Recovering Alcoholic - Can't pay PayDay loan;

Oneday77

Have a good evening yourself.
What ever you do don't worry about a fraud prosecution. For £250 quid it would cost many times that to even take it to court lol.


You're fine in that regard.
Well done on the wagon, I hope it has good suspension and is a smooth ride

SimIsOnTheUp

elsiepac wrote: »

Hi Sim

I really feel for you, what a nightmare of a situation.

OneDay77, I also have a Co-Op Cashminder Account, and yes, it is a Visa Debit card, NOT a cash card. Co-Op are extremely good to bank with I've found, hence I understand Sim being reluctant to lose the account.

Sim, I'm curious as to why you cannot include your wageday advance with CCCS? I'm assuming they've agreed you for a DMP or similar as you already have the template letters, so I think the best course of action would be to ring CCCS first thing Monday, explain things have changed slightly in terms of total amounts owed (you can explain alcoholism to them, I'm sure, they've always been fantastic with me for other reasons), and get the WDA included in your plan. One of my debts with CCCS on my DMP was £650 to WDA (the company), who are nice as pie on the phone and when you are borrowing, but turned really nasty if I'm honest. They even declined to recognise CCCS etc, however, once the payments had been going to them for that first month, they backed off and it's now absolutely fine. Horrible companies, I vow to myself I will never be in that situation again. Ever.

I kind of agree that bankruptcy does seem to be the best overall option for you, however, the big question is if it would all go through in time before the issue of the CCCS payment arises, which I don't know anything about the process, so couldn't even speculate.

I hope you get something sorted, and feel better about things. There is a solution out there for you, finding it, acting on it, and accepting is key. And if nothing else, please spend some time tomorrow doing those letters and send them out. Use some of your £20 food money to buy the stamps. It's worth it.

Lee-anne x

Thank You Lee-anne, for your kind and helpful post.

Its is indeed the Co-op Cashminder account, and I really don't want to lose it.

I'm considering closing it completely, and reopening another - new account number, so Moneyshop can't take any money. What do you think?

I am intending to include the £250 Moneyshop loan with my other debts with CCCS. They didn't set me up on a DMP, as I'm out of work at the moment (only income is ESA).

CCCS suggested the best solution would be a Debt Relief Order.

My debts are now above the £15K limit for a DRO though, so Bankruptcy is looking likely.

BR will cost me £525 though

I will indeed call CCCS again on Monday morning, thanks.

My internet is due to be restricted tomorrow, and I can't afford to pay them the £15 (Plusnet home phone and BB) until next Friday.

My mobile has already been restricted (owe T-Mobile £51*sigh*), and I've called them to let them know I'll be paying that off next Friday.

I've already put some clothes on Ebay to help bring some more money in, and three out of four items are selling (on course to bring in just over £50 thank goodness). However, withdrawing from PayPal to my bank account will take 3/4 days though :cool:

I've also signed up to do some website reviewing for a company who pay just over £6 per review. Have had two reviews in the space of two days, but this is not regular.

Things really are a depressing mess.

I've let the DWP know that I'm due to start some 'Permitted Work' (less then 16 hours / less than £95 per week; all above board); doing telephone / online market research surveys.

Haven't started yet as I can't even afford the £5 Skype charge, as my internet is due to be cut tomorrow, and so it'd be a waste of money.

Am really trying to sort myself out, but each time I try, there is another exhausting hurdle to overcome.

I just keep telling myself, that if I stay sober a day at a time, and get help with the depression / anxiety (have started on the anti - depressants / referred for therapy), then everything will *eventually* fall into place :T

Hope you're all having a relaxing weekend.

Thanks again,

Sim.

PS - Great to hear that the Wage Day Advance company saw sense eventually. I just hope that Moneyshop will see sense too.

PPS - I realise it's not an *ideal* solution, but I'm seriously considering closing my Co-op account, reopening another Co-op account, writing to Moneyshop, telling them I've lost my job, and then letting the Moneyshop debt go onto my CCCS list of creditors to be dealt with in the Bankruptcy. I'm fed up of it all affecting my health.

SimIsOnTheUp

Oneday77 wrote: »

Have a good evening yourself.
What ever you do don't worry about a fraud prosecution. For £250 quid it would cost many times that to even take it to court lol.


You're fine in that regard.
Well done on the wagon, I hope it has good suspension and is a smooth ride

That's good to know.

Am just worried they'd take it further to make a point. Irrational I know

My wagon is an Aston Martin and has aircon, cruise control, heated seats, iPads in the back and one hell of a sound system. I politely asked them to remove the drinks cabinet before I got in.. :rotfl:

Ames

Oh Sim *hugs* I'm so sorry things have been rough for you again.

Re the 'fraud', I know there's protection for people with mental health problems who get into debt because they don't understand what they're doing. I don't know whether that would extend to addicts, but I don't see why not. In the grand scheme of things, ticking a wrong box on a PDL to get your fix isn't a patch on mugging an old lady, or burglery, so even if you were pulled up on it hopefully you'd be treated leniently. After all, you've got a much stronger defence than the people who do the same in order to buy an xbox or whatever. I think it's highly unlikely they'd take it further though.

I hope you don't mind me calling alcoholism an addiction, I'm just trying to make the point that it has the same devastating consequences, I'm not judging (my mum was an alcoholic).

You're strong, you've pulled yourself out before so you know you can do it. Your priority has to be your health, debts come way down the line.

