Scottish/English BR

Pinkteapot_2

Hello,

I used to feel so lucky that in Scotland, our BR fees are much smaller and there is no scary court date, but from what I've read here if your surplus is less than £100 a month you are not expected to make monthly contributions.

Not so here! I was shocked this morning after to my phone interview to learn that even though I am down by £33 at the end of each month on the income outgoings sheet (all my outgoings were allowed), they say I have to pay £25 a month for the next 3 years, as I have a job. The CAB told me recently that I probably qualify for housing benefit, but what's the point in applying, they'll just take it all! And I'm actually glad I don't get child maintenence either, as that would be taken too!

Rotters!! :mad:

curly04

oh

I dont know much about scottish BR.

I have an IPA the way I look at it is, I have no debts and I'm better off than I was before.

Good luck

Keep posting

breezerockz

HI

was wondering how much br is in scotland,
am going br next month, i hope.
don't have any creditor concurrance or a decree against me etc.
so am worried how much br is going to cost.

Sorry you have to pay a monthy amount.

Pinkteapot_2

breezerockz wrote: »

HI

was wondering how much br is in scotland,
am going br next month, i hope.
don't have any creditor concurrance or a decree against me etc.
so am worried how much br is going to cost.

Sorry you have to pay a monthy amount.

I went to the CAB and they filled in all the forms, and as I get working tax credit I qualify for the low-income-low assest thing, so it was a one off fee of £100. It is so much easier in Scotland, and happens very quickly. From sending off the forms to being declared took about 2 weeks. I think it helps when you've been to CAB or such as they sign the form to say they've advised you and it's the only viable option.

On the upside I may have to pay a monthly amount, but considering I'll only be paying back £900 and my debts were about £18,000, very lucky indeed!

Raphael

Pinkteapot wrote: »

Hello,

I used to feel so lucky that in Scotland, our BR fees are much smaller and there is no scary court date, but from what I've read here if your surplus is less than £100 a month you are not expected to make monthly contributions.

Not so here! I was shocked this morning after to my phone interview to learn that even though I am down by £33 at the end of each month on the income outgoings sheet (all my outgoings were allowed), they say I have to pay £25 a month for the next 3 years, as I have a job. The CAB told me recently that I probably qualify for housing benefit, but what's the point in applying, they'll just take it all! And I'm actually glad I don't get child maintenence either, as that would be taken too!

Rotters!! :mad:

I'm in a similar case (although they're only asking for the exact amount of my surplus income), after what I'd read here, I thought it was probably a mistake so I phoned around for advice and all I was told was that they were allowed to do that.

I am shocked they would set up an IPA though if you don't actually have any surplus income at all! It could be worth applying for HB anyway, because I assume they might not ask you for more than £25 a month until your surplus income goes over that, so you could still be up to £58 a month better off...

But I see what you mean when you say "what's the point", I keep thinking that too, even though I could potentially try and get more work and earn more money, there's no point if it's all gonna be taken away.

I've decided to see it as a positive thing though, since I'm self-employed and I've been working up to 60 hours a week for the past few years, that'll be the occasion for me to "take it easy" and just try and keep earning about the same as what they based their figure on (ie. my average earnings over the whole 2009-2010 tax year, which were pretty low due to particularly bad economic circumstances) but definitely no more, even if I could theoretically...

broxiebear1

Pinkteapot wrote: »

Hello,

I used to feel so lucky that in Scotland, our BR fees are much smaller and there is no scary court date, but from what I've read here if your surplus is less than £100 a month you are not expected to make monthly contributions.

Not so here! I was shocked this morning after to my phone interview to learn that even though I am down by £33 at the end of each month on the income outgoings sheet (all my outgoings were allowed), they say I have to pay £25 a month for the next 3 years, as I have a job. The CAB told me recently that I probably qualify for housing benefit, but what's the point in applying, they'll just take it all! And I'm actually glad I don't get child maintenence either, as that would be taken too!

