DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 11

Sazzie23

Boldhoof wrote: »

Evening everyone,

We have received 2 responses today from the 6 letters we sent regarding full and final settlement payments. PRA Group have sent a letter which says that before they are able to discuss a settlement figure they are required to ensure this is affordable and sustainable for us. They have included a income and expenditure form and asked us to return it within 30 days. it is blank, so guess it is their generic form it does ask us to list all our creditors including PRA, Balance owed and monthly payment, they should already have the SC budget plan, so not sure why they need us to fill in another form. Has anyone had this from PRA, any suggestions around what to do next?

The other one is from Tesco Credit Card, it also has included a Financial Statement which is more basic but also asks for information on all creditors. The letter asks for the following information:

*A list of all creditors, with total outstanding balances you owe each one. if this includes any loans, please let us know if they are secured or unsecured. Please enclose a copy of any documentation from creditors who have agreed to accept reduced payments.
I am not comfortable passing such details which would include account numbers to them.
* Offer of repayment
Been a year and they have been getting payments from SC, makes me think this is a generic letter?
* Contact telephone numbers
They have them.

Last part of the letter states that if they do not receive my Financial Statement with offer of payment and my account remains in arrears it will be defaulted, yet is has been defaulted since March 2015. it just seems they have not even read the letter we sent.Any advice on how to proceed with these would be great as we are just not sure what to do next.Thanks

I'm not going to be much help here, but I do know the creditors have to act with fairness and make sure the payments you make are affordable......after all that's why we went into a DMP .....
Even my secured loan when I went into arrears about 12 months ago insisted I couldn't pay more than xxx because it took me above what they felt was appropriate. I don't think they can work out what is appropriate without the I&e, even if we don't have want to give it.

So yes I guess it is the standard letter, but it possibly also has a meaning, could you face calling them to see what the score is?

sourcrates

Boldhoof wrote: »

Evening everyone,

We have received 2 responses today from the 6 letters we sent regarding full and final settlement payments. PRA Group have sent a letter which says that before they are able to discuss a settlement figure they are required to ensure this is affordable and sustainable for us. They have included a income and expenditure form and asked us to return it within 30 days. it is blank, so guess it is their generic form it does ask us to list all our creditors including PRA, Balance owed and monthly payment, they should already have the SC budget plan, so not sure why they need us to fill in another form. Has anyone had this from PRA, any suggestions around what to do next?

The other one is from Tesco Credit Card, it also has included a Financial Statement which is more basic but also asks for information on all creditors. The letter asks for the following information:

*A list of all creditors, with total outstanding balances you owe each one. if this includes any loans, please let us know if they are secured or unsecured. Please enclose a copy of any documentation from creditors who have agreed to accept reduced payments.
I am not comfortable passing such details which would include account numbers to them.
* Offer of repayment
Been a year and they have been getting payments from SC, makes me think this is a generic letter?
* Contact telephone numbers
They have them.

Last part of the letter states that if they do not receive my Financial Statement with offer of payment and my account remains in arrears it will be defaulted, yet is has been defaulted since March 2015. it just seems they have not even read the letter we sent.Any advice on how to proceed with these would be great as we are just not sure what to do next.Thanks

You would not get all this form filling if the debts were with DCA's.

Original creditors can be pretty evasive at times when it comes to settlements.
Another option would be to wait and let them sell the debts on, after an accounts been with a debt collector for more than a few months, the 30% off letters start arriving, wait a bit longer it can go to 50%.

Just a thought .

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere

Hi everyone,

Just after a bit of advice.

We currently have both of our children at primary school and my husband takes them both to school whilst I use the bus for work as we only have the one car.

Our son is due to start secondary school in September - he has autism and we have chosen and been accepted at a fabulous school with an autism resource provision Unfortunately as it is not the closest school to us providing support for special needs we are not entitled to any travel assistance.