ETA: the fact that you're having to have priority payments taken from your benefits should back up the fact that you're not always capable of dealing with your finances. I really don't think you have anything to worry about with adding it into the br. Also, as you're on benefits, some of the costs should be waived.

SimIsOnTheUp

Ames wrote: »

Oh Sim *hugs* I'm so sorry things have been rough for you again.

Re the 'fraud', I know there's protection for people with mental health problems who get into debt because they don't understand what they're doing. I don't know whether that would extend to addicts, but I don't see why not. In the grand scheme of things, ticking a wrong box on a PDL to get your fix isn't a patch on mugging an old lady, or burglery, so even if you were pulled up on it hopefully you'd be treated leniently. After all, you've got a much stronger defence than the people who do the same in order to buy an xbox or whatever. I think it's highly unlikely they'd take it further though.

I hope you don't mind me calling alcoholism an addiction, I'm just trying to make the point that it has the same devastating consequences, I'm not judging (my mum was an alcoholic).

You're strong, you've pulled yourself out before so you know you can do it. Your priority has to be your health, debts come way down the line.

ETA: the fact that you're having to have priority payments taken from your benefits should back up the fact that you're not always capable of dealing with your finances. I really don't think you have anything to worry about with adding it into the br. Also, as you're on benefits, some of the costs should be waived.

Thank You Ames.

You're spot on, in that alcoholism *is* an addiction. I certainly don't mind you calling it that. It is what it is.

I'm just cringing at my dishonesty when I took out this loan.

Do I tell CCCS about the dishonesty? Am just worried they'd then not go ahead with my BR

I'm then worried that when I go ahead with the BR, (I've decided to go ahead with this as soon as I can raise the fees - am applying to NPower's Trust Fund for help with the fees too) the Judge / Official Receiver may well see that I've taken a PayDay loan out, when I was not working *cringe*.

Am flippin' determined to sort this out as best I can though.

I must remind myself though, of what is within my control, and what is not.

The AA Serenity Prayer helps in situations like this -

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference"

Sorry to hear that your Mum was also an alcoholic.

It is one frightening illness.

Hugs right back at you.

Thanks again,

Sim.

PS - Good point regarding the deductions. I'm already having the Water charges deducted at source from my ESA. NPower Electric is next to come off. When I was in 'the thick of it', I wasn't paying anything :-/ Am trying now 'to do the next right thing'.

NeverAgain_2

Sim,

Stop beating yourself up over dishonestly taking out the payday loan - it is diverting you from your main purpose.

No one is going to know/realise/care you took this loan out while not working.

Your affairs are in a mess, you have no money, you owe small sums - it is just not worth anyone's time and effort to look into your case very closely.

There are few positive things about your situation, but that is one of them.

SimIsOnTheUp

NeverAgain wrote: »

Sim,

Stop beating yourself up over dishonestly taking out the payday loan - it is diverting you from your main purpose.

No one is going to know/realise/care you took this loan out while not working.

Your affairs are in a mess, you have no money, you owe small sums - it is just not worth anyone's time and effort to look into your case very closely.

There are few positive things about your situation, but that is one of them.

Well put, thanks.

I'm thinking of writing to the PayDay loan company and telling them that I've lost my job (so they don't contact my old employer), and that I'm offering £1 a month until things improve. I'll do this after I close my Co-op bank account.

Good move?

Ames

I can't imagine CCCS not going ahead with the BR, but even if they don't you can do the forms yourself. I got as far as filling in the forms a while back and even though I had CAB help I could have done it myself. For anything remotely complicated there's an advice line to call, and the people on the BR board here probably have far more knowledge and expertise than CCCS anyway!

Writing to the PDL co with an offer of a pound a month can't be a bad move, just expect the usual crap from them about not being able to take it, it's not enough blah blah, and remember that you could earn 100k a year and they'd be the same, you're not a person to them you're a reference number. And never ever speak to them on the phone.

NeverAgain_2

I wouldn't tell the payday loan company anything.

If you are going bankrupt shortly, there's no point.

Your next communication with them should be very short: "I am bankrupt - contact my official receiver."

Strictly, there may be no need to contact them at all, the official receiver will contact your creditors.

SimIsOnTheUp

Ames wrote: »

I can't imagine CCCS not going ahead with the BR, but even if they don't you can do the forms yourself. I got as far as filling in the forms a while back and even though I had CAB help I could have done it myself. For anything remotely complicated there's an advice line to call, and the people on the BR board here probably have far more knowledge and expertise than CCCS anyway!

Writing to the PDL co with an offer of a pound a month can't be a bad move, just expect the usual crap from them about not being able to take it, it's not enough blah blah, and remember that you could earn 100k a year and they'd be the same, you're not a person to them you're a reference number. And never ever speak to them on the phone.

Thanks Ames.

I'm probably jumping the gun regarding CCCS not accepting my BR application.

Need to give them a call Monday morning, and ask for the forms.

I will also write to the PDL company, with a token payment offer, including my SOA and my first payment of £1, and advising them of a 'change of circs' - ie - that I've lost my job. They obviously don't need to know *when* that happened

What do you think they'll do? I mean, can a PDL company do anything more than a 'normal' high street lender?

Think I'm just worried, as they can apparently be very scary / unreasonable to deal with.

I'm cringing about this whole sorry mess, as I went Bankrupt way back in 2003 (Discharged 2005), and though this was all behind me.

Can't believe I'm in the mire again. Really getting me down that I owe my ex - partner £2K too. Wish I could afford to repay her, but I just can't.