Bit Disillusioned...CCCS

Alanb

We're with the CCCS and they do allow for sundries etc. At first it seems as though you're not paying much but I can assure you after 2 or 3 years you realise that you can't possibly offer everyone a little bit extra and you sometimes just manage to make the CCCS payment. Stick with them, it's a long hard road but due to sites like this it's no longer a long LONELY road.

All the luck in the world to you.

bunnybabyshubby

moozie wrote:

Hello there and welcome hubby of bunnybaby :wave:

I have been following bunnybaby's threads recently and I am sorry to see the telephone appointment with CCCS didn't leave you feeling better.

In my humble view, as I've never gone through a DMP, it is best to follow the advice of the experts. They have done this enough time to know what a realistic budget is. It seems to me that if you include things in your budget for social life, that gives you some flexibility if you actually want to do something like have a day out or take a break.

Don't forget, even us that are in debt need a break from the norm and a bit of relaxation time every now and then.

If on the other hand you find you are not spending the whole budget they give you, then save the excess and at the end of the year you will have two choices. If you have had no emergencies (car problems, boiler going bust, anything else that's not in your budget etc), then you can pay your creditors an extra amount. If you have had some sort of emergency, you have the funds to deal with it without seeking more credit which will be very hard to get anyway.

Hope this makes sense. I can understand you want to pay your debt off asap but please listen to CCCS, they know what they are talking about.

Thanks Moozie, that's sound advice.
I think I was having a bit of a rant when I started this thread...I'd been winding myself up about this phone call...maybe subconciously thinking it would be a 'magic bullet' and coming away from it totally confused wasn't what I was expecting....will wait and see what comes through from them in the post...might make it a bit clearer.
Actually contacted payplan too, basically to see if they have a different angle on things.
CCCS don't want to put us on a DMP and we'd have to deal with the creditors seperately ourselves...I don't know if my nerves could take that.
I'd so much prefer it if we could get onto a DMP so we just had one person/company to deal with instead of 8.

sallyjo_2

Hi,

I echo Moozie's advice. I do have a DMP with CCCS, for about 15 months now. At first I too was surprised at how little they were saying I should be paying. That was based on two factors:-
1. The CCCS employ a realistic formula for working out your SOA, which includes costs of living that often get ignored by others but we all end up paying.
2. My feelings of panic which made me feel as if I needed to throw as much as possible to the debt card companies regardless of my necessary living expenses. This was largely due to their harrassment prior to my going to the CCCS and also my own inability to be sensible about what I actually needed to spend on a monthly basis to keep the family going from current income.

The one thing I needed to learn in the last year was how to live on today's and yesterday's money, and not somebody else's tomorrow money. For this I feel the CCCS approach was realistic. On the CCCS budget, even though it seemed low at first, proved to be just enough to stabilise my situation. Regardless of how pressured I feel toward getting rid of my debt, keeping my home and family afloat is more important. That is my first financial priority, the unsecured debt comes after that.

I would recommend that, if do you agree to a CCCS DMP, that you just try and live on their budget for six months. Take the time to get your family spending on an even keel. Then if you think you can adjust up your payments, then have it reassessed.

Whatever you and bunnybaby decide to do, good luck!!

Beccal_3

I am with the cccs are felt the same when the were giving me lots of room on my budget for odds and ends. I am 22 and had't been out for 8 months. life was crap! and then they told me it would take 11 years to pay off my debts. so i felt crapper! but this is my third month on the DMP and I have a life! i feel so great. when my toaster broke last month i didn't have to think towice about buying a new one, where as beforen i would have had to save for six months to but a £5 toaster! that's what all the odds and ends are for. you will use them!

x

bunnybabyshubby

Thanks for that, and I totally understand where you guys are coming from.
But you guys are all lucky enough to be on DMPs with them.

They are sending us some info and some letter templates, but seem unwilling to put us on a DMP which is really what we're after.

I'm very concerned about taking on these big companies on my own, born chicken that I am. That's why I think a DMP with either CCCS or Payplan would alleviate some of the stress because I would have them fighting my corner.

Like I said before, will sit tight and see what literature they send.

Chortle_2

If payplan/CCCS will not take you on, could you not go to the CAB? They can't run a DMP for you, but they will certainly fight your corner when it comes to dealing with your creditors!

bunnybabyshubby

Chortle wrote:

If payplan/CCCS will not take you on, could you not go to the CAB? They can't run a DMP for you, but they will certainly fight your corner when it comes to dealing with your creditors!

Ooooh, thanks Chortle....I hadn't even thought of them.

Have just scribbled them in my 'battle plan' notebook.