DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 9

Puzzcat

Hi Beans and welcome..


Just something to note that SC take the money usually on the 1st or 10th? of the month but don't pay the creditors until the 25th so token payments are a good idea to cover the gap and show willing. I wrote to all my creditors 3 times in all as I took awhile getting my dmp organised.


Good Luck with your Journey.


Love Puzz. x

Puzzcat

raspberry22 wrote: »

Thanks again everyone. I'm just in a panic. I'll try contacting them once the charges are confirmed, but any time I've spoken to them in the past they have been less than sympathetic.

And to round off my delightful start to the week, I had someone at the door yesterday, I think from Barclaycard. Told him I don't speak to anyone here and closed the door and he left.

Bank stuff arrived today, am now just waiting on 1 more bill DD to be confirmed and I can get it all going.

I know things can only get better, but finding it hard just now.

Hi Raspberry,


This sounds a little strange have you taken any calls or opened any mail from BC indicating someone would call? I would be very tempted to ring them and find out what it was all about.


I also have a debt with BC and received a call early on which I answered and advised of dmp set up, sc ref number etc. To be honest they have been fab, no interest and moved my date to fit with SC's payments.


Love Puzz. x

Baked_Beans_Babe.

Thanks Monkeyballs and Puzzcat,

I'm at the start of the DMP journey and have only just received the pack from SC today so I'm going through it tonight with the Hubby to see what needs to be done.

The lady at SC said that payment would be taken on the 10th not the 12th my mistake, I'm not sure that it will all be set up in time.
I think I'm just getting abit stressed by it all at the moment.

Good news on bank account though, coop have phoned today to say sorry as they forget to get us to sign a form whilst we were there, so it's in the post just need to sign and send back then new account opened.:T
Thanks x

Puzzcat

Baked_Beans_Babe. wrote: »

Thanks Monkeyballs and Puzzcat,

I'm at the start of the DMP journey and have only just received the pack from SC today so I'm going through it tonight with the Hubby to see what needs to be done.

The lady at SC said that payment would be taken on the 10th not the 12th my mistake, I'm not sure that it will all be set up in time.
I think I'm just getting abit stressed by it all at the moment.

Good news on bank account though, coop have phoned today to say sorry as they forget to get us to sign a form whilst we were there, so it's in the post just need to sign and send back then new account opened.:T
Thanks x

You may be better going for a 1st March start and paying all your creditors a token payment for an extra month, then you can bank what you would have paid/Feb dmp payment to use as an emergency fund.

Time_to_face_the_music

Baked_Beans_Babe. wrote: »

Hello I've been reading through this thread for the last few weeks/months.
I got in contact with step change on Monday and felt so much relief after speaking to them.
I'm not yet ready to own up to my debts on here but once I get everything together then I will post once DMP is set up.
I've got jus a few questions to ask, do I need to get in contact with creditors or will step change do that, the lady I spoke to at step change indicated that they would get in contact and set up the plan, once I had filled out the form.
How long after opening coop account did you get info re account numbers and new debit cards.
Has anyone ever been turned downby the coop for the cashminder account.
Thanking you in advance x

Puzzcat wrote: »

You may be better going for a 1st March start and paying all your creditors a token payment for an extra month, then you can bank what you would have paid/Feb dmp payment to use as an emergency fund.

Hi Baked Beans Babe and welcome :hello:

Start of a DMP can be a real emotional roller coaster and sometimes it can be difficult to speak to creditors, especially then they are insisting you make a payment there and then while on the phone.

I left the Stepchange reference number by the house phone and put it on a post it note on my mobile. Every time anyone rang, I said "I am starting a DMP with CCCS (now Stepchange). My reference number is XXXXXXX. They are authorised to communicate with you on my behalf" and put the phone down. One day when Lloyds TSB were being a real PITA, I even pretended to be an answering machine

Am in total agreement with Puzz re starting in March not February.

1) It gives you a chance to save an emergency fund.

2) It allows you to practice your budget and correct anything you have forgotten.

