CCCS advice???

kutiez2005

Hi All,

I went BR in December 09 and still stick around on this board as it was reading through the posts and asking lots of questions that got me through the initial bit!!

I'm just noticing quite a bit recently (from posters on this board and a couple of friends) that CCCS seem to be steering away from advising BR in some cases where BR could be an option and leaning more towards IVA and DMP? Is anyone else getting this impression??

fredfedup

Definitely! We approached CCCS first. They went through everything, income and expenditure etc. They recommended IVA. However when I started doing some research, I soon found there was no way we would be accepted, as we had no surplus income. I too have noticed the increased frequency of advice from CCCS pushing for IVA's. I am quite cynical and can not but help think this is because they are funded by the banks.

Doucam

Yep, like fred we went to the CCCS first, and they advised a DMP, which was crazy as we have no surplus left, I couldn't quite work out where they got that idea from, so ignored it!!

We could have paid maybe £50 a month off that's all, and had £30k of debt, which would have taken ooooh 50 years to clear!!! So I would be 93 before I was debt free, good advice, me no thinky so!!

phil78

I went to CCCS earlier in 2009 for advice before I went bankrupt, and they recommended an IVA to me (through their own IVA service). I knew this was wrong for me, having already done some research on IVAs. The fact they have their own IVA service would make me question their impartiality somewhat.

It is troubling that they are possibly steering people into the wrong solution. Whether this advice just comes from inexperienced counsellors or they are being told to push IVAs, I wouldn't want to say.

I spoke to National Debtline after CCCS, who immediately recommended BR as the best way forward for me. I suppose that getting a second opinion on anything this important and life changing is always advisable.

confused76

yes i definitely get that impression too. i didn't rate the adviser i got, fared much better with the national debt helpline - but that's just my own experience

mummytotwo_3

Hi there i definately got that impression too. I mean they thought they could get a £220 a month surplus from me and hubby and we are currently on benefits as he lost his job last year. I mean they tried to reduce my budget back so much that it wasnt living it was existing!! A £300 groceries budget for a family of 4 - 2 children under 2 with formula and nappies?? Absolutely no chance!!!!!

I think as someone previous said as they are funded by the banks, they try to steer in the banks favour however long it took. We are in 45K debt and would have taken us a minimum of 20yrs to repay and some companies wouldnt reduce interest and or charges anyway, so in some ways the debt was still increasing!!

crowman19

The CCCS advised me to go BR middle of last year. My situation was that if all interest was frozen on my debts it would have taken me 20-25 years to pay them all off on a DMP.

I guess it could be like OR's, no 2 of their reps are the same.

Just thought I'd try and balance it up a bit. Don't want to scare people away from the CCCS as I found them very helpful. I guess though if you aren't happy with the advice they give you can always get a 2nd opinion elsewhere.

mummytotwo_3

Im not slating them in anyway, its just i expected more from them maybe, as when i used to work for HSBC we always advised people to speak to them. The advisor i spoke to was nice enough, but couldnt understand it when i said i couldnt cut our expenditure back anymore.

kutiez2005

We found similar. They were very helpful at first though and we did enter a DMP with them which they managed for us. I don't regret it because it gave us the opportunity to come to terms with our financial situation and seek further info on BR. We had no realistic way of improving our situation inside of 5-7 years so really should have gone BR before.

Agree with Crowman, I think you may get differing advice from different people even within one company so I guess the best support we can give is to tell people to get advice from various places before making a decision. It's always interesting to see what differences there are.

CCCS_Sarah

kutiez2005 wrote: »

Hi All,

I went BR in December 09 and still stick around on this board as it was reading through the posts and asking lots of questions that got me through the initial bit!!

I'm just noticing quite a bit recently (from posters on this board and a couple of friends) that CCCS seem to be steering away from advising BR in some cases where BR could be an option and leaning more towards IVA and DMP? Is anyone else getting this impression??

Hi Kutiez2005,

Based on 2009 figures CCCS are recommending DMPs in 23% of cases and IVAs in 5% of cases. Both of these figures are lower than in previous years as we are finding more clients who are unable to make any repayments to their debts. Bankruptcy and DROs were recommended in 20% of cases which is significantly up on the same figures in 2008. CCCS has not changed it's counselling policy to favour one recommendation over another and always acts in the best interest of the client depending on their circumstances

Hope this helps clear any misconceptions

Sarah

blind-as-a-bat_2

CCCS_Sarah wrote: »

Hi Kutiez2005,

Based on 2009 figures CCCS are recommending DMPs in 23% of cases and IVAs in 5% of cases. Both of these figures are lower than in previous years as we are finding more clients who are unable to make any repayments to their debts. Bankruptcy and DROs were recommended in 20% of cases which is significantly up on the same figures in 2008. CCCS has not changed it's counselling policy to favour one recommendation over another and always acts in the best interest of the client depending on their circumstances

Hope this helps clear any misconceptions

Sarah

Not strictly true CCCS_Sarah, this is not the first time it has appeared that CCCS are steering debtors to other options.

But i think in your defence it is more due to wrong advice, and maybe not your fault, in all cases, we don’t know if the client has given you ALL the details

The problem is your connection to an IVA company that is profit making, at least to the point of covering its costs, maybe if you could clarify that position it would make people less suspicious?

Yet the way you are funded is always going to leave doubt unfortunately, that is unavoidable I am afraid, after all, most that reach the point of having to post here have felt the full force of a unpaid creditor, so it is understandable why they question why the same beast funds you………..what’s in it for them?

I hope you take this post the way it is meant sarah