LBM - Help & Advice Needed please...

LFC_Lass

Hi All,

Newbie here, but long time lurker/reader of this website.

Well, I am (despite feeling angry, upset, embarrassed and all those other negative feelings of despair) quite proud to finally take my head out of the sand and get a kick up the backside to admit to this awful situation and have this Light Bulb Moment.

I have read through a lot of the very helpful advice and threads on here and I decided to go to the CCCS website and go through their questionairre - the results where truly shocking.

Now I have a couple of questions regarding this service etc..

When I filled the questionaire form in - I did it jointly, for both of us.
Now I am having second thoughts and am wondering if I should of done a separate plan each (i.e one for myself and one for my husband)
because we have no 'joint' credit cards - does anyone have any advice?

Once I have filled in the form on the CCCS website and then I have downloaded the personalised 'Debt Remedy' file, what do I do next? How do I effectively get them on the case/subscribe to this service? Do I just go ahead and fill in the template letter within the file for each creditor and send it off or do I do this through them? I am really confused and angry with myself. :mad:

Any help and/or advice would be most welcome. Thanks. x

(P.S I will be back shortly to update and post my SOA once I have done it. This is my first step in a very, very long and winding road).

robsmum_2

Hi, Well done on taking the first step! If you want CCCS to act for you you need to phone them, after the initial call they will make an appointment for a councillor to ring you and do a complete assessment and set everything up for you,
I signed up with them in May and although I still have a long way to go to be debt free their service has been invaluable and gave me a sense of being back in control. I would definately recommend phoning them and haveing that first chat.
Good Luck.

Tixy

Well done on your LBM, you have taken a big step by completing the debt remedy and your SoA (once you post it )

CCCS will advise whether you and you OH need to do a joint or single DMP when you have a proper telephone interview with them.

As you say you have a long road ahead to becoming debt free but at least you are not ready to start your journey. Things won't be easy but all debt problems can be tackled somehow. Once you start dealing with your debts you will start to feel loads better.

Good luck

LFC_Lass

Is there a charge for this CCCS service?

What's the difference between them and going to the CAB?

Should I cancel all my direct debits right NOW so no money goes
out that I have not got?

Should I get on the phone myself and ring each creditor?

*Sorry for so many questions, I'm in a quandry. Not sleeping with all
this on my mind. Went to bed at 8:30am when all the neighbours where leaving for work. :rolleyes::o

Tixy

CCCS offer a free service (as do CAB and Payplan).

I'd suggest you cancel your DDs as there is no point having them bounce and incurrring charges. There is a letter you can write to say you are seeking professional advice and enclose a small token payment (£1). This is better than ringing a creditor because they will have a proper record of your situation and won't be able to bully you.

These are a couple of example of letters you could send
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=21937969&postcount=54
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=21654579&postcount=52

LFC_Lass

Thanks for your advice Tixy.

**sorry, edited now - blonde moment.

LFC_Lass

Update on my nightmare situation.
*Sincere thanks for the responses so far.
I rang CCCS direct and I spoke to a lovely guy on the other end who put in a clearer picture of where I stand.
Basically I (we) are not in a position yet to even book an appointment with the CCCS because we have NO income coming in whatsoever.
No benefits, nothing. We are (both of us) not eligible for any benefits. Reason being, we are both IT contractors and have both been working
abroad (Finland, Brussels) and paying taxes in the host countrys. Because we have not been paying NI contributions in the UK we are not
eligible for either income based or contributions based JSA. We have no children or dependants.
My husband is awaiting outcome of an offer of a job which is definately his, he is going back to the old company he used to work for as a
permanent employee before he left to become a freelance contractor. He is just waiting for Human Resources to get their act together and
send out the formal letters of job offer/employment but the HR bod who is specifically dealing with this is on holiday at the moment, hence
the wait. He has chased this up today and the manager has told him not to worry, the job is definately his, he definately wants him and to
please bear with him/them for a few more days. CCCS chap told me, that until we get the offer letter we have to hang fire and then once
we have the offer letter, we can then ring up, get an appointment, get a case number assigned to us and then go forward with them on their
payment plan (once we send in I&E forms).
In the meantime, I have cancelled all direct debits (or rather we both have, separate bank accounts) to our creditors (MBNA, Lloyds TSB,
Co-op Bank, Barclaycard, Amex etc).
What we have been living off for the past few months is my savings that I made in my last role. When I finished in June, I had £35k in
savings. This is now severely depleting fast because I had been paying all the bills, both his and mine. (Household bills and both sets of
creditors bills, his loans & credit cards). I now have £15k left of those savings. I estimate that I have been paying approx £5k each month
alone on bills hence I cannot take anymore because if I was to carry on using my savings to get by we would have nothing left and no roof
over our heads. I think I should have taken the decision earlier to stop these non-core payments but it took awhile for me to lift my head
out of the sand and get this light bulb moment I guess. Maybe I just did not want to admit it to myself. Part of me thought it shouldn't be
a problem, one of us could walk straight into a new contract tomorrow but, as everyone is aware, we are in this recession. Goodness knows
how many permanent roles and contractual roles I have applied for and I hear absolutely nothing. I will however keep pluggin away at this,
I am very determind and will not give up.
So I guess there is nothing I can do just yet.

Tixy

Hi LFC Lass

Fingers crossed your Husbands new job gets sorted fairly soon and hope you find something soon as well. Its really tough in this recession but do keep applying, if you have good skills something will come along, even if its a lower salary than what you have been used to, right now any salary is better than none.

Did you send token payment letters to your creditors? Did CCCS give you any further advise such as to send either token £1 payments each month or to send a letter explaining you have no income at all?

I would do one or the other so that your creditors are at least aware of your situation and so theyknow you intend to repay your debts once you are in a position to.

Good luck