Struggling with debt? Ask a debt advisor a question

Cityguy2011

Hi sorry if i have replied in the wrong section. A guy at my old work place had come over to the UK on a work visa or permit from Pakistan or India i think(it was to work in a top IT firm ). Now hes emailed me asking me to help with his dilemma which , is that hes been contracting here and there on a freelance basis because he does not want to be caught by debt collectors? He explained that he had scammed some girl online after meeting her on face book and that his obsessive nature and compulsive lying took hold of him and caused him to make up life and dealth stories where she agreed to lend him money. He said that after he found out that she only regarded him as a friend he flipped and disappeared and as his revenge said he would never return her money.
I told him that she could probably report him , if she hasnt already , under fraud. He said she can do nothing because hes on a work permit/residence permit and so will be very difficult to trace him as he wont be on the ER . Hes not applying for any permanent jobs in fear of this girl pursuing her debt.
Whats the best advice i can give him thats legal and law abiding. I'm guessing a lot of companies arent bothered about civil claims against an employee. Hearing that this girl gave money even though she was according to him, 'earning peanuts' has made me feel bad and i dont want to help him get another job in my firm unless he attempts to sort out his troubles. I think hes eradicated any chance of himself being found because he said he changed his email address and closed his bank account -the one she allegedly transferred money to electronically. I think the amounts we are talking he said was roughly 8-9000 pounds and he thinks shes been trying to find him for nearly 3 years as it took place in 2008.
Thanks, any feedback appreciated.

StepChange_Pavan

jonosh82 wrote: »

Hi

I am currently on a DMP with CCCS and am worried about what will happen as my finances change: I will shortly start having to pay for full time childcare which will have a significant impact on my total outgoings. I currently pay £350/month for the DMP, what would happen if this is no longer possible

thanks

Hi jonosh82 and thanks for your post.

If your circumstances change, just give us a call and we can review your whole situation.

It’s difficult to say what your options will be without looking at your details. However when you call we can got through all of this with you and explore all of your options together.

Like mum2one has also mentioned, we may also refer you to our welfare benefits team if we feel you could be entitled to claim anything extra.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Pavan

StepChange_Pavan

lisasensei wrote: »

Hi there,
I'm about 17,000 in debt (excluding mortgage) after buying a house in November. I am currently on maternity leave and have missed a couple of direct debits recently and the bank charges are mounting up which is becoming a vicious circle. I can't seem to get straight and my baby's father is not helping. Chiltern Debt Mannagement have devised a plan for me which I can cancel at any time when things get easier which should be in October when I'm back to work and on full pay again. It sounds like a sensible short term option for me but their charges are high I think. The first two monthly payments of 130 don't go to any creditors at all apparently as they're absorbed into set up fees. This seems stupid if I'm only going to be on the plan for a few months. Has anyone else dealt with this company or have you any advice for short term debt consolidation/management?
Thanks

Hi lisasensei and thanks for your post.

We do not charge for setting up or administering a Debt Management Plan so you could consider coming to us for further advice.

We don’t have the facility to be able to transfer your Debt Management Plan from Chiltern as you would need to have an appointment with one of our debt counsellors first. If the counsellor is happy to offer a DMP as a result of your appointment, we would then discuss with you how to end the current arrangement you have and setting it up with ourselves.

If you would like us to take a look at your situation to see what options you have, you would need to book a telephone based appointment with one of our trained debt counsellors by calling our helpline on 0800 138 1111. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:00-20:00. It would be helpful that when you call you have details ready regarding your income, expenditure and creditors, as this can help speed up the referral process. If you have this information ready it may be possible to refer you directly to a counsellor if one is available, otherwise we will arrange a time that is convenient for you to be called back for an appointment.


Alternatively, you can use our online electronic facility called Debt Remedy. This will assist you in completing a financial statement which includes information on your household, employment, income, expenditure and debts. All this information is used as a basis to determine the options available to you to deal with your situation.

Once you’ve followed the process through and completed all the required information you will immediately be presented with an advice booklet, which will provide tailored advice for you based on your current circumstances. It will also provide advice on ways you may be able to improve your situation.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Pavan

StepChange_Pavan

Cityguy2011 wrote: »

