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Ask a CCCS counsellor a question

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  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    jimpycraft wrote: »
    Hi, thanks for the link...

    I have discovered a default in my name that i didnt even know i had.... can this be settled by contacting the company?
    What is the best way to settle this?

    Thank you,

    A creditor would only remove a default if it was added in error, if the balance is cleared then it would show as satisfied/ settled and then drop off after six years.
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    AndyLGR wrote: »
    Thanks for the repsonse.

    Its in her name, she was a relief landlord, but she does not know what the money is owed for and there is no description on the letter received. So obviously before she agreed to repay anything she would need to know what it relates to.

    So I guess write or ring and get them to send details of what its for?

    Before she pays anything she needs to be sure what the debt is for.

    Sarah
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    Mics_chick wrote: »
    I've just used Debt Remedy for the first time today and got my initial results which I viewed onscreen.
    Then I went back in and changed a few figures but it didn't automatically regenerate this document for me to view again and I couldn't see how to do this myself?

    Any help very gratefully received :D

    In your booklet there will be a telephone number for our Debt Remedy team, give them a call and they will be happy to help.

    Sarah
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    AndyLGR wrote: »
    You mean contact the brewery direct? She left there 9 months ago when they sold the lease on the premises and so didn’t need a relief landlord anymore.

    If she contacts the company that are collecting the debt, any debts in dispute should be put on hold until investigated.

    Sarah
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    Mandyb wrote: »
    Hi we need some help please as we are unsure what to do.

    We owe just under £15k on loans and credit cards (some in my name and some in my husbands) but before we married I started a dmp with CCCS for debts I had run up totalling £21,000 for which I am still paying towards each month. When I got married though we then applied for more credit and are now struggling. We are not sure if we can combine the two debts to one dmp???? We don't really want to go bankrupt or have an IVA. My other question is that my husband is a special police constable and in the next 18mths to 2 years is thinking of applying full time however the police do financial checks on you - will a dmp affect this? Any suggestions please.

    Hi Mandyb,

    I would recommend that you give the CCCS a call so we can discuss this in detail. It is possible to look at a joint DMP. If you would like an appointment please call 0800 138 1111.

    Regards
    CCCS
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • digitdemon
    digitdemon Posts: 29 Forumite
    CCCS_Sarah wrote: »
    Hi Kenny,

    Thank you for your reply.

    I think what Sue was referring to is the interest on the account. Say for example you have 10K worth of debt over various credit cards and loans, if you take out a 10K loan to clear this then you would owe the lender 10K plus interest that could add up to another couple of thousand pounds on top .

    A general pattern that we see and many people on the forums will confirm, is they will consolidate all the debts and further down the line the credit card balances sneak up again. So again they consolidate, it’s a very slippery slope.

    If you feel that you are struggling with payments, I would recommend that you seek advice from an independent organisation such as the CCCS, CAB or National Debtline. If you would like an appointment with the CCCS then please call 0800 138 1111.

    Sarah


    Thanks Sue for the advice, but I'm basically trying to get advice on my original question, i.e. whether they're are companies that manually process loan applications. As I said I'm after a loan that will pay off my credit cards and close the accounts in the process, therefore not entitling me to any more credit. If I apply for such a loan at present I get declined due to the automated process that takes place, i.e. it thinks I'm applying for another £12,000 worth of credit.

    I realise that consolidating and taking out new credit cards is not advisable, but this is not my aim. My credit cards were used to fund recent urgent changes in my life and I didn't have the time to go through a loan application. Now I'm looking to shift these debts to a consildation loan that will result in a far lower monthly repayment for me. To confirm, I had no debt whatsover on my cards prior to last month.

    Hope for your advice and help.

    Thanks.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    mcduff wrote: »
    Hello, first time on this site and am looking for some help with my debts. I currently owe £1500 on an overdraft which I have agreed with the bank to pay back £150 a month (as my limit was £1250 and I was at around £1900 and the withdrew the facility) , £1500 on credit cards which I am making the minimum payment on and I owe friends and family around £2500 which I am not paying back at the moment. However I also have 3 Payday loans for £1200 which is crippling me and sending me further into debt each month, with this months intrest being around £350. I can only realistically afford around £100 (I have stripped my budget to the bare bones) but as I have a very poor credit rating I cannot get a conventional loan to consolidate any of the debt and pay off the capital at a lower interest rate. I also have a Wedding loan of £15,500 which I contribute half to every month (£125) and am up to date. My wife has debts of around £11,000 on her credit cards which she is just about managing to start clearing down and she is not aware of the mess I have gotten myself into (although £1300 of the debt was from clearing some of my credit cards which she knew abot). Please can you point me in the right direction to what action I should take and if it is possible for me to sort this out without affecting my credit rating even further and telling my wife (The reason I have a poor rating is that I had a massive debt of around £16,000 years ago which I managed to sort out through IVAs etc and get my finances under control (but dont want to go down this route again as I am sick of looking at them on my credit report), I did not have a mortgage and all the rest of the bills to pay then though) . Please Help!!!

