DRO application help please

username200

vics1928 wrote: »

Surely that us not right - have you popped your details into the benefits calculator?

What is not right? We do get all the benefits we are entitled to, CA have checked it for us as well.

We have about £500mnth earnings from husbands job, about £200 week WTC and CTC we get under £800mnth housing benefit but our rent is £1190mnth.

Only a little help with CT since the changes last year, we find it very hard to get the council tax together, I know we live in an expensive area but this is the only area we have ever lived and its only been expensive recently, ears ago when I grew up here it was considered a rough low value area.

Certainly with our outgoings we have less than £50mnth spare.

username200

username200 wrote: »

I have been to CA a lot, also on the phone to stepchange a lot. They all tell me a DRO is prob my best bet.

We are getting all the benefits we can, people like us just have to live a very thrifty life.

I am still not sure about my arrears for gas/electric and water. Also phone and internet not to mention old mobile contracts saying I owe over £1000.

Can anyone tell me the council tax and utilities arrears which are not all in my name, is it a case of being able to put half in my DRO application?

Can anyone answer my last question here please?

fatbelly

username200 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me the council tax and utilities arrears which are not all in my name, is it a case of being able to put half in my DRO application?

No - you list the whole balance for jointly owned debts, which is what I assume you mean by 'not all in my name'.

The general principle is that your liability is cancelled and the balance transferred to a new account opened in the other party's name.

Some water authorities will wipe the whole lot but they are under no obligation to do so and you cannot rely on it.

If you want to clear joint debts with a DRO, both parties must do one.

username200

fatbelly wrote: »

No - you list the whole balance .

The general principle is that your liability is cancelled and a new account opened in the other party's name.

Some water authorities will wipe the whole lot.

Wow really? thanks. Even if some of the utilities ere not in my name until recently. Now I swapped the name over to me but I was the one responsible for trying to pay them.

longtermplanner

username200 wrote: »

What is not right? We do get all the benefits we are entitled to, CA have checked it for us as well.

You can't be hit by the benefits cap if you are getting working tax credit.

So the only reason I can think is that your rent is much more than the LHA (local housing allowance) for a 2 bed flat. Is that right?

Are you in London? That would explain the rent. But in London surely your partner doesn't need to have a car. Losing that would save a lot in expenses per month.

nb I am not saying that you shouldnt go for a DRO. I am just concerned that it will just be a quick fix, but with insufficient income your debts will start to accumulate again.

username200

longtermplanner wrote: »

You can't be hit by the benefits cap if you are getting working tax credit.

So the only reason I can think is that your rent is much more than the LHA (local housing allowance) for a 2 bed flat. Is that right?

Are you in London? That would explain the rent. But in London surely your partner doesn't need to have a car. Losing that would save a lot in expenses per month.

nb I am not saying that you shouldnt go for a DRO. I am just concerned that it will just be a quick fix, but with insufficient income your debts will start to accumulate again.

Yes you are right, but we do need a car.

Lots of people around us are in the same boat, most of our income goes on rent and council tax.

After the Dro we will live very thrifty we will be on prepay metres and want to not use them much at all. As I said my husband and I go a couple of days a week without food. The kids have all our food we can afford.

wba31

fatbelly wrote: »

No - you list the whole balance .

The general principle is that your liability is cancelled and a new account opened in the other party's name.

Some water authorities will wipe the whole lot.

The debts are not in OP's name, unless Mr does a DRO the debts will not be cleared

username200

wba31 wrote: »

The debts are not in OP's name, unless Mr does a DRO the debts will not be cleared

Yes I thought so, but others on here say the opposite.

longtermplanner

username200 wrote: »

Yes you are right, but we do need a car.

Lots of people around us are in the same boat, most of our income goes on rent and council tax.

After the Dro we will live very thrifty we will be on prepay metres and want to not use them much at all. As I said my husband and I go a couple of days a week without food. The kids have all our food we can afford.

Then sorry but you need to move to a less expensive area. On your current incomes there is no way you can pay that much rent.

Why do you need a car? No-one does in London unless they are a self employed craftsman and are moving around their plumbing or decorating stuff. It might be convenient sometimes but it is not essential. If your OH is living a long way from his work, then you need to move closer to it.

I know these won't be the suggestions you wanted. But your debts are the result of too little income in relation to your expenses. Unless you can solve this problem, a DRO is not going to be a solution, however attractive it sounds at the moment.

vics1928

That means after rent etc you have about £100 for bills and food etc how are you making that work - post an SOA so people here can give advice on how you may improve your situation