Debt Relief Orders (DRO) - Information & help thread

Hampshire345

fatbelly wrote: »

That all sounds good. AFAIK, the CAB still do the majority of these things, though they lost a lot of their intermediaries when the government pulled the plug on LSC funding for most debt cases (and all benefit work!) a year ago.

The biggest delay may be the queue to see an adviser. Getting a copy of your Experian report can take a few weeks (unless you get one yourself), but the application normally gets accepted in 24 hours when it is eventually submitted.

how recent does the experian report have to be? I was planning on paying for the report and having it sent to me by post so that I have it when I first speak to an advisor

LondonGal

StepChange may well be faster and better for you (I have no formal connections with any free debt providers). SC lean more towards DRO's though, possibly due to their funding streams, so you may find your problems resolved faster there. I'm surprised they don't do more than the CAB.

fatbelly

Hampshire345 wrote: »

how recent does the experian report have to be? I was planning on paying for the report and having it sent to me by post so that I have it when I first speak to an advisor

There's no fixed rule. I occasionally get a client come to interview with a recent copy and then I don't do one myself. As long as you are not going to delay approaching the CAB, you could apply for one now.

Hampshire345

fatbelly wrote: »

There's no fixed rule. I occasionally get a client come to interview with a recent copy and then I don't do one myself. As long as you are not going to delay approaching the CAB, you could apply for one now.

I have just applied and paid for my credit report online and I should receive it in the post within 7 working days

worn_out

I would have a look on the step change web site as there is loads of advice and info on there. Also, they have an income and expenditure section which also shows the 'recommended' amounts for various items of expenditure.. Their service is totally free last time I looked...although you will have to pay for the DRO application. This is quite a big decision to be honest and I wonder if it is the best way forward for you. Not knowing who your debts are payable to but I might consider writing to your creditor/s, explaining the circumstances and offering a reduced payment until you can improve your financial position..they have to be receptive to this although they will still mark your credit file with a default I expect.. Once you have made them aware of your circumstances they are obliged to stop charging interest and any fees (if they are) and to treat you fairly and sympathetically or they will have the FCO on their backs..

LondonGal

Or even the FSA!:) I think you're confusing it with the ICO for Data Protection issues. :beer:

fatbelly

worn_out wrote: »

...they are obliged to stop charging interest and any fees (if they are) and to treat you fairly and sympathetically or they will have the FCO on their backs..

LondonGal wrote: »

Or even the FSA!:) I think you're confusing it with the ICO for Data Protection issues. :beer:

And I think you mean the FCA!

confusing times indeed.

worn_out

Oops..! thanks for the correction...

Hampshire345

I tried several times yesterday to phone up my local citizens advice bureau, I was on hold for ages and never even got to speak to anyone, the closest I got was that I was 18th in line to speak to an advisor.

Is it worth emailing them instead?


I would consider using stepchange instead, but they do not appear to have any offices near me.

National_Debtline

Hampshire345 wrote: »

I tried several times yesterday to phone up my local citizens advice bureau, I was on hold for ages and never even got to speak to anyone, the closest I got was that I was 18th in line to speak to an advisor.

Is it worth emailing them instead?


I would consider using stepchange instead, but they do not appear to have any offices near me.

Hi Hampshire345

Are there any specific reasons for which you would have to go through the application on a face to face basis? As well as Stepchange, there are other agencies who can arrange a DRO by phone/post, including ourselves, Shelter, Payplan and CAP (Christians Against Poverty). You may find that one of these organisations can process an application more quickly than your local CAB if they are under-resourced.

No extra fees are payable - just the £90 application. We would send you a Freepost envelope in which to return your application and relevant paperwork.

Regards

Dennis @NDL