3) A few token payments of £1 a month can really encourage some quick defaults

Anything you need to know, just ask. Someone here will always try to help, so please stick around and join in.

TTFTM x

Time_to_face_the_music

raspberry22 wrote: »

Thanks again everyone. I'm just in a panic. I'll try contacting them once the charges are confirmed, but any time I've spoken to them in the past they have been less than sympathetic.

And to round off my delightful start to the week, I had someone at the door yesterday, I think from Barclaycard. Told him I don't speak to anyone here and closed the door and he left.

Bank stuff arrived today, am now just waiting on 1 more bill DD to be confirmed and I can get it all going.

I know things can only get better, but finding it hard just now.

If Barclaycard or anyone else are sending people to your house, you can write to them and say they are only permitted to contact you by mail and no telephone calls or home visits will be tolerated.

Harrassment by debt collectors is taken seriously, if necessary start logging the number, dates and times of calls/any further visits and then make an official complaint. If you need a template letter to do this, someone here will point you in the right direction.

I know this is very stressful but I promise you it does get better.

dmb_2

Allypops wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I will definitely have a look at that site.
I am a bit worried about Lloyds....are they one of your creditors? They seem to enjoy making me squirm so I don't know if they would be likely to play ball.

Lloyds are one of my creditors. They have been fine with being self-managed but it took them a while before they stopped interest at the start when I was with Stepchange.


Hope all goes well

raspberry22

Time_to_face_the_music wrote: »

If Barclaycard or anyone else are sending people to your house, you can write to them and say they are only permitted to contact you by mail and no telephone calls or home visits will be tolerated.

Harrassment by debt collectors is taken seriously, if necessary start logging the number, dates and times of calls/any further visits and then make an official complaint. If you need a template letter to do this, someone here will point you in the right direction.

I know this is very stressful but I promise you it does get better.

Thank you. I really don't know what I would do without this thread.

I was really surprised as I hadn't had any indication that I'm aware of that they might try this. (I don't answer the phone though as I find it too stressful) I'm going get onto token payments as soon as I get everything going, I can contact them through secure messaging, is it worth doing this just now to say that I'm setting up the DMP? How do token payments work - is there a template letter to send and can I pay the normal way or does it have to be cheque/postal order?

Sorry again for all the questions!

Growurown

raspberry22 wrote: »

Thank you. I really don't know what I would do without this thread.

I was really surprised as I hadn't had any indication that I'm aware of that they might try this. (I don't answer the phone though as I find it too stressful) I'm going get onto token payments as soon as I get everything going, I can contact them through secure messaging, is it worth doing this just now to say that I'm setting up the DMP? How do token payments work - is there a template letter to send and can I pay the normal way or does it have to be cheque/postal order?

Sorry again for all the questions!

Hi Raspberry, there are some useful templates on the National Debtline website. Here's a link. You can adapt this for your own circumstances. I would leave out the bit about your income and expenditure and say you can't pay and please accept this token amount and explain you are in the process of setting up a DMP with SC.

http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/debt_advice.php#6

Most people send postal orders but a cheque would be OK too if you have your new bank account sorted. I actually paid over the counter in the bank using the counterfoil on the bills and said in my letter that I made a payment of £? on such a date. It seemed to work OK.

Keep your chin up, don't let the barstewards get you down!

Sazzie23

Hi Baked Beans Babe :hello:

Just read on the catch up that you had joined. welcome and well done for making a start on dealing with debts. Its really not easy and as I've said before I cried for days when starting out with the DMP, but it does get easier and occaisonally now I even answer calls from numbers I don't recognise!:eek:

SC SMP payments by DD are on 1st or 8th of month and the payment to your creditors arrives for 25th usually, so there is quite a time lag especially if you decide to start in March, defo do the token payments to creditors with details of SC if you can bring yourself to do it.

Raspberry, it'll be ok just keep the SC details to hand, you could always write them down and stick a notice in the window if anyone comes back?

TTftm

That is fabbie news, so pleased for you and excellent progress.
My horoscope says I'm coming into loads of money this year - :rotfl: but I'm liviing in hope

MB - great news too - motivational as always :T