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Struggling with debt? Ask a debt advisor a question

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  • StepChange_Pavan
    StepChange_Pavan Posts: 1,354 Forumite
    berna123 wrote: »
    I have been in a DMP with CCCS for the past two and a half years. Due to various family circuminstances I have not been coping very well with this and have run up an overdraft of £2000.00. My DMP is uo for review this month. My question is when i tell CCCS about my overdraft what will their response be.

    Hi berna123 and thanks for your post.

    It’s best to give us a call and explain what’s happened – we can only help if you make us aware of your situation. We’ll go through your options and make sure that a DMP is still the best solution for you.

    Kind regards,
    Pavan
    I work as a debt advisor for StepChange Debt Charity (formerly CCCS) and have specific permission from Martin to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on StepChange Debt Charity in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article. If you find you're struggling with debt and you need further help try our online advice facility Debt Remedy
  • StepChange_Pavan
    StepChange_Pavan Posts: 1,354 Forumite
    hi i have recently split with my partner of 3 years and he got me in debt with an overdraft that i had had for years and never used the account until Christmas 2010 when he noticed on my statements that i had £1800 overdraft on it so he begged and begged me to get a card for the account as i didnt have one, i did and by the end off december 2010 i was -£1800 in the overdraft now we have parted and i have had to move out as where i lived was his house witch i payed for every month since moving in with him in July 2009 £600 per month and all house hold bills and they were all in his name mortgage ext. since we parted i have had to borrow money from my mum and dad witch now mounts to £2000 to rent a house and 2 months rent, i get housing benefit but the first one comes in a cheque to the land person so not been able to pay them back, i also have a debt off £1980 with overpayment off tax credits from living with him, the overpayment was put into my back account by the tax credits back in 2010 and we bought him a kitchen with it but now i am having to pay it back, i am on Job seekers as before when i was with him i helped him work so didnt need a job, i get £130 js every 2 weeks and £220 child tax credits every 2 weeks as i have 2 children, and i am paying out off the tax credits ever week £10 for the overpayment and £8.80 for water bill from my Job seekers so as you see i cannot pay anything back as i still have other bills to pay out on top and have 2 children that live with me full time and 1 that comes every friday to monday so its hard to save, i am at the min starting with the job-center a enterprise course on starting my own business.
    i also owe on a visa £180 and lowel £170 i pay £5 every month for these, i pay car insurance £50 per month, gas electric £45 per month, £35 bt, £20 sky, £24 to my mum, and £40 towards my rent per calender month that's £314 per month i receive £888 per month but the tax credits i get weekly and js every 2 weeks and child benefit every 4 weeks so when i get the child bebefit i am in my overdraft from my bill account and it just clears this so week after week i am in the overdraft, i need to know if there is any help you can give me as i am just so lost with whats going out and whats coming in please please help me, and can i get any off this write off with out it spoiling my credit :(

    Hi kerrykat1974 and thanks for your post.

    It really sounds as though you’d benefit from some free and impartial advice. We can’t do this without looking at your situation in more detail but if you come to us we can do this and explore all of the solutions that are available to you.

    I’d recommend that you visit our online debt advice service Debt Remedy (http://www.cccs.co.uk/ref/drcu) to help you find a solution to your debt problem quickly.

    Debt Remedy will assist you in completing a financial statement with information on your household, employment, income, expenditure and debts. From this the service will automatically determine your options.

    To help you fill in the form, it’s best to gather together information about:
    • Your income
    • Your expenditure
    • The creditors you owe money to

    You’ll receive a downloadable advice booklet providing a tailored solution for you based on your current circumstances and advice on ways you may be able to improve your situation.

    If you’re not confident with computers or would like to speak to an advisor then you’re welcome to ring our free Helpline on 0800 138 1111. We’re open Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm and Saturdays 9am – 3pm.

    If you phone us it may be possible to refer you directly to a counsellor for immediate advice. Alternatively, we will arrange for an appointment to be booked at a time convenient for you.

