this month, starting the DMP in July is going to leave us short. What would be the consequences of starting this on 1st August. I have posted the DDM back to the CCCS on Friday so that should be set up for 1st August. In addition to this we are now one payment behind on 4 of 5 cards and 2 payments behind on a 5th card. The persistent one has stopped foning I'm assuming because they've had the offer of payment from the CCCS.

Also my husband works when the CCCS Processing Teams are working and is unable to call. Would you be able to put a note on system to discuss any issues with me his wife if he sends in written authority?

Hi Shanks1000

If the DMP is to be delayed by a month you would still need to continue to make a token payment to each creditor each month until the plan starts.

He would need to send in a letter of authority that we can scan and keep on our database, which will also allow us to put a note on the system confirming this information. If you send this to the same address as you have sent in your correspondence before and include his client details on this as well.

Regards

CCCS_Alan

CCCS_Alan

michellemybelle71 wrote: »

Hi

Not sure if this is the way to ask a question so i apologize now if i done it wrong lol ..

I am struggling with my loan repayment for my windows i had fitted three years ago.

Safestyle fitted the windows and ignored it for two years i have had nothing but problems with them..i contacted GE money who the finance is with who did help but i stopped payments til it was sorted out..Now iv got behind and not sure how to handle things..also Safestlye said it would be paid off in 5 years but the loan they had me take is one of ten years???..I have paid quite abit off but the interest on it has made the loan amount still looking the same way as it did three years ago..I am on working tax and self employed now. Im A single Parent my working income isnt much at all as iv just started working for myself..
I want to pay this off but with the interest building i have no hope..Please help.
Michellemybelle71

Hi Michellemybelle71

We have responded to your PM in our inbox.

Cheers

CCCS_Alan

Georgieporgie_3

CCCS_Matthew wrote: »

Hi Geo,

Based on what you’ve said so far, it’s probably fair to say you need to sell the car not only to get money back for it, but to reduce your monthly outgoings. You mention you think you will get £17k for the car, which if you paid it off the secured loan you would still be left of a deficit of £13k – but this doesn’t account for the fact you mention you used £6k of the money to pay off another debt and also made improvements to your home.

Your ideal solution would be to pay a chunk off your secured loan with the proceeds with the car. This will lower your expenditure by meaning you don’t have to pay to keep the car on the road, and your monthly repayments on the Secured Loan should also reduce.

However you MUST check with the Secured Loan company whether there are any penalties for overpaying via a lump sum. If so, you may find that your £17k doesn’t actually pay off £17k of the balance.

Regards,
Matthew.

Thank you Matthew. I shall call Endeavor and find out if there are any penalties and also if payng the lump sum in will do i.e. reduce the term, or reduce the monthly repayments

CCCS_Sue

Loobysaver wrote: »

I've received a letter dated 19 June from Merriforce Doorstep collection agents stating that due to non-payment of a debt to Mackenzie Hall they have been instructed to collect the debt on their behalf. It also states that an authorised collector will be visiting the property within the next 10 days (which is tomorrow!).

The debt is for £1443.65 and I have no idea what it is for.

Please advise what my next steps should be as I've been told by certain people that phoning them up could be contrived as acknowledging/accepting the debt is mine.

Thank you

Hi Loobysaver and thank you for your email

If you have no idea what the debt is for, you could write and ask for a copy of the original agreement. I have attached a sample letter you can use. You need to send it recorded delivery and keep a copy for yourself. Enclose a £1 fee.

Without Prejudice

Dear Sirs

Ref …………………………………….

With reference to the above account:

Please will you send me a true copy of the original signed agreement together with an up to date statement of the account showing all transactions, including interest and charges, and a copy of any other document referred to in the agreement.

I understand I am entitled to this information under ss77-79 of The Consumer Credit Act (CCA) 1974.

I also understand that this information should be sent to me within 12 working days of you receiving this letter. The CCA states that creditors are unable to enforce an agreement until this request is complied with.

