Did I do the right thing?

happymummy

I've just come off the phone to a debt collection agency, I owe £100 to littlewoods catalogue and I offered them £5 a week, they said the minimum they would accept was £8.33. I told them I cant afford that as I am a single mum of 3 not working so they would have to take me to court if they want any more than £5 a week. Was I right???

I have a few debts, I've recently made an arrangement with sherrif officers for council tax arrears of £330, I said I'm not working and offered £5 a week and they accepted no questions asked. I also pay £5 a week to the student awards agency scotland for repayment of a bursary, the amount I owe them is over £100 but they also accepted the £5 a week no problem.

The woman on the phone asked me for my income and expendure, I've not done a SOA so I dont know offhand everything I pay out, when I'd finished she told me I have £50 a week disposable income but there is no way thats true!!!!

in_debt_again_but_dealing_with_it

They are just trying it on, stand firm and prepare your soa making sure you include everything, there is a template on here somewhere I think. I'm sure somebody will be along with the link. Take care.

rsykes2000

HM - if you are on benefit, there is no way you have disposable of £50 / week. Not sure what the situation is in Scotland but I am sure in England if you are on benefit that is deemed to be the minimum you can live from so a token £1 / week paytment would be accepted by most creditors who aren't miserable shites.

happymummy

I'm not on benefits but as good as, I get CTC, CB and £73 from the CSA totalling £225 a week for 4 of us. AFAIK the minimum payment they can take is £2.90 as thats the amount that was being taken off my income support for council tax arrears before it was stopped.

I think I might've been a bit rude to the woman on the phone tho, oops! But she started it!! lol

Broken_hearted

Oh you havn't heard rude till you've heard me. I'm so sick of being lied to I'm becoming as bad as them.

happymummy

lol. She was harping on about if it goes to court I'll be liable for fees etc and might incurr a CCJ (or something along those lines I wasnt listening too hard) but I just replied, yep ok thats fair enough, bye!

Do they think we're daft??

I'm just wondering what would hapeen if they do try and take me to court knowing I've offered £5 a week, anyone know?

immoral_angeluk

Don't offer anymore than you can afford. Even if it did go to court a judge wouldn't make you pay more than you could afford anyway.

beanielou

What you should do is jusat start paying the £5.
Then if it goes to court you can show the court that you made payments.

lyric_grace

beanielou wrote: »

What you should do is jusat start paying the £5.
Then if it goes to court you can show the court that you made payments.

I was going to say something along the same lines, as at least you could stand up in court and prove you want to pay it off (not that it will get that far!)