Debt Relief Orders (DRO) - Information & help thread

londonlass34

Hi, I have just paid my £90 fee for my DRO via bank transfer, do I have to wait 5 working days to call stepchange as the letter states? I have read on here people calling on the day of payment or is it different if you pay by bank transfer?

fatbelly

I can't find the official guidance* but it's possible that it is to wait 5 days. If that's what you are being told, I think you have to wait

*Yes, it's 3-5 days

londonlass34

Thank you for your help

Zhamouti

I have had a ccj issued last year July 2019 wich I wasn't aware, cause I moved address in April 2019, lowell have instructed a court to issue a warrant of control in to my new address, I believe the debt is status barred wich is against the law that this firm who bought this debts, I am stucked got till 04/12 to either pay it wich I can't afford or fight it. Can you help please

fatbelly

Zhamouti said:

I have had a ccj issued last year July 2019 wich I wasn't aware, cause I moved address in April 2019, lowell have instructed a court to issue a warrant of control in to my new address, I believe the debt is status barred wich is against the law that this firm who bought this debts, I am stucked got till 04/12 to either pay it wich I can't afford or fight it. Can you help please

You've posted on a Debt Relief Order thread. Was this debt ever in a Debt Relief Order?

anneatkins

Hello, I am about to start the DRO process. First, can anyone suggest the agency which is best at this time? Our CAB never answers at the moment. 
Also, I am so used to never being able to afford anything that I don't know where to start with a proper expenditures. 
Can anyone PM me details if you have them? 
Our debt fits the guidelines, we only have 1 income of about 20k (I would have to check for exact number), because I lost my shop to Covid, and it was in its first year when this all started, we have 3 kids 14, 14 (twins), and 13 - but because we both live with my husband's parents (basically they were meant to move out, and rent the home to us, and changed their minds, so we lost the home we were renting, and are technically 'homeless' right now and trying to find a new place) AND pay all the bills and £800/mo to them, we do not receive benefits other than tax credits/child benefit.
Any help would be appreciated!

fatbelly

You may want to try stepchange. However, in your situation I would suggest you get your accommodation sorted out first.

That will probably mean that some bills are not going to get paid, which is fine if they are going to go into a DRO at some point.

Let stepchange guide you on the expenditure figures when you get there.

WinMeSomeStuff

Hi all.
Apologies if this topic has been answered before. I am awaiting my draft DRO application back from stepchange.

I've read a few vague answers on the internet regarding mobile phone contracts I have with Virgin Mobile. Two took out, first a new contract October and second an upgrade to another contract in November 2020. Like most mobile contracts these days, the bill is split in two, loan payment for the handset and the sim tarrif. I am not in arreas (yet...) with any of my debts i have including the mobile contracts. 

First question is, could Virgin Mobile potentially stop my whole DRO since the contracts were taken out relatively recently? I am having second thoughts paying the £90 and then it being cancelled.

Second question is, if above is the case are you able to keep the contracts as they are and not be included in DRO to avoid it potentially being cancelled?
All new to this. Would be grateful for any advice or signposting. Thanks.

fatbelly

Mobile Phone Contracts
If the debtor is up to date with their mobile phone contract and there is no outstanding liability at the date of determination, then there would be no indebtedness to schedule in the DRO and provided the Intermediary assessed the contract payments as an allowable expense, the contract can continue.

The AI should check the type of agreement, as they can be finance or HP agreements. The value of the handset/device should be checked to ensure it will not breach the asset parameter should it become the debtor’s property during the moratorium period.

Should the debtor subsequently default on the contract the creditor will have the usual rights to recover the debt.

The inclusion of a mobile phone liability in a DRO will normally result in the contract being terminated and the debtor being issued with termination charges for the remainder of their contract these will be a qualifying debt in the DRO and discharged at the end of the moratorium period.

So Virgin won't cause you any problem and you don't have to include it

WinMeSomeStuff

Thanks so much for the fast response and advice. I will update stepchange tomorrow to remove the mobile contracts from the DRO!