Hi sorry if i have replied in the wrong section. A guy at my old work place had come over to the UK on a work visa or permit from Pakistan or India i think(it was to work in a top IT firm ). Now hes emailed me asking me to help with his dilemma which , is that hes been contracting here and there on a freelance basis because he does not want to be caught by debt collectors? He explained that he had scammed some girl online after meeting her on face book and that his obsessive nature and compulsive lying took hold of him and caused him to make up life and dealth stories where she agreed to lend him money. He said that after he found out that she only regarded him as a friend he flipped and disappeared and as his revenge said he would never return her money.
I told him that she could probably report him , if she hasnt already , under fraud. He said she can do nothing because hes on a work permit/residence permit and so will be very difficult to trace him as he wont be on the ER . Hes not applying for any permanent jobs in fear of this girl pursuing her debt.
Whats the best advice i can give him thats legal and law abiding. I'm guessing a lot of companies arent bothered about civil claims against an employee. Hearing that this girl gave money even though she was according to him, 'earning peanuts' has made me feel bad and i dont want to help him get another job in my firm unless he attempts to sort out his troubles. I think hes eradicated any chance of himself being found because he said he changed his email address and closed his bank account -the one she allegedly transferred money to electronically. I think the amounts we are talking he said was roughly 8-9000 pounds and he thinks shes been trying to find him for nearly 3 years as it took place in 2008.
Thanks, any feedback appreciated.

Hi Cityguy2011 and thanks for your post.

In terms of collecting the debt, the girl could enforce it through the county court, however I’m not sure what proof they have of the agreement – assuming that no contract was put in place.

I’d recommend that your friend seeks some impartial legal advice. You or your friend could consider contacting Community Legal Advice for further help.

Kind regards,
Pavan

surferchick123

Confessions of a Shopaholic Girl

Ok so this is all a little new to me, which is probably why I'm stressing out so much at the moment! So please bear with me. Ok so my debt amount compared to some £3500 is not massive but I am stressing as I am in arrears with two credit cards by two months. I'm 27 and last year everything was fine. I spent the year before last traveling after graduating from university and maxed out two credit cards. Last year I continued working full time in an £18000 a year job, paying the minimum payments (which I know now was silly) but I was saving for a Post grad degree which I am now currently doing. All of my fees are paid and I'm still able to work though only 30 hours a week now due to lots of coursework, so what has happened is that with all of the course books, materials, travel and working ten hours less a week, I am still able to pay rent, council tax, utility bills etc but my credit cards have suffered. Prior to this I was never late or missed a payment. So it's kind of hit me hard because even though I've explained my situation to my creditors Capital One and Natwest and made a few token payments they still continue to hassle me with lots of phonecalls. One has even sent me a nasty letter telling me I have 28 days to clear the arrears or my debt will be passed on to a debt collection agency. Not so great when you've got a couple of 3000-6000 word essays to concentrate on. Yes this is my fault and I hold my hands up to that. My course will be over in september so I'm not giving up and I will ride it out until then. I'm just worried that this stress is really starting to effect my coursework. I was just hoping for some advice really. I really cant tell my parents, friends or boyfriend. I know that sounds silly but I'm hoping to find a solution to this and start resolving it quickly. Thankyou

floatylight

Hi

I've stupidly buried my head in the sand regarding some catalogue debt and a loan (simply be, Very and black horse) I've ignored them for so long that the debts have now been passed to various collection companies who have added their own charges on, meaning that the original debt is now significantly higher.

I want to get these paid and sorted and wondered if anyone know that if I write to the original catalogue compaines and black horse if they will still accept payments of the original amount minus all the debt company charges.

I know I've been stupid but any sensible advice is really welcomed.

Thanks

estoril

Hi,

I am wondering if somebody can offer some advise.

My mum let my aunt use her bank account for a direct debit for sky tv many years ago (not sure how many between 6-8 years ago). The bank account went overdrawn and continued to pay the direct debit. The bank was Lloyds. The debt wasn't too grea at the time, a few hundred pounds. All these years later, the debt has been sold on 3 or 4 times. The last she heard was a debt collector in Scotland that was offering deals to settle in 7 days etc. I asked for full details of all information held on my mothers behalf and at this stage all correspondence stopped. This was 2 years ago. I thought after this time that the debt was no longer being pursued.

The debt has now been sold to Mckenzie Hall who are now asking for £389.

Can anybody offer guidance as to how I go about helping m mother sort this mess out. Can they still chase such an old debt?

Thank you in advance.

mikey_badlad

Hi

I was after some help, my wife and i have not been very sensible when it comes to spending and saving. We recently got married and bought a house, and felt we needed everything there and then, which credit cards, overdrafts and loans were used. Now we have a lovely house which we're not enjoying as the debt has now got so bad that we are always stressed and feeling down. I know we have no one to blame but ourselves but now when we are earning good money we should be enjoying it. We have about 50k in unsecured and have been paying minimum payment on everything, thus not leaving enough money for the month and having to borrow to survive. This vicious circle has been going on for quite a while but we are now at the stage where we are maxed on everything and can't borrow anymore to consolidate and bring our monthly payments down. We recently contacted CCCS who have been excellent and have advised that provided our creditors stop the interest, we could be debt free in about 3 years which is great. I am currently putting all the info together for them but have hit a problem. We won't have enough to pay the first payment until July( although CCCS want us to start in June) and won't be able to make the payments to the creditors. Would anyone know what to do? I was thinking of compiling everything for the dmp to start in july, and make token payments to the creditors in June. Would anyone know if this is a good or bad thing to do? Please advise as this is starting to affect our marriage and health

