Credit Cards debt, please help

medo

Hi everyone,

I need urgent advice regarding this matter, I have two credit cards, one from HSBC and one from ASDA. Limit on both cards is £8500 in total. I nearly reached the limit on both cards, I have been paying the minimum for the last few years but now I can't afford it any more as the interest rates made it impossible to do so. I am unemployed and has been like this for the last 5 years!!! can't claim any benefit as I am not entitled to! I am an immigrant and I had no right to work in the country, live with my wife who is British and working full time. she has been the main earner for the last five years but I get help from my family back home which kept me going for the last 5 years. after a very long battle with the home office I finally got my right to stay as dependent on my wife and have right to work now, the problem there ain't any work!! I mean I have been looking for nearly 3 months now without success. I don't want to claim any job seeker allowence because I am embarrased to do so and feel it is not right. I keep looking for work but this debt on credit cards doesn't let me sleep, I decided that in 3 or 4 months more If I don't find any work I will leave the U.K. and head back home as it is terrible to live like this. didn't tell my wife about what I have decided and hope she will understand and come with me if I could'nt find any job and had to leave. my question is what shall I do about the credit card debt? is there a way out of this mess? I can pay the minimum for another couple of months but Its going to be impossible to do so after that. Me and my wife are going to have a terrible christmas this year. Please any advise will be appriciated. Many thanks.

Oneday77

Hi, I don't really know what to advise to be honest.
You need to ask yourself what is the lesser of 2 evils?
Claim Job Seeker Allowance to tide you over and meet your financial obligations or leave the country in shame leaving a large debt behind.
Without knowing where your from I apreciate different cultural obligations may interfere.
It would be best to discuss it with your wife as she is the one who is going to suffer the most if you leave. Then make an informed decision from there.
As for the cards you could try contacting each lender and explain the situation, see what they say.

Blue_Elephant

Contact the CC firms and ask if they can at least freeze interest so you can start to repay the debt - maybe CAB can help with this?

I'm confused as to how come you managed to get CCs in the first place if you had no right to work and I assume no credit rating??

Does your wife know about the CCs? Maybe you can claim JSA just to ease the pressure of paying these off? What's your wife's income? can she get tax credits?

Think about what you'll be asking of your wife, you've already emigrated and dealt with all the problems that come with that, you're going to ask her to give up her job and her life, and you haven't even talked to her about it yet? If you make this decision how long will you give her to make up her mind, or will she have to decide there and then?

Just something to think about.

HTH

katsu

Maybe you can find some christmas shop work or something? Don't give up hope yet - 3-4 months is not long to have been looking for work.

Get advice on your CV etc - the job centre should be able to direct you to the local careers advice people for that.

Talk to your wife about how you feel and make the decision together as a unit.

[Deleted User]

Contact CCCS, they are a debt charity that will help you and they do not charge.

fatbelly

medo wrote: »

I decided that in 3 or 4 months more If I don't find any work I will leave the U.K. and head back home as it is terrible to live like this. didn't tell my wife about what I have decided and hope she will understand and come with me if I could'nt find any job and had to leave.

It doesn't work like that, Medo. You have to talk to her. There might be a case for moving, and she might be willing to do it. If my partner came from outside the EU and could make out a case for us emigrating, I'd consider it right now! But you don't know her attitude until you discuss it. And if she wants to stay in the UK then you should learn to struggle with the same problems that we all have.

You can't claim JSA, by the way. It would be a joint claim and if your partner earns more than £100 per week, then the government says that's enough for you to live on. Slightly different if you have paid National Insurance during the past two tax years, but you haven't. See what I mean? We have a benefit system that doesn't make sense and most of us don't understand it. That's why sites like this have grown up.

medo wrote: »

my question is what shall I do about the credit card debt? is there a way out of this mess? I can pay the minimum for another couple of months but Its going to be impossible to do so after that. Me and my wife are going to have a terrible Christmas this year. Please any advise will be appreciated. Many thanks.

Two options - 1. You pay what you can, which in your case is nothing, so £1 per month token offer. The CAB can set this up for you. This keeps things ticking over until you have proper income.

2. If you don't own property or a car worth more than £1000, then you would qualify for a DRO. Your wife's income is NOT taken into account and being resident here is enough to qualify. If you do get a job, however, within the next 12 months, the DRO may fail (if surplus income over £50 per month) and the debts come back so you can do a proper debt management plan, with someone like CCCS.

medo

Hi everyone,

Many thanks to all of you for your help and concern. for those who are wondering how did I manage to get credit cards, I came to England 10 years ago on a work permit, had national insurance number and worked paid taxes, did everything by the book. met my wife, got married (religious marriage), lived together, asked the home office to extend my work permit (it was based on a business I own), home office refused due to some bureaucratic idiotic procedures! and when they found out that they were mistaken they didn't even consider rectifying their mistake!! instead they ignored me completely and one of their staff told me "Sorry, it is one of those days!!!!" I was asked to appeal, went to appeal and got refused because I had no right of appeal from the start!!!!, my wife put a case in the home office based on our marriage which was two years prior to this situation. many people advised me to carry on working and ignore the home office nasty staff but I chose to ignore them and stopped my business and sat at home and followed the rules!!! I spent all my savings, my capital, all my money and started borrowing thinking that the matter will end one day and I can start again! it took them 5 years to decide that I am ok and can stay with my wife!!! after I spent all my savings, borrowed money, took money on my credit cards which I never used before I got into this trouble. I can claim JSA as I have national insurance number and paid taxes for nearly five years but I don't want to do so as I will feel like a begger and very low. I wish if I ignored the home office and carried on working and didn't shut my business as I wouldn't get into this financial problem. it was their mistake from the start and they ruined my life. I don't want to go back home while I owe any money on my credit cards as it is shameful to do so but I don't think I have much of choice as my savings are running very fast. luckily I still have my own flat back in my home country which makes it possible to go back and live there without the stress, just pray my wife will consider coming back with me, I don't want to separate from her. I will try my best to pay the debt and leave as life here is getting worse day after day. Just wish me luck guys, many thanks to all of you.