DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 11

January2015

I haven't received any email from SC either. Confused

Puzzcat

Me neither...any chance you can let us know what it actually said?
Puzz.x

crispycornflake

Puzzcat wrote: »

Me neither...any chance you can let us know what it actually said?
Puzz.x

Dear Client,
Your debt management plan (DMP) agreement
Please find enclosed a new DMP agreement which replaces the original agreement you signed when you first set up your plan.
We’ve highlighted the key changes below. If you’re happy you don’t need to do anything, just keep this agreement safe.
We’ve improved it by adding more information about the terms and conditions both you and StepChange Debt Charity are bound by to keep your DMP running.
The main things you need to be aware of in the new agreement are:
 It now outlines our obligation to provide you with ongoing debt advice (clause 1.1) and keep the money that you send us in a non-interest bearing bank account separate from the charity’s money until it is disbursed to your creditors or if it is returned from your creditors (clause 1.6)  It outlines your obligation not to borrow more money or enter into a new credit agreement without discussing it with us first (clause 2.5) and that you remain responsible for your debts when you’re on your plan (clause 2.8)  It clarifies that whilst we’ll try to stop creditors continuing collection activity, charging interest or fees, or taking legal action against you, we cannot prevent this from happening (clause 2.9)  It highlights that if you ignore correspondence or requests for information from us or any of your creditors, your creditors may cancel your payment arrangement and take action against you (clause 2.12)  There are two additional instances when we’ll end your agreement - if you don’t complete your annual DMP review when we ask you to (clause 3.3) or if, following an annual review, we determine that the DMP is no longer a suitable repayment solution for you (clause 3.4)  It provides clearer information about what we’ll do with your data and your obligations about disclosing it and keeping it up to date (section 4)  It states that if we become aware of a debt which is not currently within your DMP, we may add the repayment of it to your plan (clause 5.3)  There’s a new section outlining when the agreement can be amended (section 6)


Hi, I have copied & pasted the main document above, there are 2 other pdf files with loads more. I'll see if I can post those as well.

crispycornflake

It provides clearer information about what we’ll do with your data and your obligations
about disclosing it and keeping it up to date (section 4)
 It states that if we become aware of a debt which is not currently within your DMP,
we may add the repayment of it to your plan (clause 5.3)
 There’s a new section outlining when the agreement can be amended (section 6)

I don't like the above section, what do they mean about data? It also implies they will have more control, what if I want to pay any creditor's more money to settle quicker or do f&f settlements? The whole point is to be debt free & then rebuild credit rating, not have no control when on an 'informal' agreement! Had we have wanted to go be controlled we would have chosen an iva or gone bankrupt!

January2015

crispycornflake wrote: »

It provides clearer information about what we’ll do with your data and your obligations
about disclosing it and keeping it up to date (section 4)
 It states that if we become aware of a debt which is not currently within your DMP,
we may add the repayment of it to your plan (clause 5.3)
 There’s a new section outlining when the agreement can be amended (section 6)

I don't like the above section, what do they mean about data? It also implies they will have more control, what if I want to pay any creditor's more money to settle quicker or do f&f settlements? The whole point is to be debt free & then rebuild credit rating, not have no control when on an 'informal' agreement! Had we have wanted to go be controlled we would have chosen an iva or gone bankrupt!

I wouldn't worry too much about the paragraph about 'data'. They are obligated to notify about how they handle, use, share/disclose client data. That is a standard requirement from the Information Commissioner's Officer (ICO) under The Data Protection Act. They also have a responsibility to ensure the data is current/relevant for the purposes they hold it for. Therefore there will be obligations on clients to ensure they keep SC updated with changes etc.

That's all very standard to ensure full compliance with the DP Act. The fines from the ICO can be huge if they are found to be in serious breach of the DP Act so I expect they have had an audit and it has identified how things could/should be tightened up to improve their compliance (that's not to say they were not compliant before, but there's always room for improvement).

crispycornflake

January2015 wrote: »

I wouldn't worry too much about the paragraph about 'data'. They are obligated to notify about how they handle, use, share/disclose client data. That is a standard requirement from the Information Commissioner's Officer (ICO) under The Data Protection Act. They also have a responsibility to ensure the data is current/relevant for the purposes they hold it for. Therefore there will be obligations on clients to ensure they keep SC updated with changes etc.

That's all very standard to ensure full compliance with the DP Act. The fines from the ICO can be huge if they are found to be in serious breach of the DP Act so I expect they have had an audit and it has identified how things could/should be tightened up to improve their compliance (that's not to say they were not compliant before, but there's always room for improvement).[/QUO

I think we're going to try the self managed dmp route, we just need to get everything organised. Also plan to do the CCA letters, fingers crossed some may go our way anything to get rid of this debt quicker, this is why we want to self manage so we can do f&f's and pay more into the higher debts.

crispycornflake

I'm beginning to wonder why nobody else seems to have had the e mail, strange...

Puzzcat

crispycornflake wrote: »

I'm beginning to wonder why nobody else seems to have had the e mail, strange...

Because you are special:D or maybe as your dmp was set up quite awhile ago maybe most of us newer dmp'ers already signed up to those t & c's ?
Puzz.x

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere

crispycornflake wrote: »

I'm beginning to wonder why nobody else seems to have had the e mail, strange...

I had the email Prob about 3 weeks ago. Nothing concerned me greatly - it just seemed to me that there were a few more things that we have to ensure we do to meet the DMP T&Cs eg prompt income review and no further credit etc.

Took out my DMP in Oct 2014 - not sure why so few of us appear to have received the email.

BDFSH x

Sazzie23

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere wrote: »

I had the email Prob about 3 weeks ago. Nothing concerned me greatly - it just seemed to me that there were a few more things that we have to ensure we do to meet the DMP T&Cs eg prompt income review and no further credit etc.

Took out my DMP in Oct 2014 - not sure why so few of us appear to have received the email.

BDFSH x

I might be in the doodoo if they run a credit check, I bought some stuff on my studio account for Christmas, I've been paying it off but it does show up on noddle. Oh well I'll just keep schtum and see what happens.

Will check back to Oct to see if the email is loitering there, ta.