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DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part 5)

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  • Hi everyone, I am beginning to feel slightly better day by day.

    I just spoke to the friendly people at CCCS again and my plan is now starting in Feb as I have requested. As I get paid fortnightly the amount has gone up slightly but it's still fine and means I can pay the debts off quicker hopefully and it's still saving me £469 a month that I was making in repayments - can't believe how much I was paying a month to debts using Mr CC to help me hence why I am in this mess.
    So glad to be dealing with my debts, my OH now knows and can support me, we only got married in October so it was a shock for him to say the least and I have never felt so guilty.
    A great big thank you to all of you too, this forum has been an absolute saviour and the only place I could go before I finally outed myself.
    I hope I will be able to offer good advice eventually and no doubt it will be a rocky road but I am prepared.
    I appreciate all your help.
    x
    LBM: 09/12/2008
    [strike]£36000[/strike] £0 on 4 cards and a personal loan. Debt Remedy. Signed with CCCS on 14/01/2009 started Feb 2009. Finished March 2016

    Lessons learned and facing the struggle have made my life better than I ever thought it could be. Thank you Stepchange and DFW forum :beer:
  • Hi everyone,

    I am currently in the process of setting up a self-managed DMP with the help of the National Debtline templates.
    I had to ring round to find out where my current debts are being managed, and have been able to send out letters 8 of my 13 creditors, asking to accepted a low payment plan - I'm hoping they will accept, particularly as I've had my head in the sand over the last year and they've not been receiving any payments.
    I've already had one successful acceptance, and that was from a loan that accounts for just under 50% of my debt, and they have accepted a payment of £80 reduced from £230.

    I'm just wondering with peoples experiences of tracing debts, and what to do if the debt is in limbo so to speak?Is it best to wait until the DCA contacts you or can you just go through the original creditor?

    Also can I please have a DMP number? :D
    Jan 09 [strike]£17965.79 [/strike]:eek: Mar 09 £17765.20
    Lose Weight 24 - 0 / 25 lbs
    Proud to be dealing with my debts :money:
  • mdsremos
    mdsremos Posts: 40 Forumite
    Fullhouse wrote: »
    I was also wondering what experiences people have had with my creditors on dmps

    First Direct
    Albemarle & Bond
    Money Shop
    Welcome finance
    HFC
    Vanquis Visa
    MBNA
    Littlewoods
    Argos store card

    Any advice greatly appreciated

    Hi, we have just over £2k with Littlewoods which includes Littlewoods/LXDirect/Empire (all the same company) and they agreed to the DMP we started in Nov 08 and have removed the interest so we are just repaying the goods we purchased.
    MBNA (Alliance & Leicester CC) would not accept the DMP at first and kept sending threatening letters which we ignored and just left CCCS to make the payment each month, received a letter last week accepting the DMP, acknowledging our financial hardship and freezing all interest and charges which is to be reviewed in 6 months time!
    Not had any experience with the others I'm afraid but the majority of our debtors have accepted the DMP and we had a lovely note from LaRedoute Catalogue and Simply Be saying how sorry they were for our financial situation and they were willing to freeze interest/charges until debt repayment.
    Its hard at first, sickening in fact, but we feel such relief now at being able to pay for everything via cash/debit card and managing our finances more responsibly!!!:j
    Wife/Mother of two gorgeous boys/Full-time A&E Coordinator/Home-start Support Worker/Open University Student/Wannabe Midwife = a busy yet fulfilled life!! :rotfl:
  • Its funny but since deciding to go onto a DMP and sending all my creditors the letters and all the paperwork off to CCCS - I am now much more in control of what I spend. I donts seem to want to part with my cash as readily as I did before - previously I was spending money that wasnt technically mine as it was on credit so it was easier to spend.

    I have had 4 no spend days already this week and the other 3 days were only spends on £1 postal orders for token payments, bus fare into town and a big cream cake that I had promised myself for sorting this mess out.

    I now feel like I am in control and its feels great :beer:
    DMP starting 1/3/09 - thanks to CCCS & MSE
    I am now proud to be dealing with my debts!
    Big thanks to everyone on the DMP Mutual Support Thread
    your support has inspired me to get this sorted once and for all xx
  • Eriberri
    Eriberri Posts: 84 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I was just very brave and actually answered the phone to M&S Money, who have been calling repeatedly. Explained that I was going onto DMP with CCCS from February and she said she'd stop the calls for 2 weeks. I did point out that it was pretty pointless ringing anyway as I'm not normally in (working from home while waiting for the boiler man at the moment!).

    I've got caller ID, so I know who is ringing and always google a number if I don't recognise it too. So I know Halifax have been ringing too :mad: but am not keen on answering the phone to them!!!!
    Smober since 05/12/2008 :j
    Proud to be dealing with my debts! :idea:Final LBM (when I actually took the bull by the horns!) 30/12/2008


    DMP Mutual Support Thread Number: 308
    DMP with CCCS Feb 2009 :rolleyes: DFD: Aug 2020!! :eek: It *will* be sooner though!! :T
  • candygirl
    candygirl Posts: 29,455 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Just had a laugh in LLOYDS bank:rotfl: :rotfl: Went to draw most of my money out, not that it's a lot, and also asked them to cancel my overdraft facility.Next thing the manager popped up behnd the counter to ask me why I was doing this, so I told him HBOS aren't having my money, and he tried to ramble on saying they can't get at it YET!!!The YET word was hardly reassuring though, so am now waiting to get myNATWEST stuff through, then I can deposit it there.MBNA keep ringing at all hours of the day and night despite me requesting they take my numbers off their records:mad: :mad:
    "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"

    (Kabat-Zinn 2004):D:D:D
  • dlb
    dlb Posts: 2,488 Forumite
    Just a quick question people.

    Does anyone know what the national guildlines are for food allowence for a family of 2 adults and 4 kids??

    Im taking the plunge and swapping to payplan after 3 yrs with a fee paying company!! I know i should have done this yrs ago but you know what its like when things just going along fine and creditors happy..iv just not dared to rock the boat until now!!

    Have spoken to payplan this morning and they have emailed me all paperwrok to swap over, but im sure the lady said £640 a month for food allowence , that has to be per month doesnt it...surrley not per week??

    Dont need no where near that allowing for...but going with my current fee grabing companys figures im not sure now!!

    Can i say thank you to you all, as its being on the boards again that has mad my mind up to do this at last, and you all you who have pm`ed me i will reply later just need to crunch these figures!

    Help from and old timer!!LOL
    DONNA
    XX

    EDITED TO SAY FOUND THIS ON NATIONDEBT WEBSITE
    Weekly housekeeping budget
    Single person £37 to £50
    Couple £62 to £78
    Each child £20 to £35
    Non-dependant £25 to £35

    So maybe what she said i heard right as that comes in at about £218 a week for me..god i wish i did spend that much on food!!!lol
    Working out a personal budget
    Proud to be DEBT FREE AT LAST
  • msc1977
    msc1977 Posts: 169 Forumite
    dlb wrote: »
    Just a quick question people.

    Does anyone know what the national guildlines are for food allowence for a family of 2 adults and 4 kids??

    Im taking the plunge and swapping to payplan after 3 yrs with a fee paying company!! I know i should have done this yrs ago but you know what its like when things just going along fine and creditors happy..iv just not dared to rock the boat until now!!

    Have spoken to payplan this morning and they have emailed me all paperwrok to swap over, but im sure the lady said £640 a month for food allowence , that has to be per month doesnt it...surrley not per week??

    Dont need no where near that allowing for...but going with my current fee grabing companys figures im not sure now!!

    Can i say thank you to you all, as its being on the boards again that has mad my mind up to do this at last, and you all you who have pm`ed me i will reply later just need to crunch these figures!

    Help from and old timer!!LOL
    DONNA
    XX

    EDITED TO SAY FOUND THIS ON NATIONDEBT WEBSITE
    Weekly housekeeping budget
    Single person £37 to £50
    Couple £62 to £78
    Each child £20 to £35
    Non-dependant £25 to £35
    So maybe what she said i heard right as that comes in at about £218 a week for me..god i wish i did spend that much on food!!!lol

    Working opersonal budget

    Hi Donna - CCCS allow us £318 on our budget for 2 adults and one child, it will be a luxury to have this available for shopping:-)!!!!
    DMP Support Member 254. LBM 20/1/2009
    DMP though CCCS starting 01.04.2009
    Debt Free date March 2015 but would love to be there for OH's 40th in 2014.
  • msc1977
    msc1977 Posts: 169 Forumite
    Our CCCS letter arrived today and i'm hoping to get everything together to make the first payment in april if not march but i am dreading the phone calls that i know are going to start in the next week or so. We're not generally here during the day but i dont want or need the persistent calls i imagine we'll get in the evenings and weekends (especially if we have family here as no one else knows). So i'm just wondering if there is any benefit to changing our home phone number before this even starts? Has anyone done this and do the creditors have anyway of getting hold of your new number? Or is it better to just take the phone off the hook / unplug it if it gets too bad?Our mobiles need to stay as they are for work reasons but we can reject those calls if they get too persistent. We cant get Caller Display in our area so thats not an option, but we can get Anonymous Caller Reject at £2.50 per month....does anyone have any thoughts? thanks
    DMP Support Member 254. LBM 20/1/2009
    DMP though CCCS starting 01.04.2009
    Debt Free date March 2015 but would love to be there for OH's 40th in 2014.
  • cocker100
    cocker100 Posts: 520 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    msc1977 wrote: »
    Our CCCS letter arrived today and i'm hoping to get everything together to make the first payment in april if not march but i am dreading the phone calls that i know are going to start in the next week or so. We're not generally here during the day but i dont want or need the persistent calls i imagine we'll get in the evenings and weekends (especially if we have family here as no one else knows). So i'm just wondering if there is any benefit to changing our home phone number before this even starts? Has anyone done this and do the creditors have anyway of getting hold of your new number? Or is it better to just take the phone off the hook / unplug it if it gets too bad?Our mobiles need to stay as they are for work reasons but we can reject those calls if they get too persistent. We cant get Caller Display in our area so thats not an option, but we can get Anonymous Caller Reject at £2.50 per month....does anyone have any thoughts? thanks

    Hi,

    A few people have changed their home phone number on here, but you then have to tell all your family and friends that you have changed and give them your new number. Be prepared for the "oh, why have you done that?" question!!!

    I would see this as a last resort. It would be probably better to start off by writing to all of your creditors and explaining that you only want to be contacted in writing and not by telephone. If you request them to do this, they have to comply otherwise they are in breech of OFT debt collecting guidelines and are guilty of harrassment.

    Cocker:)
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