DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 9

anywayout

Hopelessly_Hopeful wrote: »

Morning

I applied for a coop standard account online at the weekend and had the account open with money in it by the Wednesday.

Hope that helps.

HHx

Thanks to everyone who replied about the bank account. My nearest co op is 50miles away and with my shifts I find it hard to get there. I dont think I would get a standard account because of my credit and im scared to apply in case that effects me getting the basic account. I cant go with natwest as one of my creditors is rbs. I looked online and there are cards u can get ur wages paid into but they charge and seem a bit dodgy - I need to get it sorted soon to give my work a chance to change the details. Thabks again for everyone's help.

Find_The_Real

Hello Anywayout, although their IT systems are still not fully merged yet, you can also use branches of the Britannia BS for basic stuff so there may be a slightly nearer branch than a Co-op one. Nationwide do a basic cash card account as well if you don't have debts with them and you can open that online (I think!)

I think you are doing the right thing Mossop, GUO and Catandy by reviewing your budgets and not just struggling each month to try and maintain the payments. Whilst it is good to see the balances go down each month, I don't think it is in anyone's best interests to live on the breadline in order to pay off debts. I made sure I had a healthy food and fuel budget and claimed for a few things I wouldn't necessarily use so that I could get through the month.

Growurown

anywayout wrote: »

I spoke to soon yesterday a man called my mums work today looking for me

Is this legal? Doesn't the data protection act prevent people from doing this? If it doesn't it should.

anywayout wrote: »

Im now panicking about who else will contact my mum and how they got the number there is only so many lies I can tell - my mum would disown me if she knew the extent of all this she is soo good with money - im so upset with myself for getting into this mess. I just want it sorted soon so I can sleep at night and not have this constant knot in my stomach!!!!

I hope it doesn't happen again. I haven't told any of my family about being on a DMP. I'd be too embarrassed because they all have done really well, bought their own places. In fact two of my siblings own two properties each, live in one and rent one out. We are in rented still because of our financial ineptitude:(

I'm sure your mum wouldn't disown you. She might be angry at first but I reckon she would come round.

Hopelessly_Hopeful

Mossop01 wrote: »

Hi all, 6 months into our dmp and I've just had to do a review due to increase in household bills. If there's one piece of advice I could give any newbies is don't scrimp on your budget, I panicked when setting up our dmp and tried to throw every spare penny at it, big mistake! If ur in this for the long haul like me then it has to be manageable, after 6 months of really struggling we have given in and increased our living expenses, decreasing our payments by £100 a month. I know this is going to add a lot more time to our dmp but it will hopefully let us eat better and live a little.
Has anyone had any experience of the repercussions of decreasing payments to creditors? I'm hoping the backlash isn't too bad, feel abit like we're back to square one today and really disappointed we've had to do this but we didn't have much choice it was too stressful for us living like that.

Hi Mossop

Pleased you went for a review. Life is just too short! The creditors may kick off but if they do you can deal with it. Also provides you with further proof of financial hardship so you can reapply the interest free or reduction squeeze or get the FOS involved. All doable just requires some effort but we know you can do that.

HHx

Hopelessly_Hopeful

Growurown wrote: »

No but I am thinking of doing the same. I reckon as long as your SOA is reasonable and you pay regularly still they probably won't kick up too much of a fuss.

It's two and a half weeks to pay day and I am down to my last £250. Bearing in mind £160 of that will go on fuel it doesn't leave me much wiggle room.:(

I guess I am just going to have to be very inventive with the food shopping.

Go for it GUO. Hope it goes well.

HHx

Hopelessly_Hopeful

anywayout wrote: »

Hi

I spoke to soon yesterday a man called my mums work today looking for me - I called him back and it was from moorcroft (simply be) wanting to make an appointment to come out and see me!!! How they got that number I have no clue I dont remember putting it on any paperwork - why would I? I explained that I was on a dmp and they should be in touch with offers of payment he said he would wait and see but now he had my number he would call again soon if no one had been in touch!! I called stepchange and they said not to worry to send them the 'only write to me' letter but they would be contacting creditors next week hopefully so fingers crossed it stops soon. While on the phone to him I got a text from wonga saying they had collected a partial payment but have checked my online bank and they havent so im still ok there. Im now panicking about who else will contact my mum and how they got the number there is only so many lies I can tell - my mum would disown me if she knew the extent of all this she is soo good with money - im so upset with myself for getting into this mess. I just want it sorted soon so I can sleep at night and not have this constant knot in my stomach!!!!

How awful for you. This is so out of order. Get those letters off in the post please, recorded delivery. It will stop. Have you written to all the others doing the same?

HHx

Puzzcat

Second creditor call for me today on my home phone, I did miss a call yesterday and goggled the number which indicated who it may be! It was the lovely Halifax advising I had missed a payment blah blah.. advised her of SC ref number and she said they would put a hold on my account for 30 days..

She also advised me that I would get a late fee of £12.. I think in the grand scheme of things this isn't going to make a lot of difference....! I also calculated out that since closing my Halifax CC 30 months ago I have paid approx £2250 and the balance has dropped by £353.... fingers crossed it will move a bit quicker once I'm set up.... well I can hope..:D

Also hand delivered my 'please close this account' letter this morning to the bank.. I went when they were closed so I didn't get asked any questions.. see I am a coward really...:o

Good luck to all the other newbies. x

anywayout

Hopelessly_Hopeful wrote: »

How awful for you. This is so out of order. Get those letters off in the post please, recorded delivery. It will stop. Have you written to all the others doing the same?

HHx

Im at work now so hopefully will have 5mins later to type and print the letters asking for letters only to MY adress. I will post them recorded on Monday. I think im going to go with barclays cash account I have found out there is a branch about 20miles away so will visit with my id and hopefully get it sorted then and there. Thanks for everyone's supportive words and help I feel so alone sometimes but coming on here reminds me that other people have done it have survived and I can aswell

kylie_smiley

Hi all! Had a letter from Barclaycard who have said they will freeze all charges etc until they hear from SC - but they want to hear by 28.9.13...should be fine, I know SC have written to people.

Have also had a reply from Natwest saying they cannot action my letter as I have not signed it, and have sent a letter asking me to 'sign on the line below.' This rang alarm bells a bit, so I'm about to ring SC and get their advice :-/

kylie_smiley

Further to that message up there ^^^ it does say I can call and speak to them. That would be ok, wouldn't it?