Hi I'm new,hope this is the right place to put this!?serious catalogue debt.

scaredandhavingnightmares

Hi I am new to this forumand I am in big trouble hope there is someone to guide me and steer me in the right direction.Ok here goes I am a single mum and I have 2 young children and I am up to my ears in debt!!
I am finding this difficult because I feel ashamed and bad for letting it get like this
Ok here are the catalogue debts ,deep breath now!

Next , 286 pounds
Fashionworld , 321 pounds
Freemans , 176 pounds
Kays , 500 pounds
SimplyBe, 340 pounds
I do not work I can't because of health problems and these debts are making me worse.
I am at the moment seeking advice from National debtline and Fashionworld and freemans are accepting pound token payments with no intrest or charges added on but the Kays will not accept pound token payments even though I am still paying pound per month they want the whole amount now!Next catalogue went quiet for a while then recently gave me a letter demanding the full amount .
I have signed a credit agreement for the Kays catalogue but none of the others.
I have no idea where to go from here,National debtline are good but they are not there on a Saturday evening when I am sat here on my own worrying.
Anyone out there have any advive for me please.

Browntoa

have a look at this , use the SOA claculator to work out your income and outgoings and then post it for people to help you

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=107280

fatbelly

scaredandhavingnightmares wrote: »

I have signed a credit agreement for the Kays catalogue but none of the others..

If these agreements commenced before April 2007 then they are unenforceable without a signed agreement.

Any payments you chose to make are voluntary as they cannot take court action under these circumstances.

If you elect not to make payments all these companies can be persuaded not to pursue the debt.

I am a CAB debt adviser with a particular interest in these sorts of debts. If you want me to pm you with the standard letter I use I can do this on Monday.

Or you may wish to go to your nearest CAB and see if they will take you on.

Can somone combine the two threads?

scaredandhavingnightmares

ok , Income weekly:
Income suppport: 40.16
Tax credit: 91.37
Child benefit: 31.35
Maintenance: 11.54

Total income: 174.42

Outgoings weekly.

Rent: 22.75
water rates 20.34
gas 20.00
Electric 15.00
Housekeeping 80.00
Tv licence 3.00
Landline phone3.23
B/days and xmas: 5.00
Club: 10.00 (this is my simplybe club i have no debt with them
just high interest)

Total outgoings 179.32

scaredandhavingnightmares

sorry about posting twice didn't know how to move the other one

Browntoa

it's no problem , the forum does these glitches from time to time

fermi

fatbelly wrote: »

Can somone combine the two threads?

I've locked the other one.

Realistically, Kays can refuse the token payments, but if you don't have the spare cash to make larger ones then there isn't much they can do.

They know as well as we do that if they should go to court, the most likely outcome if you lack sufficient income is that a court would make an order for you to make payments at a similar level to those you are now.

They can bluster and threaten, but ultimately do very little.

It's hard not to worry, but you are doing the right thing. Talk to National Debtline on Monday and/or take up fatbelly's offer.

scaredandhavingnightmares

thanks Fatbelly wish I could borrow you to go through all my paperwork and make sense of it all.......lol
Anyway yes please could you pm me with that.
I have looked through my statements so these are rough guides:

Simplybe: May06
Kays May05 but signed the credit agreement
Next 10th April07
Freemans June 07
Fashionworld July07

So what do I do with regards to Kays what letter do I send?Do I keep sending them a letter saying that is all I can pay you at the moment please stop putting charges and interest on.It is horrid every month I see the amount going up and up:(

spartan59

Just looking at your SOA for 2 kids

The maintance payments are very low, does your ex partner work?? or see the kids??

I know the payments are income linked, but I pay £450 a month/ £112 a week through choice but according to the CSA website I should pay £238 a month/ £59 a week. That is for my 2 kids with ex wife as well as having 2 more kids with my new wife. So I think you should get alot more

Go on the CSA website and use the calculator on there.

scaredandhavingnightmares

There's nothing I can do Spartan, yes my ex hubby gives me 50 pounds cash in hand every month I asked for more but he hasn't got more ??
He sees his children evry 2 weeks and takes them to his house where he lives with new partner and his other 2 children made by him and new partner.So I feel guilty asking for more because he has new women and children there to pay for. He has debts and alsorts of things going on so I don't ask for more money but uniform, shoes etc cost loads, the 50 pounds hardly pays for anything!! School Trips cost loads I have had to say no to the children which breaks my heart but I have no spare cash to let them go on trips.:(

bargainbetty

Hiya,

What does the £80 housekeeping include? Can you reduce this by batch cooking, doing home-made meals etc? Seems a bit high for one adult and two kids. Have a look at the old style boards for hints on stretching housekeeping pennies.