First steps

thewad

Phoned them today at CCCS and they were great.
Booked counselling call for 19/2.
You all mention sending letters out, should I be doing that because the guy today never mentioned doing that. Just said send them all a token payment and if they ring tell them about us and give them your id number.
Or do the letters come with the pack come with the pack?

Will keep this thread going by the way as a kind of blog.

Owe approx £81,000 and am proposing to offer £700 - £750 a month.

John

Tixy

Hi and well done for taking the step to speak to CCCS.

You can send out a letter asking for your creditors to hold action for a month or you can just send a token payment whilst CCCS look at your finances, depends how much hassle you are getting from creditors - if you want to send a letter this is the one - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=21937969&postcount=52

Whilst you wait for your counselling call have you either completed the CCCS debt remedy or completed a statement of affairs. Both of these are useful info to have to hand when you speak to CCCS and can mean you can start looking for money saving ideas already.

Good luck John.

thewad

Thanks Tixy

Dreading the counselling on the 19th could be embarrassing.
Do they want to know what you have spent money on that you earned that could have gone to paying off some of your cc's?
Will it affect my business account?

John

Tixy

They'll probably ask generally how you got into debt, was it for specific large purchases or just general living beyond your means, or some other problem such as gambling or buying a nice posh house etc? Its best to tell them as they are there to make the best decisions for you.

Are you in business as a sole trader? if so they may advise to make sure you business bank account is with a bank you don't owe any personal money to. But otherwise it shouldn't affect your ability to continue in business (as lets face it if you can't earn you can't repay the debt!)

Remember you are not on your own, thousands and thousands of people are finding themselves struggling with debt, for many many reasons, and for a lot it was just the habit of living way beyond their means using available credit back when it was still easy to get. Trust me that yous won't be the worst positions/situation that CCCS have come across (probably not even the worse that week).

thewad

Business is with Barclays, don't know what cc's they have under their umbrella.

Regards
John

thewad

Not heard a peep yet.
Sent out token payments last week and posted letters today.
Just the wait now till the 19th for interview/counselling.
Felt a bit better today when I found someone on here with more debt than me.

John

thewad

Waiting anxiously now for the phone call.

John

brians_daughter

Good luck John! The biggest and most scary thing is over and done with - the initial realisation you needed to done something and the 1st call you made are far scarier than anything else!

Let us know how you go please

Tixy

Good luck with the call. I expect you'll feel a whole lot better once you've spoken to them.

pure_dead_dopey

ah pet lamb, we've got more debt than you, does that make you feel better? Never mind you've done the right thing and getting it all sorted out. CCCS are generally lovely and very sympathetic, they are a charity so they are not there to judge but to help. You just need to concentrate on living your life and paying off what you owe. It isn't easy sometimes but remember what everyone on here says, they cannot take what you haven't got. We started our DMP and I think I have been taken over by a money saving alien, I have NSDs (a completely alien concept before) and for the 2nd time we look like actually having money in the bank on the second last day of the month!!!!! I have never had this before, honest. So the only way is up for you and down with the debt!!!

Nargleblast

Good luck thewad, hope your session with CCCS is productive.