Debt Relief Orders (DRO) - Information & help thread

Orville

one last question....

When you get housing benefit. You get a set amount per week. Now if you find a place which is under this amount you can keep £15. Would this be included in the income for a DRO as i have heard the goverment will be phasing this out sometime this year

cd36uk

Orville wrote: »

one last question....

When you get housing benefit. You get a set amount per week. Now if you find a place which is under this amount you can keep £15. Would this be included in the income for a DRO as i have heard the goverment will be phasing this out sometime this year

Yes I would say it is included.
Regardless of whether there will be a phase out, that is a later date, and what your income is at the time of the DRO is the important thing. Of course if your income increases during your DRO the OR will be interested but if it goes down (the housing benefit drops) then s/he will not be.

I find it amazing that money is wasted like that by the government but that is just my opinion. Sure HB should only be granted for the actual amount of rent and nothing more.

Smart_Mart

cd36uk wrote: »

Have you got this sorted? If you are still going for a DRO, will you have to wait another 8 weeks or so (is it classed as a whole new application), or will your new figures mean you are nearly there?
Have you paid your fee yet by the way?
Apologies if you have updated on this and I have missed it.

Hi, a brief update as its late.

I haven't paid the fee yet, my application didn't get that far.

My new figures, when I get chance to do them and send them off, won't add any time onto the application because the lady I spoke to said the CCCS have split their applications over two offices so should theoretically speed up everyone's paperwork with luck.

I'll be one happy man when (if) it goes through.:(

RobertoMoir

Smart_Mart wrote: »

Sent letter to the council yesterday. Bailiffs were around today and are coming back within 24 hours where they "will be calling back with the police in attendance if necessary" to complete their task.

Let them come back. Tell them to leave your property.
If they insist on removing goods, all they would be allowed to take if their levy was legal is the stuff on that list, so hand it to them then tell them to get off your property. They are not allowed to add other items to their list or to create a new one.

You'll then have more grounds to complain.

The police would only be there to ensure there was no breach of the peace, not to force you to allow the bailiffs in. If the police attend, inform them that you are aware of this, that you will not be letting them or the bailiffs in, and that you will complain to their chief constable if they do anything to assist the bailiff in carrying out their illegal enforcement action.

Smart_Mart

I will do, Roberto, thanks once again. :T

I'm almost at the point where I actually want them to come round. You've given me the confidence to deal with this in a respectful and legal manner rather than any other way which may not work as well.

I'm expecting them round tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest, I'll update if and when they visit.

Thanks again!

RobertoMoir wrote: »

Let them come back. Tell them to leave your property.
If they insist on removing goods, all they would be allowed to take if their levy was legal is the stuff on that list, so hand it to them then tell them to get off your property. They are not allowed to add other items to their list or to create a new one.

You'll then have more grounds to complain.

The police would only be there to ensure there was no breach of the peace, not to force you to allow the bailiffs in. If the police attend, inform them that you are aware of this, that you will not be letting them or the bailiffs in, and that you will complain to their chief constable if they do anything to assist the bailiff in carrying out their illegal enforcement action.

Smart_Mart

RobertoMoir wrote: »

Let them come back. Tell them to leave your property.
If they insist on removing goods, all they would be allowed to take if their levy was legal is the stuff on that list, so hand it to them then tell them to get off your property. They are not allowed to add other items to their list or to create a new one.

You'll then have more grounds to complain.

The police would only be there to ensure there was no breach of the peace, not to force you to allow the bailiffs in. If the police attend, inform them that you are aware of this, that you will not be letting them or the bailiffs in, and that you will complain to their chief constable if they do anything to assist the bailiff in carrying out their illegal enforcement action.

Received a letter back from the council today. They say that "they note my query about the bailiffs illegally levying on your goods" but that "the bailiffs have advised you that no walking possession is required for a levy to be conducted legally".

They have also extended the time I have to pay the £87 to three equal payments of £29 starting in two weeks time.

cd36uk

I have submitted my DRO application to national debtline and am about a fortnight (give or take) into the long wait to have it processed. I have printed out letters with a statement of affairs (budget breakdown) with offers all my creditors a pro rata payment for now, these were sent out at the start of this month. The problem I am having is that around half of my creditors are acting like I never sent them an offer and are asking me to call them regarding my lack of payments (on 0870 or 0845) numbers, and the rest of my creditors are saying that they are unable to accept my offer.
I begrudge phoning these creditors, at cost to me, to discuss something which I am unable to negotiate on (can't give them more than I have) and it feels like I wasted time and money (paper/ stamps etc) writing these letters when they are effectively ignoring them. I also asked them to freeze interest/ charges and yet they are being added on by the truck load, for example Vanquis are adding on 2x £12 charges every month. It is very frustrating.

bat-out-of-hell

Smart_Mart wrote: »

Received a letter back from the council today. They say that "they note my query about the bailiffs illegally levying on your goods" but that "the bailiffs have advised you that no walking possession is required for a levy to be conducted legally".

I think i kow what RobertoMoir will say to that, will wait for his reply to see if i am right

They have also extended the time I have to pay the £87 to three equal payments of £29 starting in two weeks time.

But that is a good inicator that odds on they know there wrong. :think:

immoral_angeluk

Orville wrote: »

one last question....

When you get housing benefit. You get a set amount per week. Now if you find a place which is under this amount you can keep £15. Would this be included in the income for a DRO as i have heard the goverment will be phasing this out sometime this year

If you're talking about local housing allowance then as far as I'm aware they've already stopped it.

immoral_angeluk

cd36uk wrote: »

I have submitted my DRO application to national debtline and am about a fortnight (give or take) into the long wait to have it processed. I have printed out letters with a statement of affairs (budget breakdown) with offers all my creditors a pro rata payment for now, these were sent out at the start of this month. The problem I am having is that around half of my creditors are acting like I never sent them an offer and are asking me to call them regarding my lack of payments (on 0870 or 0845) numbers, and the rest of my creditors are saying that they are unable to accept my offer.
I begrudge phoning these creditors, at cost to me, to discuss something which I am unable to negotiate on (can't give them more than I have) and it feels like I wasted time and money (paper/ stamps etc) writing these letters when they are effectively ignoring them. I also asked them to freeze interest/ charges and yet they are being added on by the truck load, for example Vanquis are adding on 2x £12 charges every month. It is very frustrating.

Are they aware you're going for a DRO?
How long do you have to wait for the DRO to be processed?