CSA, FSA, and arrears.

Blob

I have just recieved copies of letters that have been sent at interdepartment govenmental level, re the use of Credit Cards to pay off Arrears. The matter is far from over and will be looked into further, it seems that the Gov approved the use of Credit Cards in 2006!

However it is suggested that this is a matter for the OFT to look into by Lord Turners Department. As they look into Credit Card issues, I will be asking for a letter to be sent to them to investigat this matter further.

This will be taken further and the matter of 'Debt Counciling' something that is licensed by the FSA [Lord Turner] will be looked into. The simple fact is that to ask someone to move one debt to another provider is 'Debt Counciling' and to do this you have to have a CCL, failour to have said doc is a criminal offence. The CSA are continuelly asking people to pay off a debt by Credit Card, thus moveiong the debt from one supplier [ See Matt Roper's article in the Mirror 12/08/2009] and as such needs to be covered by a CCL, or it is an unlawful act!

LizzieS_2

There may be the odd over enthustiastic employee, but they are not advising or counselling - they are simply offering to accept various forms of payment.

MP's voted for this to be an acceptable payment method - that notion came from somewhere.

Blob

Accepted but then why now the call for investigation and sanction?

LizzieS_2

The OFT are going to look into it - the OFT being a Government Department.

I would imagine that if they identify one, two etc employees who are giving out incorrect information (as opposed to misheard information) then those employees will be dealt with individually, without anything changing in the way you hope.

Blob

If even one is found to have gone down this rout then the csae for the FSA is proved in that they are as a whole guilty of 'Debt Counciling' and they quite simply are not licenced to do this. If this is proved then the whole thing is flawed and action will have to be taken to the highest level in the Agency and all of them held accountable, to do anything else is a cover up and will be attempting to pervert the course of justice, end of!

Should this couse of action be followed then without doubt some of the people that work in the CSA will be asked to explain to a criminal court their actions!

Kimitatsu

But there are two strands to this:

One is working on an information level where they give out incorrect information

the other is providing a debt service for which they are not licenced.

If they are doing the first then you could be eligible for compensation for maladministration, if they are doing the second realistically the CSA may be fined for it but usually they are told not to do it any longer!

You would find it difficult to prove they were providing a debt counsellng service as there is far more to it than just telling someone to pay off a debt on their credit card :rolleyes:

kelloggs36

When I was a face to face officer it was made clear that we were not advising clients about their debts and we had to suggest that they seek advice elsewhere for that.

Blob

We can speculate as much as we like the last word will be at Ministerial level and based on the findings of the investigations. The fact is that it is an unlawful act to try to Debt Council without a CCL. It would seem that there is enough evidence that has been sent to the FSA for then to think there is a case.

In the event that they are only find agine this opens the door to private action against them and the cost to the Gov would be inhibitive! The Tax payer would rightly complain and the posible result is that again they would be closed down and people would then find themselves in real trouble of their own makeing!

PlayingHardball

Look on any council website and you'll be given the credit card option for paying off council tax arrears.

Not meaning to throw the cat amongst the pigeons, but why is it that you can pay your council tax arrears by credit card, but the minute anyone suggests paying off another priority debt such as child support arrears, people cry 'debt counciller'?

I'm not looking for controversay, just an observation I've made.

Loopy_Girl

PlayingHardball wrote: »

Look on any council website and you'll be given the credit card option for paying off council tax arrears.

Not meaning to throw the cat amongst the pigeons, but why is it that you can pay your council tax arrears by credit card, but the minute anyone suggests paying off another priority debt such as child support arrears, people cry 'debt counciller'?

I'm not looking for controversay, just an observation I've made.

Precisely. It's not a new thing for a debt collection team of any sort from ANY kind of debt to suggest a credit card. It's not advice, it's being given an option. Some people would prefer to pay them on a card and then that's the CSA off their back.

speedster

PlayingHardball wrote: »

Look on any council website and you'll be given the credit card option for paying off council tax arrears.

Not meaning to throw the cat amongst the pigeons, but why is it that you can pay your council tax arrears by credit card, but the minute anyone suggests paying off another priority debt such as child support arrears, people cry 'debt counciller'?

I'm not looking for controversay, just an observation I've made.

out of interest, have you ever been on the recieving end of a threatening call from the csa??

they only do it on the phone, and it's balatant bullying. when you question them and ask them to send you the said threat in writing, they make excuses and hang up. i wonder why???

when they tell you to pay the arrears off with a loan or a credit card or they'll slap a 40% deo on you or get a charging order and make you homeless, is that the same as "suggesting" you pay it with a card?? a whole world of difference.

i notice that porter's rantings have been editied out now that the FSA are investigating. i wonder what his comments will be when they confront him?? :rolleyes: