Is this normal ?

shellsy

Hi,

I wonder if this is normal; my mum has sent a income and expenditure form to a creditor to arrange payment plan, her covering letter mentions my mum has ill health and recently lost her husband, her income form reflects that she is on pension and pension credit. She has now received a letter from the creditor requesting a doctors or hospital letter and proof of dla/carers allowance etc etc. ???

Whilst I am happy to submit proof of income for her pension, I think that requesting doctors letters etc is a bit much or am i being naive?

Appreciate you thoughts.........

Shellsy

Broken_hearted

As far as I was aware DLA is not taken into account for debt payments so it is none of their business.

Ames

I had a creditor ask for proof of my disability, I just ignored them, it's none of their business.

shellsy

Any advice on how best to proceed ?

I dont want to rub the creditor up the wrong way as I really need to sort a monthly figure that mum can afford, but I do not really want to go down the road of doctors letters etc.

I am worried that if I do not respond in some way to their request, they may just start piling on charges and interest and asking for a large amount each month, so I need to send them some sort of correspondence; I was thinking of sending copy letters from DWP which would just show how much pension and pension credit she gets, even though this is not what they asked for!

Any ideas ?
Shellsy

Ames

You could call their bluff - say you're happy to get a doctors letter if they're prepared to pay the fee for it (because the doctor wouldn't do it for free).

shellsy

Update - I sent a reply to the creditor which consisted only of my mothers dwp letters proving she is on pension/pension credit (even though the creditor hadn't actually requested it). We did not send a doctors note etc.

Letter received today, says they are unable to 'process our request' as the
letter is not signed, please re-send the letter with a signature mmmmm......it was digitally signed as suggested throughout this site, but I am confused why they have used that as a reply to a payment plan request !?!?

What to do ????? Any thoughts / ideas ?

GeorgeUK

What i would suggest is that she make the payments regardless of whether they have agreed or not.

I have some questions though.
Are these her debts? If they were your fathers, she shouldn't be paying them. If they are joint debts or hers, then she should.
Has she been making payments towards these debts for the last 6 years or could they be statute barred?
Has she requested copies of the credit agreements? (not for overdrafts)

shellsy

This one is her own debt which she has been paying an agreed amount to her creditor for some months now. That agreement has now 'expired', so for them to review her payment plan, we filled in an income/expenditure form.
They replied with a request for a hospital/doctor letter; we ignored this request but sent them proof of income (pension/pension credit) instead, with a cover letter digitally signed. They have then come back and said that because the letter was not signed, they cannot process the request , please re-send letter signed.?!?!?!? Obviously I have read advice here on the boards recommending signatured be digital so am a little perturbed...

We have not gone down the CCA route as she is willing to pay, but an amount that she can reallistically afford.

Am wondering why the signature on the cover letter is an issue - surely her income and ability to pay is? I am getting a bit paranoid and thinking - what are they up too?

Confused ........

GeorgeUK

Bottom line - a signature is not required. Some companies set up repayment plans over the phone and there is definately no legislation to state that signatures are required.

A digital signature is enough if they want it signed.

Not sure why they are insisting on it being signed, but i would continue as you are and not sign anything for them.