Rotters!! :mad:

hi im scottish to but have to wait for a charge for payment before i can go b.r . stopped paying creditors from jan 2010 . as i work i dont qualify for lila just over working tax credits so dont qualify i work 47 hrs a week partner cant work so as i work she doesnt qualify for any money . i dont think im much better off than you ie surplus a month , at the moment i do 24hr on call but only get paid if i get called out sometimes extra £100 a week on top of wages but very rare think i will pack that in when i go br then

Raphael

broxiebear1 wrote: »

hi im scottish to but have to wait for a charge for payment before i can go b.r.

Good luck waiting for a charge for payment, I hadn't paid any creditors (or incurred any new debt other than council tax) since early 2006 and only started receiving letters from Scott & Co saying they would have to serve a charge for payment if I didn't settle my CT bill early this year! (A bit off-topic but is there no other way for you to go BR?)

broxiebear1

Raphael wrote: »

Good luck waiting for a charge for payment, I hadn't paid any creditors (or incurred any new debt other than council tax) since early 2006 and only started receiving letters from Scott & Co saying they would have to serve a charge for payment if I didn't settle my CT bill early this year! (A bit off-topic but is there no other way for you to go BR?)

no thats the only way and i dont have any secured debt just recieving letters as i changed phone number

Pinkteapot_2

Raphael wrote: »

I'm in a similar case (although they're only asking for the exact amount of my surplus income), after what I'd read here, I thought it was probably a mistake so I phoned around for advice and all I was told was that they were allowed to do that.

I am shocked they would set up an IPA though if you don't actually have any surplus income at all! It could be worth applying for HB anyway, because I assume they might not ask you for more than £25 a month until your surplus income goes over that, so you could still be up to £58 a month better off...

But I see what you mean when you say "what's the point", I keep thinking that too, even though I could potentially try and get more work and earn more money, there's no point if it's all gonna be taken away.

I've decided to see it as a positive thing though, since I'm self-employed and I've been working up to 60 hours a week for the past few years, that'll be the occasion for me to "take it easy" and just try and keep earning about the same as what they based their figure on (ie. my average earnings over the whole 2009-2010 tax year, which were pretty low due to particularly bad economic circumstances) but definitely no more, even if I could theoretically...

I have written to my trustee and complained, although I'm sure it will make no difference, to expect people to give them money they don't have is harsh, but in Scotland the interview is done by a private firm of accountants, and I'm hoping they work on a comission basis, meaning they may be a but sneaky and I could get this reduced if I 'told' on them. They orignally asked for £50 and I pracatically cried down the phone so he reduced it to £25, making me think this is quite fluid thing.

But yeah, I'm a bit self emplyed too, and they took my UTR number so I'm sure they'll be keeping an eye on things, so looks like I won't be drumming up any new business or taking on extra shifts at work!

*teapot puts her feet up*

Raphael

breezerockz wrote: »

Hello all
as the best thing for me was to use the charge for payment route.
as i am not sure that the LILA route would not be a good idea, as i am on IB IS and when i move in july HB and i get carers premium as mother has cancer. and she gets benefits. I would worry they would want loads of money, which we really don't have.

I am not sure what you mean there, are you sure the charge for payment route is better for you, did you get any advice about it? If you qualify for LILA I don't think the rest of the procedure differs much from going via the charge for payment route, they can ask you to pay an IPA either way, depending on your income and expenses, but if your only income is benefits they can't touch that.

breezerockz

Raphael wrote: »

I am not sure what you mean there, are you sure the charge for payment route is better for you, did you get any advice about it? If you qualify for LILA I don't think the rest of the procedure differs much from going via the charge for payment route, they can ask you to pay an IPA either way, depending on your income and expenses, but if your only income is benefits they can't touch that.

thankyou so much

got completely confused:eek::o

will look into the LILA, think it all just getting on top of me..:rotfl: