Claiming bank charges because of financial hardship - purchases

EllaBeagle

There are a few purchases on my bank statement which I think would probably go against my claims for financial hardship.

To name them:

When I've taken the kids to mcdonalds as a treat (very few and far between!)
Paid for some items from an online shop for my mum who then gave me the money
Purchases for christmas presents from money paid into my bank that I got from shoppacheck?
Purchases from BHS etc for school uniforms however the bank doesn't know that they were for uniforms


More often than not I have been unable to meet priority payments and consider myself to genuinely be in financial hardship.

If you were the bank and you saw these purchases on my bank statement would you think otherwise? They occur once a month if that.

dunstonh

When I've taken the kids to mcdonalds as a treat (very few and far between!)

Yes, that would work against you.

Paid for some items from an online shop for my mum who then gave me the money

as would that unless the money from your mum was paid into the account over the following week.

Purchases for christmas presents from money paid into my bank that I got from shoppacheck?

Depends on the size of the purchases.

Purchases from BHS etc for school uniforms however the bank doesn't know that they were for uniforms

wouldnt impact negatively.

Wywth

EllaBeagle wrote: »

There are a few purchases on my bank statement which I think would probably go against my claims for financial hardship.

To name them:

When I've taken the kids to mcdonalds as a treat (very few and far between!)
Paid for some items from an online shop for my mum who then gave me the money
Purchases for christmas presents from money paid into my bank that I got from shoppacheck?
Purchases from BHS etc for school uniforms however the bank doesn't know that they were for uniforms


More often than not I have been unable to meet priority payments and consider myself to genuinely be in financial hardship.

If you were the bank and you saw these purchases on my bank statement would you think otherwise? They occur once a month if that.

Can I ask why do you take your kids to MaccyD's when you admit there are priority debts going upaid?

How much are the christmas presents costing that you are buying online?

How much is the kids school uniforms in BHS? I think Asda (and perhaps other supermarkets) do some real cheap school uniform items, especially at the start of term. (e.g. £2.50 for a shirt/blouse)

Why are you buying items for your mum online (even if she does give you the money)? You do realise that if you are in debt, then each additional withdrawal transaction will probably incur you in still more fees?

Do you think you have your priorities set correctly?

EllaBeagle

Wywth wrote: »

Can I ask why do you take your kids to MaccyD's when you admit there are priority debts going upaid?

How much are the christmas presents costing that you are buying online?

How much is the kids school uniforms in BHS? I think Asda (and perhaps other supermarkets) do some real cheap school uniform items, especially at the start of term. (e.g. £2.50 for a shirt/blouse)

Why are you buying items for your mum online (even if she does give you the money)? You do realise that if you are in debt, then each additional withdrawal transaction will probably incur you in still more fees?

Do you think you have your priorities set correctly?

Answers to your questions in order that you wrote them:

One week when I had paid all my debts including priority bills, petrol, food etc I had 10 pounds left over with which I treated my kids to a macdonalds at the cost of 2 pounds each. Hardly a detrimental impact. The following weeks however I struggled to pay bills for many reasons such as the transition from benefits to employment still hanging over me as I'm still paying off arrears from back then. The transition from being in and out of temporary work this year and then having found a permanent job, my wage is alot lower with 30.00 to 40.00 pounds of that being spent on fuel per week (my car is my only option for getting to work as you will see from past threads) and the fact that I am now adjusting to monthly pay.

I borrowed 200.00 from shoppacheck for christmas presents so spent 100.00 each on my two children for christmas.

At the time when I spent money in BHS for uniforms they had been reduced. Most of my items for school uniform I bought in store 21 however the shoes and socks which I bought in BHS were better quality and price.

In reply to your last question my mum saw something she liked a while ago in a magazine. I had a look online for it and obviously as she is elderly she doesn't know how to work a computer so I said I would buy it online and she gave me the money for it. Yes I obviously know now that it may have cocked things up.

Also, all this occured before I had finally realised the kind of mess I was in and I have since taken steps to manage my debts. My post wasn't to discuss my debt problems, I have gone through them time and time again on MSE and feel like I am repeating myself. I just wanted to know from an outside point of view what the bank would make of these odd purchases here and there.

I'm sure many people in financial hardship have had the odd few opportunities to spend a few pounds on their children, maybe down to someone giving them that money, finding money in the street or whatever. It doesn't mean that they aren't in financial hardship.

If my kids didn't have food (and by that I don't mean macdonalds) or clothes or anywhere to sleep then I would be saying to the bank that I was in poverty not financial hardship.

pooch

Take a look at the sticky about 'Financial hardship online resources'

This will provide links as to how the banks are expected to interpret financial hardship, or poverty as you appear to prefer to call it.

The week you managed to pay back all your priority debts would be the week I think you were no longer in financial hardship, although you may well have fallen back into it since.

But you managed to get out of financial hardship before without getting your charges refunded, so the bank could well think that is not required for you to get out of financial hardship this time.

Hopefully if you are currently in financial hardship, then the £200.00 you got from shoppacheck was for last Christmas, not this one.
That shouldn't affect you too much as the bank are unlikely to consider positively a refund of charges further back than last summer in any case.

pooch

I just had a quick look at your thread here with your SoA

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4250083

I think if the bank see you are paying £420p.a to a mobile phone provider, almost £400 p.a. for satelite tv, and are paying almost £4k a year maintaining and insuring a £600 car (not including petrol), then I very much doubt the bank will accept any claim under financial hardship, sorry.

EllaBeagle

pooch wrote: »

Take a look at the sticky about 'Financial hardship online resources'

This will provide links as to how the banks are expected to interpret financial hardship, or poverty as you appear to prefer to call it.

The week you managed to pay back all your priority debts would be the week I think you were no longer in financial hardship, although you may well have fallen back into it since.

But you managed to get out of financial hardship before without getting your charges refunded, so the bank could well think that is not required for you to get out of financial hardship this time.

Hopefully if you are currently in financial hardship, then the £200.00 you got from shoppacheck was for last Christmas, not this one.
That shouldn't affect you too much as the bank are unlikely to consider positively a refund of charges further back than last summer in any case.

Can you tell me exactly where I said I was in poverty?

EllaBeagle

pooch wrote: »

I just had a quick look at your thread here with your SoA

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4250083

I think if the bank see you are paying £420p.a to a mobile phone provider, almost £400 p.a. for satelite tv, and are paying almost £4k a year maintaining and insuring a £600 car (not including petrol), then I very much doubt the bank will accept any claim under financial hardship, sorry.

All of these have now been reduced. Also, my SOA is wrong in alot of places and needs redoing. The 600.00 pound car has now been sold and the full amount I got from it cleared one of my debts.

EllaBeagle

EllaBeagle wrote: »

If my kids didn't have food (and by that I don't mean macdonalds) or clothes or anywhere to sleep then I would be saying to the bank that I was in poverty not financial hardship.

Pooch, when I mentioned poverty I wasn't saying I was in poverty I was giving an example of the difference between poverty and financial hardship.

Poverty to me is being unable to afford food, clothes, bed etc.

Financial hardship, which I consider myself to be in, is when you are struggling so much with debt that more often than not can't pay priority bills. Regardless of whether or not I have spend 4.00 as a one off in macdonalds for my children.

roonaldo

I don't understand this post, most of your post refers to shopping and you're in hardship! is this a serious post? Your other post says you just applied for a mortgage.

roonaldo

EllaBeagle wrote: »

Financial hardship, which I consider myself to be in, is when you are struggling so much with debt that more often than not can't pay priority bills. Regardless of whether or not I have spend 4.00 as a one off in macdonalds for my children.

You're not in hardship, you are spending beyond your means.
If you were in hardship your outgoings would be way beyond your income, leaving no £4 for macdonalds.