New here - please help :-(

The_Dragon

Wow - that sounds like a result then Liz!

RAS

ACEY wrote: »

BUT.... I have also dashed off the letter to the Citizens Advice Bureau asking for a copy of the letter they wrote to MCS in 2005....

Great because I was going to ask you to do that.

ACEY wrote: »

AND I've been on the phone to the Warm Front grant people. The lady suggested they fit me some loft insultation and low energy light bulbs.

You should get 4 lamps. Put them in the rooms where you use the lights most. In a room where you use lighting an average of 4 hours a day (0 in summer and 8hours in winter) you they will save you £8 a year each, and they should last 8-10 years.

With the insulation do you have flat ceilings or do your bedrooms have sloping ceilings? If they put the recommended amount above a flat ceiling, it is difficult to use the loft for storage, although you can build a storage shelf near the trapdoor.

Then she said they could upgrade/fix my central heating. When I pointed out that I don't have any heating, she said they could fit some up to the value of £2,700!!!!!!!!

let's hope they can give you some good advice, even partial heating in the living room and core works wonders.

have you tried the link re getting the county to transport the kids toschool? I know that you may well be going past some days, but it would save you petrol, car costs and mean that you could look a bit more widely for work.

Frith

School transport is a bit awkward because the ex takes and collects Mondays and Tuesdays (its the mad court order again), I work there anyway on Thursdays and little son comes home at lunchtimes!

Still shocked by Warm Front - why aren't these offers advertised more widely?

Liz

rog2

ACEY wrote: »

Still shocked by Warm Front - why aren't these offers advertised more widely?

It's like anything that benefits the ordinary person, but doesn't generate profit - it's only there if you look for it.

I'm glad you've found it, and are getting some decent results now.

RAS

ACEY wrote: »

Still shocked by Warm Front - why aren't these offers advertised more widely?

Liz

ACEY

Just do make sure it is warm front and not some company on behalf warm front. I have a poster from a company in burnley who are definately misrepresenting the situation.

The money is there, just it is like bank fess, you can collect it yourself, or you can pay someone else to sort it for you.

This is the main site http://www.warmfront.co.uk/index.htm.

And yes, aint it great.

RAS

ACEY wrote: »

School transport is a bit awkward because the ex takes and collects Mondays and Tuesdays (its the mad court order again), I work there anyway on Thursdays and little son comes home at lunchtimes!

Ring them up anyway and explain. Even if it is only two days a week.

Frith

Just a quick note to say this morning I have phoned the Tax Credits helpline for the 3rd time. Each time they deny speaking to me before and tell me I am a wage earner so not entitled to any extra Tax Credits. I then explain that I have not worked since August 2006 and they agree and say they are changing the details on their computer.....

Is there any manager type person I could write to so it is settled properly?

No letter from the CAB just yet; MCS have gone quiet which can only be a good thing.

Liz

Frith

OK, CAB letter has just arrived! It was sent from CAB to MCS on 26th January, 2005.

Dear Sirs,
(My name and address)

We have been approached by the above named for financial advice and enclose a signed authority to act on our client's behalf.

Mrs X has been forced to leave the marital home due to relationship breakdown and has been unable to obtain details of the money owed to you or precise details of account references.

We would be obliged if you would confirm the amount outstanding to yourselves, the type of agreement entered into and whether or not interest is accruing for our assessment purposes. Also we would appreciate that any recovery action is stayed until we can provide a financial statement and make offers of payment.

We look forward to your reply in due course. Should you wish to discuss this matter further phone us - - -

*****

I have just looked at the letter from MCS where they have written about all the contact they have had with me over the years. It says they received the CAB letter on 1st Feb 2005.

It says they sent the balance details to CAB.

10th Feb 2005 - MCS have written that they received a further letter (?) from CAB stating I had returned home and that there is a repayment arrangement in place.

28th Feb 2005 - MCS received a further letter from CAB to say they were no longer acting on my behalf.

CAB have not sent me copies of the 2 later letters.

I am just remembering how useless CAB were. After my initial interview where I gave them as much information as I could, they did not contact me again. WEEKS went by and various agencies (debt people etc) kept phoning me and my overdrawn account continued to get charges. I think I went to see CAB on around the 9th Jan 2005. I really don't understand CAB's 10th Feb letter as no one had contacted me to find out my plans for repayment.

Liz

The_Dragon

Acey could you not go into your local DSS office (or what ever it is called this week!) and speak to someone face to face and get them to change it on the computer then and there!:mad:

debt_doctor

Hi Acey,

Tax credits are notoriously crap ! - as many on here will know. Will get you the complaints contact details for tommorrow.

DD