    Kind regards,
    Pavan
    I work as a debt advisor for StepChange Debt Charity (formerly CCCS) and have specific permission from Martin to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on StepChange Debt Charity in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article. If you find you're struggling with debt and you need further help try our online advice facility Debt Remedy
  • StepChange_Pavan
    StepChange_Pavan Posts: 1,354 Forumite
    activist3 wrote: »
    Hi,
    I am currently paying by Direct Debit to CCCS but need to change it to Standing Order but cant find the bank details. Does anyone know them?

    Hi activist3 and thanks for your post.

    I’ll send you them by private message.

    Kind regards,
    Pavan
    I work as a debt advisor for StepChange Debt Charity (formerly CCCS) and have specific permission from Martin to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on StepChange Debt Charity in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article. If you find you're struggling with debt and you need further help try our online advice facility Debt Remedy
  • kaazza
    kaazza Posts: 32 Forumite
    edited 5 May 2012 at 10:46AM
    Hi all,
    Not sure if anyone can help/advise me,but here goes..I
    have about 4 debts that i have defaulted in the past,but since being very lucky and fianlly going from a part-time job to a full time job,have now started to pay them....The problem now is,my previous employer messed up my final pay,still waiting for it to be rectified,and my current employer also messed up,not paying me a full months money and not processing my p45,so then put on emergancy tax..so in my stupidity,i took out pay day loans.When i get paid at the end of the month,Wonga will take £370.00(which i can pay out of the money owed to me),and Swiftsterling will take £585.00,which i really cannot afford,it will leave me with nothing again,and like everyone,i have rent,travel etc....
    I have looked into a DMP,but is it really worth it for that one loan !!
    Should i take a chance,not pay it and deal with it as it comes,and add it to my other debts or do a DMP.
    Can anyone give me advice please.
    Thankyou :sad:
    sorry if my post seems a bit flippant..it really isn't ment to...i really am concerned as to what to do,so want to get out of this cycle.and just found out that in august,could be homeless as i can't get private renting because of my poor credit rating..please,please,please can someone advice me,i am losing sleep !!!
  • Samuel_
    Samuel_ Posts: 114 Forumite
    edited 5 May 2012 at 5:20PM
    Hi, I am unemployed and receive £112/fortnight JSA, and Nationwide are requesting I ring them to manage my overdraft which is £2000, that is currently £1950 overdrawn.

    If I don't ring them they will reduce my overdraft on 20 May 2012 to £250, interest rate- 1.45% per month, Equivalent Annual Rate-18.90%.

    If my account isn't brought below or remains below the new limit before this date, i will be charged interest at their unarranged overdraft rate of 18.9% EAR, and also incur an unarranged overdraft fee.