    It’s difficult to give you detailed advice on your options without knowing a bit more about your financial situation. So we can help you, I think you would benefit from using our online debt advice facility called Debt Remedy. Debt Remedy will assist you in completing a full financial statement and you will be provided with tailored advice on the best way to deal with your debts. It should take you about 20 minutes to complete and it’s completely free and impartial. To get advice straight away, click here to be taken directly to Debt Remedy.

    If you would prefer to talk to a debt counsellor about your situation, you can book a telephone based appointment by calling our helpline free on 0800 138 1111. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:00-20:00. It would be helpful that when you call you have details ready regarding your income, expenditure and creditors, as this can help speed up the referral process. If you have this information ready it may be possible to refer you directly to a counsellor if one is available, otherwise we will arrange a time that is convenient for you to be called back for an appointment.

    Regards,
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    clab1508 wrote: »
    i pay over £1000 each month to creditors totalling £45k, for 4 credit cards £11k and 3 loans £34k and its getting harder to manage. I'm going on maternity shortly and have tried my creditors for payment breaks etc and cant get any help from them. The last loan i got was over a year ago and was suppose to sort this out but just hasnt, i wish i hadnt done that. I cant see a way forward to getting rid of at least the credit cards and was thinking of an iva?

    I earn £2500 a month but with a £900 mortgage payment plus other bills i dont have any spare cash to put towards the debts. With the low market prices my house would have negative equity as well so thats no help either.

    Thank you for your message.

    If you are going to have a reduction in income then you need to do a few things:
    • Maximise your income. When your income reduced you will be entitled to benefits (Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit, maternity grants, Working Tax Credits, etc.). Though this will probably not match your wage it will be a little better than £400 per month.
    • Before your income reduced try to cut down your expenditure to the bare minimum. Cancelling SKY packages, reducing telephone costs, reducing insurance costs if possible, downsizing vehicles, etc.
    • Prioritise your expenditure. Your main priorities are always the things that will affect your health and wellbeing if they are not paid. Your mortgage, council tax, gas, electric, food, travel, etc are always a priority. Unsecured personal lending is usually a NON-priority debt: loans, credit cards, store cards, catalogues, etc.
    • Talk to your secured lender if you foresee problems meeting your mortgage payment. They may be able to reduce your payment by putting you on an interest only loan temporarily.
    • Put an honest budget together. Find out what you need to live on. Limit the things on your budget to your essential expenditure that way you will know what you need to have coming into the house.

    Once you have done these things hopefully you will be able to make ends meet for the short time before you can return to work.

    It’s difficult to give you detailed advice via email as we don’t have your full financial details. However you can visit our online debt advice facility called Debt Remedy.

    Debt Remedy would assist you in completing a financial statement and you would be provided with tailored advice on the best way to deal with your situation. Click on this link to go directly to Debt Remedy www.cccs.co.uk/ref/drmse

    If you would prefer to talk to a debt counsellor about your situation and the benefits that you will be entitled to, you can book a telephone based appointment by calling our helpline free on 0800 138 1111. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:00-20:00. It would be helpful that when you call you have details ready regarding your income, expenditure and creditors, as this can help speed up the referral process. If you have this information ready it may be possible to refer you directly to a counsellor if one is available, otherwise we will arrange a time that is convenient for you to be called back for an appointment.

    Regards,
    Sarah

    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    lightarrow wrote: »
    Hello Sarah

    We are very new to this and have just started going through the IVA process. We sent token payment letters to all of our creditors last month - we did not sign the letters, just typed in our names.
    We have now had a letter from a credit card company asking for a signature in a signature box, but they have not explained how the signature will be used. They have said this is due to the letter, sent to them with the token payment and explanation of our circumstances, was not signed.
    Do we sign or not?
    We would appreciate any advice!!!
    Many thanks

    I would recommend that you just print your name in the box.

    Sarah
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    monsiwin wrote: »
    Can anyone help me word a letter to my creditors requesting a final figure for settlement . I am hopeless at wording letters.

    Hello,

    Sue has just answered this in the PM's for you

    Sarah
    I 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.

    CCCS is a registered charity, and there is no charge whatsoever for any of the services we provide to our clients. We take great pride in offering first class help and advice, but we only offer this where we have been able to fully explore and understand your circumstances with you. We want to help you understand these choices and their possible implications but not make them for you.
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