DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part 5)

Eriberri

St0lli wrote: »

And I thought I was the only singleton in the DMP Village! :rotfl:

Well I do have my son as well but I can't really tell him about the DMP although he's under no illusion that money is tight!

Glad to know I'm not the only singleton here! :T

No - you're not the only Singleton in the DMP Village - I am too! :rotfl:So that's 3 of us......:cool: I have 2 daughters who are starting to understand that money is tight. My eldest, who is 7, was sorting out all the shoes on Monday and told me that we have too many (true), and then in true DFW style, she said "we can sell some of them". :T Then she held up a pair of very well worn boots, when I said "not them, they're wrecked", she said "na, bit of a clean and polish, be fine!!". :T :rotfl:

Daffykjs

And on DMP matters, got a letter yesterday from good ol' Natwest saying they are always interested in helping their customers and have been trying to get hold of me (err no you haven't and i spoke to you last week) and could i ring them! I shall!! And i shall enjoy it! Imcompetant idiots!

Fredzmum, I've also only really had a good experience with pp. having said that I still have not actually spoken to my case worker. and i've found they don't get back to me when i leave a message. i always end up phoning them! maybe this is just my impatience! the last couple of times i've phoned i have never got my lady but always the same other lady. i wonder if she is the only one working. she is however very nice and helpful so i don't mind!

And thanks elsie that's exactly what i was trying to say about what pp said about charges etc, but you put it a lot better than me.

I might actually try and get Natwest to stop charging me myself now!

Oh and one last thing, phone rang last night and i was expecting 'is Mr S there' question but instead got a recorded message asking if my sister-in-law was there and to please get her to phone GE money. She has lived in our house in the past but hasn't for ages. Plus as far as i know she has nothing still registered there! I told her but also said if i was her i wouldn't bother (she's on a DMP too, with CCCS i believe). The tricks they try!!! If a real person ever actually phones for her, i will tell them in no uncertain terms that she doesn't live there.

St0lli

Eriberri wrote: »

No - you're not the only Singleton in the DMP Village - I am too! :rotfl:So that's 3 of us......:cool: I have 2 daughters who are starting to understand that money is tight. My eldest, who is 7, was sorting out all the shoes on Monday and told me that we have too many (true), and then in true DFW style, she said "we can sell some of them". :T Then she held up a pair of very well worn boots, when I said "not them, they're wrecked", she said "na, bit of a clean and polish, be fine!!". :T :rotfl:

Awww that is so cute!

My son is 15 and the other day he caught me eyeing up one of his tops (designer one that he had bought with his savings) and when I said 'you don't wear this one often do you?'.... he just replied with 'no Mum, its NOT going on eBay!' and rushed off to put it in his wardrobe.... He know's me sooooo well!

penny39

Hello all,long time no see! Home life been difficult lately and not turned on pc for 2 months-how time flies when you're having fun! So, apologies as I am now desperate for some advice...My dmp officially started May 1st but had to contact cccs and ask to pay creditors myself as turbo went on car and left me with a £400-eek-bill. I have an annuity which is almost equal to my creditor payments,paid to me on 18th May, so I can use that to pay creditors directly this month,sending to reach them by the 25th-hope this is making sense! DD to cccs set up now for 1st June. BUT,due to previously mentioned home difficulties I had to take unpaid leave from work on a couple of days and my April pay was just over £200 short,plus paying for car etc and have had to borrow from my mum. Am sat here feeling very tearful,pathetic I know, as I just don't see how I can meet the payments and pay back my mum.(I know if I ask she will say don't worry ,she can wait a couple of weeks but she is not exactly flush herself at the moment and I did promise to pay her back next week) Have been very lucky in that all my creditors have accepted payment offers and am scared of jeopardising this by not starting until June. Am not sure what to do and also have only £2.72 to my name! Am frightened to ring cccs in case they think I am just a hopeless case but feel very weepy and wobbly. Sorry for moaning but does anyone have any ideas as to what to do? Ps fellow singleton!! Penny x:rolleyes:

DevonGirl

penny39 wrote: »

Hello all,long time no see! Home life been difficult lately and not turned on pc for 2 months-how time flies when you're having fun! So, apologies as I am now desperate for some advice...My dmp officially started May 1st but had to contact cccs and ask to pay creditors myself as turbo went on car and left me with a £400-eek-bill. I have an annuity which is almost equal to my creditor payments,paid to me on 18th May, so I can use that to pay creditors directly this month,sending to reach them by the 25th-hope this is making sense! DD to cccs set up now for 1st June. BUT,due to previously mentioned home difficulties I had to take unpaid leave from work on a couple of days and my April pay was just over £200 short,plus paying for car etc and have had to borrow from my mum. Am sat here feeling very tearful,pathetic I know, as I just don't see how I can meet the payments and pay back my mum.(I know if I ask she will say don't worry ,she can wait a couple of weeks but she is not exactly flush herself at the moment and I did promise to pay her back next week) Have been very lucky in that all my creditors have accepted payment offers and am scared of jeopardising this by not starting until June. Am not sure what to do and also have only £2.72 to my name! Am frightened to ring cccs in case they think I am just a hopeless case but feel very weepy and wobbly. Sorry for moaning but does anyone have any ideas as to what to do? Ps fellow singleton!! Penny x:rolleyes:

