Debt Relief Orders (DRO) - Information & help thread

wba31

Orville wrote: »

Keep your fingers crossed.... I'm sure all will be fine.:D

I'm sure it will be fine too, the debt wont affect the debt total for the DRO or anything, im just very much a "better to be safe than sorry" kind of person...

jelliedeel

Please can anybody tell me what happens if money is transferred to a bank account with a DRO and if the bank can keep the money against the debt on the account or can I try and get the money back. The money was sent to this account by mistake and truthfully I can't afford to lose it and more importantly I wouldn't have chosen to send it there but it has happened. Will the bank just say tough or are they not allowed to keep the money whilst the DRO is in place, bit of a grey area I don't understand. I know I will have to deal with the collections department and I'm not sure what attitude they will take with me. Its such a mess and I'm in bits that this has happened and very cross with the company that did it, but hey ho you live and learn and in my heart I think I may have to accept that they will keep the money unless there is a way because of the DRO I'm protected. Anybody had any experience of this please......

elfieb

jelliedeel wrote: »

Please can anybody tell me what happens if money is transferred to a bank account with a DRO and if the bank can keep the money against the debt on the account or can I try and get the money back. The money was sent to this account by mistake and truthfully I can't afford to lose it and more importantly I wouldn't have chosen to send it there but it has happened. Will the bank just say tough or are they not allowed to keep the money whilst the DRO is in place, bit of a grey area I don't understand. I know I will have to deal with the collections department and I'm not sure what attitude they will take with me. Its such a mess and I'm in bits that this has happened and very cross with the company that did it, but hey ho you live and learn and in my heart I think I may have to accept that they will keep the money unless there is a way because of the DRO I'm protected. Anybody had any experience of this please......

Hmmmm......really not sure on this one.

My feeling is that whilst under the criteria of a DRO, you are forbidden from making payments to any creditor listed on the DRO. The money could be deemed as such,even though the payment was made in error, so my first port of call would be to the IS to clarify the situation.

Whether the bank choose to offset the money against the debt is a different matter.......I have read similar posts like this in the past, when money has gone into frozen accounts during bankruptcy, Ill try and find one, and see what the outcome was

I would also suggest sending a personal message to either Debt Doctor or Fatbelly who are experts on DROs and more often than not have the right answer to even the trickiest of questions!!

jelliedeel

Thanks elfieb not sure how to pm Fatbelly or Debtdoctor but will try going crazy with worry over this one if I'd of known this could happen I wouldn't have bothered playing bingo and winning the money! I also didn't know that the bingo site would use the very first card/account I registered which happens to be the Santander one as well ugghh!!

Because of the expiry for 2011 and it being that first card I ever used even though since then I have registered a Barclays bank card there policy is to send it back to the first you deposited with despite using others, how could I have known :mad:

mumof1and1ontheway

Does anyone know if I am allowed to apply for a non-refundable grant with the job centre or government once my DRO has gone through? I am extremely worried as a single mum to a baby and toddler that if anything breaks that is essential like the fridge or washer that I will have no way of replacing them as I will have no extra income for 12 months until I am discharged. But some non-repayable grants may be over £300.. unless they would allow me to specify the exact cost I would need? I hope I make sense. After waiting months my DRO should go through in the next week. And now I am panicking. I will struggle to buy my kids anything at Xmas or for birthdays, so am terrified if anything happens like an emergancy in needing a new fridge or something in the future. As I know how things can break at really bad times lol x

immoral_angeluk

mumof1and1ontheway wrote: »

Does anyone know if I am allowed to apply for a non-refundable grant with the job centre or government once my DRO has gone through? I am extremely worried as a single mum to a baby and toddler that if anything breaks that is essential like the fridge or washer that I will have no way of replacing them as I will have no extra income for 12 months until I am discharged. But some non-repayable grants may be over £300.. unless they would allow me to specify the exact cost I would need? I hope I make sense. After waiting months my DRO should go through in the next week. And now I am panicking. I will struggle to buy my kids anything at Xmas or for birthdays, so am terrified if anything happens like an emergancy in needing a new fridge or something in the future. As I know how things can break at really bad times lol x

Far as I'm aware yes but you're not allowed to have over £300 assets, so if you had a grant for that it may be an issue. Speak to your intermediary who'll be able to clarify for certain.

immoral_angeluk

jelliedeel wrote: »

Please can anybody tell me what happens if money is transferred to a bank account with a DRO and if the bank can keep the money against the debt on the account or can I try and get the money back. The money was sent to this account by mistake and truthfully I can't afford to lose it and more importantly I wouldn't have chosen to send it there but it has happened. Will the bank just say tough or are they not allowed to keep the money whilst the DRO is in place, bit of a grey area I don't understand. I know I will have to deal with the collections department and I'm not sure what attitude they will take with me. Its such a mess and I'm in bits that this has happened and very cross with the company that did it, but hey ho you live and learn and in my heart I think I may have to accept that they will keep the money unless there is a way because of the DRO I'm protected. Anybody had any experience of this please......

So the account you have has been listed as a creditor? You are not allowed to make any payments in a DRO so if this is the case you need to contact the DRO unit/official receiver ASAP. Also if it's over £300 it may be seen as an asset and would need to be declared.

fatbelly

mumof1and1ontheway wrote: »

Does anyone know if I am allowed to apply for a non-refundable grant with the job centre or government once my DRO has gone through? I am extremely worried as a single mum to a baby and toddler that if anything breaks that is essential like the fridge or washer that I will have no way of replacing them as I will have no extra income for 12 months until I am discharged. But some non-repayable grants may be over £300.. unless they would allow me to specify the exact cost I would need? I hope I make sense. After waiting months my DRO should go through in the next week. And now I am panicking. I will struggle to buy my kids anything at Xmas or for birthdays, so am terrified if anything happens like an emergancy in needing a new fridge or something in the future. As I know how things can break at really bad times lol x

The circumstances that allow you to receive a community care grant (if that's what you are referring to) are quite limited. Most applicants would be offered a social fund loan instead, which is just an advance of benefit payment.

I don't think you should let that consideration affect your thinking on whether or not a DRO is right for you.

jelliedeel

Thanks for the reply immoral-angel but I have actually phoned the IS dealing with the DRO and apparently they can't remedy the debt after the DRO is in place so they do have to release the funds to me. It is not unlike the latest DWP case about taking payments out of your benefits, it can be deemed as unlawful too, that is the whole point of a DRO I suppose you can't claim for monies after the fact.

So hopefully when I return to the bank I should be able to get my money back but hey this is Santander!!! Will post to let you know for sure but the IS didn't seem to think I would have a problem.

gemma4342

hi, I was wondering if anyone can help me me and my partner are trying to get our lives back on track after some very bad decisions. My partner has the bankruptcy forms and is taking them in this week as he owes quite alot i owe around 10,000 and not sure if its better for me to go bankrupt with him or get a dro.

Another big problem i have is my car the finance is in his name and it comes out of his account the car used to be in my dads name but we found out he had to be on the insurance if he owned the vehicle so it has been changed into my name. So who owns the car its in my name but my dads finance.
If I change it back into my dads name will it look like i'm just doing it for a dro.

Confused and worried. Any help i'd be so grateful x