📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Ask a CCCS counsellor a question

15657596162408

Comments

  • LCT
    LCT Posts: 38 Forumite
    CCCS_Sue wrote: »
    Hi
    Managed to get the info you required regarding payment of your DMP.
    You can pay by bank Transcash Slips. These can be picked up from the Post Office. You need to quote our TC credit account number: 6017754 and your client reference number.

    Regards

    Sue

    Thank you Sue - appreciate it
  • CCCS_Sue wrote: »
    Hi Marc
    You could try writing a letter requesting a refund but the company will attempt to justify their charges by saying they are entitled to charge levy fees, attendance to remove fees etc.
    I have attached a link to Bailiff Advice on line which may help you further click here
    Hope this helps
    Regards
    CCCS

    thanks for the reply, one thing I am querying though. I have been charged £90 for attendance to remove items. Yet he told my wife on wednesday when he called that he was after a payment on that day and he would return tomorrow(friday) to remove items. Surely it is after fridays visit that he can levy a 'reasonable charge'.
  • This is a long story but the short version is:

    I have a house that i rent out and pay service charges for annually to a management company. I became a director of the company 2 years ago, and have received lots of correspondance from them. However last month I decided to retire from this directorship and wrote in. they sent me a letter requesting my date of birth on an e-mail.

    I replied today and had a horrible shock. They e-mailed back and said that i owe £700 in service charges - £290 of this is the actual charges, and the rest is debt collection costs and court fees. Although there is no CCJ yet against me, court letters have been sent.

    They are telling me that I have never given them my correct address and they couldn't find me, and yet I have several letters of correspondance from them at my correct address, and even bills from a couple of years ago. They admit that these outstanding bills they have never sent to my correct address, but still blame me.

    I'm happy to pay the £280 of course, but not the other costs that have been incurred through no fault of my own.

    What should I do? This company is not reasonable.....

    Please Help!
  • Hi i have struggled for months with our credit cards as i have not worked for 12 months we have 40k on credit cards,i have now come to the end of my savings and can no longer afford to pay the minimum amounts so i wrote to them all asking them to accept lower payments but they have all apart from one said that because they are not in arrears yet they cant help ???
    i find this hard to understand as i have asked for help and untill i have incured a load of late charges they wont is this how it works ??
    hope i have done this right i am new to this
    mine and my partners
    soa Monthly income after tax................ 0
    Partners monthly income after tax....... 3300
    Benefits................................ 0
    Other income............................ 75
    Total monthly income.................... 3375

    Monthly Expense Details

    Mortgage................................ 1523
    Secured loan repayments................. 0
    Rent.................................... 0
    Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
    Council tax............................. 141
    Electricity............................. 60
    Gas..................................... 244
    Oil..................................... 60
    Water rates............................. 35
    Telephone (land line)................... 50
    Mobile phone............................ 30
    TV Licence.............................. 11
    Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
    Internet Services....................... 15
    Groceries etc. ......................... 400
    Clothing................................ 0
    Petrol/diesel........................... 30
    Road tax................................ 10
    Car Insurance........................... 17
    Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
    Car parking............................. 0
    Other travel............................ 0
    Childcare/nursery....................... 0
    Other child related expenses............ 40
    Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
    Pet insurance/vet bills................. 20
    Buildings insurance..................... 31
    Contents insurance...................... 0
    Life assurance ......................... 36
    Other insurance......................... 0
    Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 10
    Haircuts................................ 10
    Entertainment........................... 0
    Holiday................................. 0
    Emergency fund.......................... 0
    Total monthly expenses.................. 2773


    Assets

    Cash.................................... 0
    House value (Gross)..................... 250000
    Shares and bonds........................ 0
    Car(s).................................. 0
    Other assets............................ 0
    Total Assets............................ 250000


    Secured Debts

    Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
    Mortgage...................... 230000...(1523).....7.1
    Total secured debts........... 230000....-.........-

    Unsecured Debts
    Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
    credit card....................4600......110.......16
    credit card....................3600......100.......0
    credit card....................8100......167.......21
    loan...........................20000.....293.......8
    credit card....................10500.....201.......19
    credit card....................11300.....221.......18
    Total unsecured debts..........58100.....1092......-


    Monthly Budget Summary

    Total monthly income.................... 3,375
    Expenses (including secured debts)...... 2,773
    Available for debt repayments........... 602
    Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 1,092
    Surplus(deficit if negative)............ -490

    Personal Balance Sheet Summary
    Total assets (things you own)........... 250,000
    Total Secured debt...................... -230,000
    Total Unsecured debt.................... -58,100
    Net Assets.............................. -38,100
  • I need some major help if you can.