I am enclosing the £1:00 fee, payable under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, for each account.


Yours faithfully

A debt becomes unenforceable under the CCA if a creditor does not supply a true copy of the signed credit agreement within 12 working days of it being requested, after a further month the creditor has committed an offence. This offence can be reported to the Trading Standards Authority (in the creditors area, not your local one), or the FSA.

Regards
CCCS_Sue

CCCS_Sue

JillyOJolly wrote: »

Hi, I have just posted on another thread, but you may be better equipped to answer my question. I am 4 years into a DMP and it is due to finish in October. I have offered full and finals to all my creditors now with a gift from a friend. I have offered 40% to all 5 creditors. If only 2 or 3 accept the full and final do I still go ahead and pay them the offer and then keep paying the remaining creditors the normal way or do I pull out the offers entirely?

Also, I have not had any replies yet to the offers and the next payment is due to go out on 1st July. If and when they do accept the offer of the balance do I have to take into account July's payment when I send them the balance or do they still get to keep that as well?

Thanks

JOJ

Hi JOJ and thank you for your message

I have sent you a PM which explains all about full and final settlements and also has a sample letter you can use. Make sure you have everything in writing before you part with any money if they do agree to your offers.

Hope this will help

Regards
CCCS_Sue

CCCS_Sue

psythe wrote: »

My partner isn't good at not spending money and its getting to be a problem. I have a friend whose partner is bipolar and goes on spending sprees when manic.

During their saner moments I think both could be convinced to have all utility bills, ID etc put beyond immediate use (to stop them opening new accounts) but certainly my partner would resist having their current account removed.

Are banks willing to set up a very low weekly limit of say £50 withdrawals on a current account?

And are banks prepared to have a system in place so that this cannot be altered quickly by just one person? In both our situations it would be feasible to create a joint account (in fact I think my friend already has this) - I'm linked financially to my partner by a mortgage so my credit score is probably doomed anyway :-)

Many thanks

Hi psythe and thank you for your message

I would recommend that you speak to your bank directly, as I am not sure whether they would agree to this.

An alternative you could look at, possibly, is if your partner agreed to have their salary paid into your own account and you ensured that all their share of the utility bills and other priorites were taken care of and then they could have a weekly limit of £50 which you paid to them.
This is only a suggestion and something you would have to discuss together but as far as the bank is concerned, you would need to contact them directly and enquire.

Regards
CCCS_Sue

DrGonzo1977

Hi

I am waiting on information through the post from cccs regarding a low start debt management program. Whilst I am waiting for this should I make any sort of token payments to my creditors?

I have made a buget plan with payments worked out on a pro rata basis. Should I send a token payment at the amounts I have worked out or simply a payment of £1 to each untill I have received the documents from cccs and then will know what to do next?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best regards

scouselad1974

DrGonzo1977 wrote: »

Hi

I am waiting on information through the post from cccs regarding a low start debt management program. Whilst I am waiting for this should I make any sort of token payments to my creditors?

I have made a buget plan with payments worked out on a pro rata basis. Should I send a token payment at the amounts I have worked out or simply a payment of £1 to each untill I have received the documents from cccs and then will know what to do next?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best regards

I would send token payments of £1 to each creditor, £1, £5, £10 makes no difference to their attitude towards your DMP in my experience.

CCCS_Amanda

DrGonzo1977 wrote: »

Hi

I am waiting on information through the post from cccs regarding a low start debt management program. Whilst I am waiting for this should I make any sort of token payments to my creditors?

I have made a buget plan with payments worked out on a pro rata basis. Should I send a token payment at the amounts I have worked out or simply a payment of £1 to each untill I have received the documents from cccs and then will know what to do next?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best regards

Hi DrGonzo1977,

Thank you for your post.

If you are setting up a DMP then we usually advise you to send what you can afford to your creditors until your plan is up and running. The most important thing is that your priorities are met.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Amanda