First things first, Penny, put the kettle on and have a nice cup of tea/coffee and biccy and relish the group hug I'm sending you....:grouphug:

I might be being a bit simplistic here, but I think you need to make 2 phone calls - 1st one to your mum. I'm sure she'll make you feel better and would be happy to take just a little of the money you owe her rather than see you starve/turn into an emotional wreck. 2nd call to CCCS - you won't be the first person to ring them in the depths of despair, and hopefully they will be able to sort it out for you.

Hope your day gets better...:wave:

Daffykjs

I agree with everything Devongirl said!!! These things always look worse than they are when it all seems to be going wrong at once (as it normally does)!!

Definitely ring CCCS. they won't think bad of you, they are there to help!!

Daffykjs

Got this on an email today! thought it might interest you all!

HOW GOOD IS THIS ?

Three Little Words That Work!!

(1) The three little words: 'Hold On, Please...'
Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off ( instead of hanging-up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time-consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt.

Then when you eventually hear BT's 'beep-beep-beep' tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset .... You have efficiently completed your task.

These three little words could help eliminate telephone soliciting.

(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end?

This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone
Calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone.

This technique is then used to determine the best time of day for a
'real' salesperson to call back and get someone at home.

What you can do after answering: If you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialled the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer!!!

(3) When you get those 'pre-approved' letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope.

Most of these come with postage-prepaid return envelopes, right?

It costs them more than the regular postage 'IF' and when they are returned. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-prepaid return envelopes.

Send an advert for your local chimney sweeper to American Express ... They might need one!
Send a pizza coupon to HSBC ... In case their canteen packs up. You get the idea.

If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them back their blank application form ... After all, it is their form!

If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you return.

You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just to keep them guessing! It still costs them, and it is their envelope after all ... You are just returning it!!!!

The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the post, but folks ..... We need to OVERWHELM them, in order to stop them.

Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail,
And best of all they're paying for it ... Twice!

Let's help keep Royal Mail busy. Since the Royal Mail are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits, let's help them so they will not need to increase postage costs again. You get the idea!

If enough people follow these tips, it will work ---- maybe you'll get very little junk mail anymore.

THIS JUST MIGHT BE ONE E-MAIL THAT YOU WILL WANT TO FORWARD TO YOUR FRIENDS!!

penny39

Thankyou Devongirl and Daffy,finally called CCCS and they couldn't have been nicer,put up with my snivelling and sniffing,advised to send reduced payments this month and sit tight for creditors response but if they get too nasty and upset me too much to put down the 'phone...!Think the lovely CCCS lady deserves a medal for her patience and also put a note on my file that reduced payments due to family illness and bereavement hence unpaid leave etc...Feel lots better now. Think is just the feeling of 2 steps forward, 1 step back that gets to me,just want to be on an even keel;in fact, I want a little pot of money that I can take out at the start of the month and then not go near the bank again,just knowing that that is it. Just need to perfect greedy little scrooge expression and knit some fingerless gloves to go with my pot of pennies..!And have been trying to catch up with 2 month's worth of posts-impossible-but have noticed the odd gripe re tax credits;me too!!Still not had renewal pack,apparently should receive by 20th June,but am convinced they know when they have underpaid me and are leaving me till last....miseries!

It is lovely to see how well people are getting on with their dmps-how is your file Stolli?!x;)

Eupho

Well Done Penny! :beer::j:T

ANY_CHANCE

Toffee_Penny wrote: »

I've always wanted to be nosey on here and ask how being on a DMP affects your relationship at home. I honestly don't want to know about mum and dad stuff ahem thats for another type of forum But I assume most of the members on here are women so does your OH leave it all up to you to sort out? Do you find yourself getting stressed over creditors and OH seems so laid back with it all?

I'll be honest we have never got on so good since we started on our DMP but my OH does snap at me at times when I go on a bit about the debt. I think he thinks out of sight out of mind whereas I want to discuss it even though it won't change the fact we owe alot of money. I think he finds the whole situation depressing and just wants to make the monthly payment to CCCS and forget about the lot. He couldn't care less about charges and interest but I do I worry about the amounts getting higher and higher. Should I chill out or are there others on here feeling the same?

Hi Toffee Peny,

In my case I had to be the motivator to get the finances under control. I remember when my OH was in denial and kept saying 'well were not on the park bench just yet!!' we were pritty close to it though.
My OH is very laid back and i also worry about the future and try to plan ways to reduce the debts.
Unfortunately the stress became too much and we seperated last year because he would leave everything to me to sort out ie reclaiming and complaining about charges and interest etc for his debts, budgeting etc.

Although it has been tough, On the plus side he is now learning to budget and take control of things himself. We are getting on ok now.