    Last year i had quite high debts, but they were manageable as my P60s were coming out at around £32,000 and i was starting to clear my debts down. I had a sharesave scheme at work, paying £50 a month x 3 on 3 schemes that would have been payable 2008, 2009, 2010 with about £7k due in February 2008, which was ear marked for debt payments.
    I lost my job in September 2007, i lost the sharesaves but got the money back that i'd paid in which i had to use to pay bills and survival etc. Late November 2007 i managed to get another job which paid £7000 a year less, no overtime, no bonuses and an additional 40miles a day travelling extra which added to the £7000 drop in salary.
    Being a single bloke (one income) with debts of over £25,000 the big drop in salary meant i could barely afford to survive on the salary and the rest of my sharesave refund got eaten up. It also affected my desire to want to work for that salary and in February 2008 i lost the job, fortunately i got another job a week later which paid a lot better but a contract job (so only earning when i worked). Due to different things i lost over £1000 by days where i couldn't work - broken finger + no car, dog needing emergency vet treatment, bank holidays etc. My car was costing a fortune in repairs where everything that could go wrong did go wrong (guessing it cost me 3k in as many years in repairs)
    When it came to P45 time it was £12,000 less than my last 2 (around £20,000) plus the £7,000(ish) that lost on the shares.
    After the contract job ended i got another job straight away.. perfect job it seemed, decent salary (£28,000), free meals (extra savings to add on to the salary) but a bit of a drive away. I also took in a lodger and that brought my monthly income to around 2k which gave me a light at the end of the tunnel.

    As usual in my life that didn't go too well either. My lodger lost his job and instead of booting him out because he couldn't pay the rent i decided that having a lodger and money coming in when he gets a job would be easier than finding another.. That was 4 months ago so i'm £1000 down on rent and paying to keep 2 people.
    On Wedesday i lost my job due to bad performance and being incapable of doing the job. (perfectly capable of doing it but the staff didn't take too well to having a new boss, refused to work and lied to my boss).

    I'm currently about 35k in debt, i have no job and absolutely no idea what to do.

    I have a 25k loan with Natwest at £500 a month over 6 years
    Mint credit card with £3,500 balance
    Barclay card with £4000 balance
    MBNA card with about £1000 balance
    MBNA card with about £1200 balance
    Natwest card with about £300 balance
    Sofa is also on credit and that's about £36 a month till July next year.

    Additional outgoings are:

    £35 a month mobile (still in contract)
    £20 a month water bill
    Electric seems to be around £60 a month (god knows how)
    Gas - wasn't that much but it is winter now
    car insurance £37 a month
    Dog insurance - £30 a month (essential one dog had to have £600 of surgery)
    pet food (2 dogs, 2 snakes, tropical fish tank) roughly £10 a month. The dogs are on a BARF diet and i get the meat free, just pay petrol to collect. Mice for the snakes cost me under £40 which will keep them going for about 6 months
    Sky TV - only luxury at £40 a month
    Broadband and phone rental - £17.99 a month

    Due to the financial situation i have no life, i'm 34, rarely go out which means i can't find a girlfriend and I barely buy any clothes these days. Shopping is done at ASDA and mainly consists of Smart Price food. I can't remember the last time i ordered a takeaway and the last time i indulged was a few months ago when i cooked a mixed grill - with Smart Price stuff.

    Any advice on where the hell i go from here?
    no job so no income - what benefits would i be entitled to? i've since i was 16 and never claimed benefits before.
    I probably need to take in £28k a year to survive and a lot more to start making an impact on my debts, which cuts out doing 'any old job' as i'd be working to not even survive.

    I really don't want to lose the house. I was expecting it to be in negative equity as a neighbour couldn't sell theirs at asking price and had to go below what they paid due to the factory behind them. But next door but one has theirs on for more than i paid, they do have bigger gardens though and are end mews rather than mid mews which may account for the extra - or they're being optimistic with the price as another house on the street with a garage is up for less.
    Again, i don't want to lose the car as i'd probably need that for work when i get another job. It's 14 years old and only worth £1100 but that needs repairs as well!