    If I rang Nationwide would they likely accept £50/month as this is all I can afford? I registered for a basic Account at the Co-Op today which I will use for my JSA money. Thanks in advance.
  • amyloofoo
    amyloofoo Posts: 1,804 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Hi, I have bipolar and anxiety issues and have found myself in debt. Would it be possible to ask credit card companies, etc to contact me by letter or email as I am often too anxious to answer telephone calls or deal with them correctly and am now having panic attacks multiple times a day when I am contacted by debt collections people. If I outline my situation to them, how likely are they to listen? I am trying to settle my debts and not avoid them, but I am often unable to cope with things when they are unexpectedly thrust upon me and cope better when it's something I can read and respond to when I'm calm and well enough.
  • cfc1963
    cfc1963 Posts: 17 Forumite
    I am considering a dmp or some thing similar - but again am so scared how this will affect my husband's credit by association - I have spoken to a couple of companies who assure me that it goes on my credit rating - which will be worthless after a dmp - but wont affect him or our address - is this true?
  • ayla261
    ayla261 Posts: 450 Forumite
    Hi, i really hope you can help me out please. This morning we've received a letter from meritforce collection agents stating an authorised collector will be visiting within 10 days. They are saying we owe them £461 odd. It stems back to a camcorder we bought on hp from currys 13 years ago. We were making regular payments from bank account but sadly my partner & I split up (we had baby twins and the pressure was too much) subsequently as there was still £100 outstanding on the balance we both went in person to our local currys store and paid it off in cash. We heard no more about it for a couple of years when suddenly we started recieving debt notices. Upon receipt of the first one I contacted the agency involved who said they had no proof showing we had made payment. We contested this and asked them to check the records for the store again which would show we had been making regular payments & the total had been satisified. They came back to us saying that as the store we paid at had closed down a short time after payment they could not find any details of this. We again contested, saying how can you state we owe the money when you don't have proof of the debt. This continued for several YEARS, the debt being passed from one agency to another, each time we contacted those involved, ran through the situation and contested the fact we owed this money. All the while the amount showed owing was rising. At one point we sought legal advice and paid £150 to a solicitor to contact them on our behalf and write in legal terms what we'd been saying all along. Again, we thought that was the end to the matter and more years passed but they've obviously recently sold the debt onto yet another company. In the 13 years since we purchased my partner and I have worked out our differences, married and had another child. We have paid off every loan, credit card and debt we have ever incurred between us and have asked several times for the matter to be referred to court so our case would be heard, this they refuse to do. A letter re the debt came 3 weeks ago and hubby phoned, again to contest this debt and ask for proof of what it what owed for to be sent to us. (Each debt company involved have been unable to do this - one even told us it was for a storecard!) We were told they would put the account on hold and investigate the matter (as if we'd not heard that before) and now this morning this letter showing a collector visit. Unfortunately we don't have the original receipt for the payment, we were both only 20 at the time, not very good at keeping records and naively thought that that was it done and dusted when we paid at the store. I do still have copies of some of the letters sent to & fro that I can dig out but am really unsure what to do from here on. We're certainly in no position to offer to pay that sort of money as hubby is self employed on £280 wk our tax credits boost our income but we're still £600 overdrawn every month. We live in a housing association property & the only assets we have are an imac which is in my sons room as our twins use for school and a tv which we're still paying off on catalogue so wouldn't really have a problem with a bailiff coming to see what we've got as there's nothing to take but am truly sickened with the whole business and just want to get it sorted once and for all. If you could give me any advice that will help I would be truly grateful x
    This time next year Rodney... :D
  • Anyone know what is the likely jail term once this goes to court
    as its fraud.

    About to sell car tomorrow as no other option to get money
    for mortgage by friday.

    (i am selling to big dealer who didn't hpi check )

    cheers
  • StepChange_Pavan
    StepChange_Pavan Posts: 1,354 Forumite
    James90 wrote: »
    I have 3 credit cards, 2 are over their limits and the other is full.
    The two which are over are - £5070 (5000 limit), £2150 (2100 limit). The other is £750. i also have a £1500 overdraft which is used up. I recently lost my job as a professional rugby player and i am struggling to pay my cards. I have potential work next month but the money is less than what i have earnt previously.
    What can you suggest to help me manage my debt, a loan? shift to another card? contact credit card companies for help? or is there any government help? I dont want top affect my credit rating too much . What would be the most cost effective way of managing my debt?
    Thanks, James

    Hello James and thanks for your post.

    We’d need to look at your situation in a bit more detail to be able to say what your best solution is.

    The only way to avoid affecting your credit rating would be to maintain the payments, but from what you’ve said this isn’t an option at this stage. You could switch to a lower interest card but this would depend on you being accepted.

    If you’d like some free and impartial advice I’d recommend that you visit our online debt advice service Debt Remedy (http://www.cccs.co.uk/ref/drcu) to help you find a solution to your debt problem quickly.

    Debt Remedy will assist you in completing a financial statement with information on your household, employment, income, expenditure and debts. From this the service will automatically determine your options.

    To help you fill in the form, it’s best to gather together information about:
    • Your income
    • Your expenditure
    • The creditors you owe money to

    You’ll receive a downloadable advice booklet providing a tailored solution for you based on your current circumstances and advice on ways you may be able to improve your situation.

    If you’re not confident with computers or would like to speak to an advisor then you’re welcome to ring our free Helpline on 0800 138 1111. We’re open Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm and Saturdays 9am – 3pm.

    If you phone us it may be possible to refer you directly to a counsellor for immediate advice. Alternatively, we will arrange for an appointment to be booked at a time convenient for you.

    Kind regards,
    Pavan
    I work as a debt advisor for StepChange Debt Charity (formerly CCCS) and have specific permission from Martin to post on these boards to try and help those in debt. Read more information on StepChange Debt Charity in the Debt Problems: What to do and where to get help article. If you find you're struggling with debt and you need further help try our online advice facility Debt Remedy
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