Newbie with a few Br questions

LoftusSi

Hi, i've looked on this site a lot lately, but this is my first post .
I am planning to go br in the next month or so(just saving for the £700 fee!). I have been in contact with the cccs who have been very helpful, so i know what br will mean for me in the future. I just have a couple of questions i would like to put to you guys on the board. Firstly i was advised by the cccs to change my bank account and switch to Barclay's or the co-up. Should i do this before i go br, or after? will it not be frozen i open it before? Also i have a few hundred £'s in an account that i know will be frozen after br, should i take that money out asap? or would it be deemed that i was hiding it? And one last one. I'm currently having counseling related to my debt problem, it costs about £60 a mouth. Will the OR except this in my SOA? Many Thanks.

IF

LoftusSi wrote: »

Hi, i've looked on this site a lot lately, but this is my first post .
I am planning to go br in the next month or so(just saving for the £700 fee!). I have been in contact with the cccs who have been very helpful, so i know what br will mean for me in the future. I just have a couple of questions i would like to put to you guys on the board. Firstly i was advised by the cccs to change my bank account and switch to Barclay's or the co-up. Should i do this before i go br, or after? I would open your account now, see BR friendly bank account link below will it not be frozen i open it before? Also i have a few hundred £'s in an account that i know will be frozen after br, should i take that money out asap? or would it be deemed that i was hiding it? I would take it out and for that amount you will not be in trouble. And one last one. I'm currently having counseling related to my debt problem, it costs about £60 a mouth. Will the OR except this in my SOA? They may well do and something you and your OR can discuss. if you can a letter from your GP would help too. Many Thanks.

Hi LoftusSi and welcome to the BR board. I'm so pleased you have sought advice. I've answered a few of your questions and below click on the blue links:-

For ‘essential’ BR info the ‘Look here first’ sticky by Fermi.

BR friendly home insurance thread.

BR Friendly bank accounts sticky.

BR Abbreviations.

If you are new/old to this board and receive/see a comment that is not helpful or insensitive please don’t let it put you off posting, often these comments are made by people who don’t normally contribute to this board and don’t speak for us.

What to do if you get an insensitive or hurtful comment.


And do remember we’ve all been through this and anything you don’t understand don’t be afraid to ask.


Best wishes
If...x

tinatease_2

Hi, after lots of research and trying to avoid it - I declared myself br on 14th Feb . I had opened a new a/c with halifax who were extremely helpful after they learned I had gone bankrupt . I had opened an account that did not have an overdraft facility but Halifax asked me on more than one occassion if Ii wanted an over draft - I declined each time. Once I had been declared br, Halifax allowed me to keep my new account open as I had not accepted their offer of credit. I left £50 in my account - took out in cash the rest - you could say you used it for the br fee - I was not asked what had happened to the money in my bank account tho.
I would open a new account asap, move out any funds,asap too.
Sorry dont know about counselling fees.
When I had my telephone interview with official reciever, I found her to be extremely helpful and I had been worrying about the phonecall for a while. I found there were a lot more expenses that I could put on my form that I wasn't aware of., holidays, clothes ect. I owed over £20,000 and have been told that I do not have to make any payments towards these debts at all. It has been the biggest weigh off my mind and I feel so much better now. if i can help further, pls ask. good luck

LoftusSi

Thank you for your replies! very helpful. Sorry, but another quick question...or two:o When i spoke to the very nice lady at cccs, and gave a run down of my income and outgoings, she said that i had a surplus of £198. Now i understand that this is the figure i would have to pay towards my debt for at least 3yrs post Br. Will the SOA that i must gave to the OR be more restrictive then the one i did over the phone with the cccs? Typicality as soon as i got off the phone, other outgoings popped into my head!
I also do agency work alongside my main job. It is very sporadic, maybe a couple of days a month. would all of what i earn doing the little extra all go towards my monthly payment, or just a certain percentage? Thanks again! :T

debtinfo

Hi Loftus, What is classed as necessary is always going to be a bit of negotiation with the OR as every case is different, but it is best to put down as many expenditures as possible that you have so have a good think about what you spend especcially stuff that comes round irregularly,

Inevitably as they take all the surplus if you have an IPA then any extra work you do you are likely to lose the income, so you probably have to think about whether it is worth doing in terms of repuatation, carreer oportunities etc