Need Advice

stupot_99

Hi Guys,

Need help. I am currently paying off a debt at £5 a month, the company, Paragon, keep harrassing me for a Statement of earnings.
I have recently came off unemployment benifit and went self employed.
The business is very slow to non existant at the mo but that should change hopefully, but in the mean time i keep getting letters and calls
to fill out this form. What rights do they have to this info and do i have to give them it im also getting charged £20 for letters and calls is this right too.

I have told them over the phone that my earnings are lower now that im self employed but they keep banging on about this earnings form. They have also stopped taking the £5 off my card each month.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

Tixy

You don't have to supply this info or complete their form. Only a court could make you give out this information.

I would send them a letter to stop phone calls - see here - http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=11571485&postcount=4

And I would send them a letter stating that you can currently only afford £5 per month and that if your circumstances improve you will contact them to increase your repayment. Then I would ask for their bank details so that you can set up a standing order for £5 per month.
You say they have stopped taking the money from your card - did you mean your bank card? in future I would never give out your card details to these types of places, or set up a DD. Paying them by standing order means you are in control of how much you pay each month.

As an aside - if you are earning less now self-employed than you were on JSA - have you put in a claim for tax credits?

stupot_99

Hi Tixy,

Thanks for the info, i have applied for tax credits. I will write to them tomorrow and tell them to stop calling me also i dont know if this makes a difference but the account was registered as a default and they got a court order against me saying i should pay £100 per month. Its since came off my credit report, now there is no way i can pay £100 i can afford the £5. Does this make a difference at all.

Thanks

Tixy

If they have a court order then you might need to apply for a redetermination (if they won't agree to accept your reduced payment).

stupot_99

Thanks for the advice.

Do i still need to send them the statement of earnings, legally, cause they have a court order against me. Also they say im being charged for every phone call and letter sent to me about the debt, at the rate they add this to the bill ill never be able to clear it, what can i do about this.
Thanks

stupot_99

Anybody got any ideas what i can do about the constant charging.
I got a statement in today and it states the current balance is £1818.88 but im only £606.43 in arrears which i dont get. The default amount was approx £1200

Cherryjack

id love to know this also as my catalogue are doing this to me....