Kate's Journey

Toomuchdebt

Ring them even if you don't get a letter as letters can take 2 weeks to arrive.Offer what you can afford for the overpayment and explain that the payments being stopped will leave you under what you need to live on and see what they say.

Kate_fixing_it

Thanks toomuchdebt, I'm just hanging on for the postie just in case, he's usually here around 12 so I'll do exactly that. Fortunately it's a teacher day at school so I'm at home today (although I've been deserted by the kids ) I'll give it a little longer and give them a call. I can't imagine they'll say no to a reasonable repayment plan - again I might be delusional there

I'm just planning my weekend while I wait, I'll be Netflix-ing, bulk cooking, board-gaming and leg-resting. As soon as I know more I'll post again whatever the outcome.

Kate x

Kate_fixing_it

Not good news. Payments have stopped because we've received our full entitlement for the year. This has nothing to do with the overpayment which they tell me is around £2,000!

Tax credit payments will restart on 7th April for the new tax year and I'll be able to arrange a payment plan to pay it back. Those payments will be £20 per week based on last year's income. They've been paying us £111 up to now.

I have a garage bill of £228 to pay, £37 in the bank and £242 child benefit being paid on Monday. I need the car to be fixed as I can't walk more than 100 yards and need to get children to school and me to work. I'm really not sure how I'm going to cope, I'm in a blind panic right now.

I've called the garage and explained the situation. I asked what the bill stands at now. Quite simply we can't afford to fix the car. It's worth £200ish as scrap and we could claim the tax back (was only taxed last month at £123 for 6 months) and if we can "manage" on one car until I go into hospital that'd help - I won't be able to drive for a month after.

A part of me is wondering if I should enter a DMP and try to get all interest stopped but up to now I've never defaulted. I'm not overly concerned about my credit score and I certainly don't want more credit but looking at the bigger picture we're going to really struggle over the next few months.

I'm just in a total panic right now. Good sense is telling me it's one hiccup and there has to be a way to fix things but I'm so full of emotion I can't think straight.

Kate x

tattycath

Kate_fixing_it wrote: »

Not good news. Payments have stopped because we've received our full entitlement for the year. This has nothing to do with the overpayment which they tell me is around £2,000!

Tax credit payments will restart on 7th April for the new tax year and I'll be able to arrange a payment plan to pay it back. Those payments will be £20 per week based on last year's income. They've been paying us £111 up to now.

I have a garage bill of £228 to pay, £37 in the bank and £242 child benefit being paid on Monday. I need the car to be fixed as I can't walk more than 100 yards and need to get children to school and me to work. I'm really not sure how I'm going to cope, I'm in a blind panic right now.

I've called the garage and explained the situation. I asked what the bill stands at now. Quite simply we can't afford to fix the car. It's worth £200ish as scrap and we could claim the tax back (was only taxed last month at £123 for 6 months) and if we can "manage" on one car until I go into hospital that'd help - I won't be able to drive for a month after.

A part of me is wondering if I should enter a DMP and try to get all interest stopped but up to now I've never defaulted. I'm not overly concerned about my credit score and I certainly don't want more credit but looking at the bigger picture we're going to really struggle over the next few months.

I'm just in a total panic right now. Good sense is telling me it's one hiccup and there has to be a way to fix things but I'm so full of emotion I can't think straight.

Kate x

Tax credits overpaid us nearly 3 years ago and they let us pay them back over about 3 years-last payment goes out in august. We have always earned too much to get tax credits since -not that you'd notice

Have you got stuff you can sell on the bay of e? To alleviate the immediate problem?
Good luck, I'm sure you'll cope somehow.

Kate_fixing_it

tattycath wrote: »

Tax credits overpaid us nearly 3 years ago and they let us pay them back over but 3 years-last payment goes out in august. We have always earned too much to get tax credits since -not that you'd notice

Have you got stuff you can sell on the bay of e? To alleviate the immediate problem?
Good luck, I'm sure you'll cope somehow.

I've sold anything that's of value and not in use when I started my DFW journey. There absolutely has to be a way to sort this. I've called DH at work so he can get any murderous thoughts out the way before he came home and he suggested getting rid of the car.

I think I'm just thinking too far ahead and getting wound up about things that haven't happened yet.

You're right though, I'll cope somehow, I always do and I'm not about to roll over and play dead over this

tattycath

Have you not got any clothes, shoes etc that the children have outgrown that you could sell?
Anything you could do a carboot with? Toys they no longer play with etc etc
I periodically go through my wardrobe and see what I haven't worn for over a year and I either sell it on eb@y,carboot or c@sh4clothes.
Just a thought.

beanielou

Why don't you speak to one of the debt charity's to see what they suggest?
Keep plodding

Kate_fixing_it

beanielou wrote: »

Why don't you speak to one of the debt charity's to see what they suggest?
Keep plodding

Doing exactly that right now. I can't do this on my own any more xxx

beanielou

Good~I hope you get the support you need xx

Kate_fixing_it

Right well! LBM anyone?

After over an hour on the phone with step change I am now a client. I feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders. I've done all I can alone. I've been toying with the idea for a few weeks and I done it.

My credit file is going to be trashed but it's not that great anyway. I really cannot find the words to express my relief. There are bits in my budget that I've just gone without for the last few months.

feels like a fresh start.

Kate x