First time SOA - Please be gentle. Am so worried.

vaporate

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

I'd be more scared of a joint anything.. :rotfl:

Very true. It surprises me how many ppl on here (usually new) who wish to get a joint account.

SimIsOnTheUp

vaporate wrote: »

First of all, you do not have 24k of debt, only 14k.

Forget the student loan. Just make sure you tell them where you live, bank account details and status regarding employment your fine.

It is income assessed, I have one too and as far as I'm concerned it doesnt exist. It will get written off at some point, 65 for me, and they only take peanuts off if you earn over 15k a year each month anyway.

I would pay off rent arrears and council tax first.

Hiya vaporate,

Thanks for the info.

When you say 'income assessed' I can't remember. It was from 2003 - 2006 though.

Approx £13 - 14k outstanding by now. I sent them the 'contact details update request form' a month or two back, so they know where I am. I haven't hidden away from it or anything.

Will check next week re getting an up - to - date statement regarding the full amount outstanding.

I think the SLC is the only debt, which I don't have full, up to date paperwork for! Must get this sorted :A

Need to prioritise though.

Good point regarding tackling the rent arrears / council tax first. That's my plan.

Thanks again.

immoral_angeluk

vaporate wrote: »

Very true. It surprises me how many ppl on here (usually new) who wish to get a joint account.

I know. I'm of the once bitten twice shy variety. 24, divorced, and still suffering the affects on my credit file of a joint account I can't disassociate yet :mad:

immoral_angeluk

SimIsOnTheUp wrote: »

Need to prioritise though.

Good point regarding tackling the rent arrears / council tax first. That's my plan.

Thanks again.

Priority debts are anything in which you can lose an essential service or asset, or can land you in prison.
Examples
Mortgage, council tax, benefit overpayments, hire purchase, secured loans, utilities (phone, gas, electric, water), tv licence, child support arrears or court fines etc.

Non priority debts are unsecured loans, credit cards, catalogues, payday loans etc.

Priority debts should always be paid first. If there's no money left for non priorities then so be it. But the priority debts come first.

SimIsOnTheUp

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

The rate has recently increased from £64.30 a week to £65.45... so it certainly seems that way but without seeing your actual claim I can't say for certain. Worth a phone call though

Cheers for this.

I was getting £64.30 / £128.60 per fortnight, so that's correct.

I've just double checked, and I'm definitely in receipt of £129.75 per fortnight.

So £64.87 a week.

SimIsOnTheUp

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

It's more than likely due to their funding. Depending on the bureau they may have legal aid funded (CLS or LSC) caseworkers so I wouldn't worry about it too much It's just a different breed of caseworker lol
You can see all sorts..
Debt Caseworker
Money Advice Caseworker
Money Advice Assistant
LSC caseworker
CLS caseworker..



ESA in itself is still a very new benefit and still in the 'working out the kinks' phase... but obviously that's no consolation to the many many people who are in serious financially difficulty when they shouldn't be.

Thanks.

I've just checked my CAB letter - It's emphasised that I'm going to discuss Debt, so I'll stop worrying.

It's headed Ref CMC/DEBT, so I assume they'll know what they're talking about! :T

Must try and stop over - worrying

Cheers,

Sim x

SimIsOnTheUp

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

The rate has recently increased from £64.30 a week to £65.45... so it certainly seems that way but without seeing your actual claim I can't say for certain. Worth a phone call though

Just checked again - I have a letter from DWP, stating the increase - figures as above -

They have paid me £129.75 on 23rd April though, and not £130.90.

I know it's only £1.15 a week / £2.30 a fortnight, but I can ill afford to lose it at the moment!

SimIsOnTheUp

FREEZ wrote: »

Hi

Firstly can i say well done for deciding to get your life together; you are young and have a great future ahead of you.

I am no expert at all with debt management but i have added a few comments to your SOA. Hope you don't mind my comments.
You sound so lovely; your comment about wishing you could pay your ex girlfriend back was soooo lovely. You obviously appreciated her help and kindness at a time when you really needed it. Keep up the good work you WILL get there

Thanks Re your comments on my SOA, they are most appreciated too!

Re Water Mater - I *think* I'm on one already! Im embarrassed to say, I'm not sure

Am looking at my "Charge Summary' from Severn Trent, and it shows 'Meter Number' etc, so I'm assuming it's on a Meter as we speak.

Just let the bill mount up sadly.

I was going to phone Severn Trent Water 'Billing Dpt' now, just to let them know I'm not ignoring things, that I can't pay anything yet, but that I'm seeng the CAB on the 10th of May.

Do you guys think it's worth it, or should I leave it and ask the CAB to call?

Thanks.

SimIsOnTheUp

FREEZ wrote: »

Hi

Firstly can i say well done for deciding to get your life together; you are young and have a great future ahead of you.

I am no expert at all with debt management but i have added a few comments to your SOA. Hope you don't mind my comments.
You sound so lovely; your comment about wishing you could pay your ex girlfriend back was soooo lovely. You obviously appreciated her help and kindness at a time when you really needed it. Keep up the good work you WILL get there

Re Vodafone, I've still not summoned up the courage to call them and ask!

Am worried also, that if they realise I'm struggling, they'll cut me off Silly logic I know!

Re TV License - yes, this is high 'cos of arrears. I've already had their DCA letter last month, and still haven't caught up..

Re Food / presents / hair / ents - Spot on. I need to rejig this!

SimIsOnTheUp

immoral_angeluk wrote: »

Priority debts are anything in which you can lose an essential service or asset, or can land you in prison.
Examples
Mortgage, council tax, benefit overpayments, hire purchase, secured loans, utilities (phone, gas, electric, water), tv licence, child support arrears or court fines etc.

Non priority debts are unsecured loans, credit cards, catalogues, payday loans etc.

Priority debts should always be paid first. If there's no money left for non priorities then so be it. But the priority debts come first.

I've decided that obviously I need to pay my rent arrears of £18 first

This I'll pay next Friday. I've already emailed my Housing Association, yesterday to tell them this, and asked them to reinstate my Direct Debit, so I don't fall behind with the rent again.

All I'll be paying is the £5.00 HB / Rent shortfall each week, plus £1.00 per week (to pay off the £100 Court Costs, from then the HA went to court). So = £12.00 per fortnight, once I've paid the £18 next week.

My next priority, is to ask the CAB, to in turn, ask the Council to reduce my HB Overpayment repayments - to lower them from £20 a month.

Thirdly, Council Tax - I'd already emailed the Council about this a couple of months back. They agreed to hold off any DCA action, and to apply to the DWP, and take £3.25 per week directly from my ESA.

The Council also sent me a copy of the letter, they'd send to the DWP, asking for them to deduct these payments.

I called the DWP yesterday, and they said they had not received the letter, and that no deductions were due for Council Tax.

I'll bring this up with the CAB too.

Finally, regarding Benefits' debt - My Crisis Loans Debt - Altogether, this comes in around £710.

I checked with Jobcentreplus again yesterday - they confirmed the repayments are due to come out of my ESA starting from my next payment, next week.

The Crisis Loan repayments are to be £7.72 a week = £15.44 a fortnight.

So, my ESA of £130.90 - £15.44 = £115.46 left over

This is too much, I phoned the DWP re reducing these repayments - They said that I need to go into my local Jobcentre, and fill out a 'means form'.

Is this right?

Do I have to make an appointment with the JCP, or can I just turn up with my SOA?

Cheers all,

Sim x