    How did i get the debt? no idea! i have no luxuries apart from a big TV that was free. Most of it came from council tax on the credit card, bills on the credit card, car repairs on the credit card etc etc. I ended up using the credit card to pay the bills because i'd used my wages to pay the credit cards and needed to leave some in the bank 'just in case'.. i'm living month to month, i'm working to survive and quite frankly... i want my life back.

    what's the best way to go about anything and everything?


    thanks for reading and apologies for all the pointless waffle.

    edit : forgot to mention... to try and get the bills down even a tiny bit i've the TV's on timers and even resorted to not flushing the loo after every pee.. that's how bad it is! even sitting here typing in the light of the TV, fish tank and computer screen so i don't need to have a light on
  • CCCS_Sarah
    CCCS_Sarah Posts: 1,555 Organisation Representative
    I have debts totalling approximately £7000 from when I was a householder nearly 10 years ago. I am paying these off at nearly £40 a month to various debt collection agencies. I am now a disabled pensioner and cannot really afford to pay this amount. Would it be a good idea to go bankrupt as I have no assets and live in sheltered accomodation.
    David MG Evans

    Hi David,

    I would not be able to say if bankruptcy is your best option, as I don’t know your full financial details. I would recommend that you call for an appointment so we can look at this in detail for you. If bankruptcy is your best option, we will be able to talk you through what you will need to do, and if needed help you complete the forms.

    If you would like an appointment, please call 0800 138 1111.
    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
    redroo555 wrote: »
    hi there,
    i have been harrassed by hfo, and have sent them a harrassment letter, and a cca request, and they recieved the request on the 24/11 08 and cashed the p.o. for £1 for cca on the 27/11
    so far i have recieved a notice of assignment of debt and a notice of additional charges and further recovery action letters from them, on the 24/11
    but what has totally shocked me is that they have sent a letter addressed to me, but at my brother in laws house!!!
    i havn't a clue how they managed to get his address, he phoned them and made out not to know me, and they said to throw the letter away, and then proceeded to tell him it was ment for me and gave out my address!!! this is without giving out all my details on the letter, to anyone who minded to open it! luckily it was my brother in law. is this illegal, and can i report them?
    at present i am waiting for my docs to come back from barclays to check my charges.
    i would appreciate your help in any way... many thanks!

    This does sound like a breach of the Data Protection Act, you would be within your rights to try and take this further and make a formal complaint. This link will take you to the Information Commissioners Office – they deal with Data Protection issues.

    Let me know how you get on with this and good luck.

    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
    Hi

    Please advise. I have a DMP with CCCS and it has been running for approx 2.5 years. Was the best thing i have ever done and the debt is nearly halfed, £20K to almost £10K.

    Recently i had a very stressful converstaion from the main debtors debt agency forcing me to try and pay and that i need to go and get advce to get a loan to go and pay the whole balance, Approx £9K.

    Now the debt is with another deby recovery company and there first converstaion was along the same lines.

    CCCS have sent my updated plan, from August but i have recived 3 calls on the answerphone at home, no messages left, but when i do 1471 it is this company. They are ringing throughout the day when i am at work.

    I am paying the maximum i can afford, actually more as on my last appraissal i was told i could reduce my payment but i refused as i want to pay the debt as soon as possible.

    Should i be concerned by the behaviour of these debt recovery companies?

    Thanks in advance

    Sounds like you are doing fab on your DMP, don’t let the creditors bully you into paying more.

    Creditors should not be putting pressure on you to take out further finance to clear the debt. This is mentioned in the debt collection guidelines - section 2.6b. If this happens again I would recommend that you make a formal complaint to the creditor.

    If you feel the calls are causing undue stress, then you can ask them to remove your number. I have attached a letter that you could use to send onto the creditor.

    To whom it may concern




    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
    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
    m555 wrote: »
    Hi,

    I have been on a DMP with the CCCs for about 18 months and was wondering if I am still able to make a claim for bank/credit card charges?

    Please let me know as this would help clear a considerable chunck of my £20k debt.

    Here's hoping and thanks for your help,

    Hi M555,

    You can indeed. You can follow Martins step by step guide on this website. You might get a letter back from the bank saying that everything is on hold until there is an outcome of the test case. If you do, and you would like our help, give the CCCS a call and we maybe able to support your claim.

    This money would be a lot better in your pocket rather than in the banks!
    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
    Theiny wrote: »
    thanks for the reply, one thing I am querying though. I have been charged £90 for attendance to remove items. Yet he told my wife on wednesday when he called that he was after a payment on that day and he would return tomorrow(friday) to remove items. Surely it is after fridays visit that he can levy a 'reasonable charge'.

    If they do charge you this £90, put a letter together asking them to remove the charge as a goodwill gesture. Although this does seem unfair, they are able to do this so maybe worth trying to appeal to their better nature.

    What type of debt are they collecting for?
    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.
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.2K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.8K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 599.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.1K Life & Family
  • 257.8K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.