Thanks

StepChange_Pavan

surferchick123 wrote: »

Confessions of a Shopaholic Girl

Ok so this is all a little new to me, which is probably why I'm stressing out so much at the moment! So please bear with me. Ok so my debt amount compared to some £3500 is not massive but I am stressing as I am in arrears with two credit cards by two months. I'm 27 and last year everything was fine. I spent the year before last traveling after graduating from university and maxed out two credit cards. Last year I continued working full time in an £18000 a year job, paying the minimum payments (which I know now was silly) but I was saving for a Post grad degree which I am now currently doing. All of my fees are paid and I'm still able to work though only 30 hours a week now due to lots of coursework, so what has happened is that with all of the course books, materials, travel and working ten hours less a week, I am still able to pay rent, council tax, utility bills etc but my credit cards have suffered. Prior to this I was never late or missed a payment. So it's kind of hit me hard because even though I've explained my situation to my creditors Capital One and Natwest and made a few token payments they still continue to hassle me with lots of phonecalls. One has even sent me a nasty letter telling me I have 28 days to clear the arrears or my debt will be passed on to a debt collection agency. Not so great when you've got a couple of 3000-6000 word essays to concentrate on. Yes this is my fault and I hold my hands up to that. My course will be over in september so I'm not giving up and I will ride it out until then. I'm just worried that this stress is really starting to effect my coursework. I was just hoping for some advice really. I really cant tell my parents, friends or boyfriend. I know that sounds silly but I'm hoping to find a solution to this and start resolving it quickly. Thankyou

Hi surferchick123 and welcome to the forum.

It sounds as thought this could be a short term solution until your course finishes and you are able to work more hours. It’s a good idea to stick at the course especially as there’s not long to go now.

It’s important that you maintain the payments to your priorities such as rent and council tax etc. Your creditors will probably take the standard debt collection process route but you shouldn’t be pressurised into paying more than you can afford.

I’d recommend that you put together a budget to work out how much you can afford to pay them. You can write a short letter explaining that this is a short term solution until your situation changes. Even if you offer them £1 per month, this is just a gesture of goodwill until you can afford to pay more.

If you would like us to help you with this you can either use our online advice facility Debt Remedy, or ring our free Helpline to book a telephone appointment with a counsellor.

Debt Remedy will assist you in completing a financial statement which includes information on your household, employment, income, expenditure and debts. All this information is used as a basis to determine the options available to you to deal with your situation.

Once you’ve followed the process through and completed all the required information you will immediately be presented with an advice booklet, which will provide tailored advice for you based on your current circumstances. It will also provide advice on ways you may be able to improve your situation.

Alternatively if you would prefer to talk to a debt counsellor about your situation, you can book a telephone based appointment by calling our helpline free on 0800 138 1111. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:00-20:00.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Pavan

StepChange_Pavan

floatylight wrote: »

Hi

I've stupidly buried my head in the sand regarding some catalogue debt and a loan (simply be, Very and black horse) I've ignored them for so long that the debts have now been passed to various collection companies who have added their own charges on, meaning that the original debt is now significantly higher.

I want to get these paid and sorted and wondered if anyone know that if I write to the original catalogue compaines and black horse if they will still accept payments of the original amount minus all the debt company charges.

I know I've been stupid but any sensible advice is really welcomed.

Thanks

Hi floatylight and thanks for your post.

It’s a good idea to write to your creditors and offer them a payment that you can afford. It might be better to write to the collection agencies as they are now collecting the debt and they may be more willing to stop interest and charges once you explain your situation.

I’d recommend that you work out an income and expenditure which shows what you can afford to pay them each month.

If you’d like us to help you with this you can either use our online advice facility Debt Remedy, or ring our free Helpline to book a telephone appointment with a counsellor.

Debt Remedy will assist you in completing a financial statement which includes information on your household, employment, income, expenditure and debts. All this information is used as a basis to determine the options available to you to deal with your situation.

Once you’ve followed the process through and completed all the required information you will immediately be presented with an advice booklet, which will provide tailored advice for you based on your current circumstances. It will also provide advice on ways you may be able to improve your situation.

Alternatively if you would prefer to talk to a debt counsellor about your situation, you can book a telephone based appointment by calling our helpline free on 0800 138 1111. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08:00-20:00.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Pavan