The school is about 3 miles from my work and the primary school is completely in the other direction. The best solution would be to get a second car so that my husband would continue to take our daughter and I would drop my son off at his school then drive to work. We have looked into before and after school clubs for our daughter but have worked out that this would cost just over £200 per month :eek:

What would be everyone's advice? Do we contact SC to ask if we can go to token payment for a couple of months to save enough to get a cheap run-a-round? Could we get a car on finance with a company that accepts people with poor credit (not ideal and APRs extremely high) or has anyone got any other suggestions?

Any advice grateful

BDFSH x

Boldhoof

sourcrates wrote: »

You would not get all this form filling if the debts were with DCA's.

Original creditors can be pretty evasive at times when it comes to settlements.
Another option would be to wait and let them sell the debts on, after an accounts been with a debt collector for more than a few months, the 30% off letters start arriving, wait a bit longer it can go to 50%.

Just a thought .

Thanks for the reply. MBNA sold the debt to PRA Group, and they are they are asking for details. I got another letter from Tesco today, this time it mentioned the final settlement letter asking me to ring. Rang them, basically wanted the budget info and who I owed money to, they acknowledged they had the SC budget from October, so I just read off the same budget as nothing has changed, and told them who else I owed, how much and the monthly payments, which basically are nearly the same they have been getting from SC. They said they would ring me, but I asked for everything in writing. I didn't have an issue saying who I owed money to or the amount they get, not trying to hide anything. Se what they get back to me with, suspect they will just sell it on.

As for PRA group the Budget statement they sent isn't as comprehensive as SC so might print SC one off as it breaks it down better and send it to them, including the list and amounts owed to others, might make them realise that this offer is positive.

That sound okay to do?

Thanks

sourcrates

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Just after a bit of advice.

We currently have both of our children at primary school and my husband takes them both to school whilst I use the bus for work as we only have the one car.

Our son is due to start secondary school in September - he has autism and we have chosen and been accepted at a fabulous school with an autism resource provision Unfortunately as it is not the closest school to us providing support for special needs we are not entitled to any travel assistance.

The school is about 3 miles from my work and the primary school is completely in the other direction. The best solution would be to get a second car so that my husband would continue to take our daughter and I would drop my son off at his school then drive to work. We have looked into before and after school clubs for our daughter but have worked out that this would cost just over £200 per month :eek:

What would be everyone's advice? Do we contact SC to ask if we can go to token payment for a couple of months to save enough to get a cheap run-a-round? Could we get a car on finance with a company that accepts people with poor credit (not ideal and APRs extremely high) or has anyone got any other suggestions?

Any advice grateful

BDFSH x

Hi,

My son is 5, and he's autistic. There is only one special school that caters for special needs kids in our county, and that is 18 miles away from us, he gets free council bus to and from school.

Are you positive you do not qualify ? Councils have a duty of care, this dosent sound right to me.
There's some info here :

https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/understanding-autism/education/school-transport

also are you claiming DLA for him ? If not you should be, as most autistic kids qualify for the care part, if not the mobility.

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere

sourcrates wrote: »

Hi,

My son is 5, and he's autistic. There is only one special school that caters for special needs kids in our county, and that is 18 miles away from us, he gets free council bus to and from school.

Are you positive you do not qualify ? Councils have a duty of care, this dosent sound right to me.
There's some info here :

https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/understanding-autism/education/school-transport

also are you claiming DLA for him ? If not you should be, as most autistic kids qualify for the care part, if not the mobility.

Hi Sourcrates,

Thanks for your reply

The school we have chosen is not within our local authority. It is in a neighbouring authority. There is a school in our local authority but we put this as our second choice as it was nowhere near as good as the school we have been accepted into. I'm assuming because it is 'out of area' that this is the reason we are not eligible for transport funding. The letter from the SEN team clearly stated that we would not get any transport costs

We do claim DLA and have had this confirmed for him for the next few years.

We just want the best for him and this school ticks all the boxes - just a dilemma now as to how we get him there every day!! :think:

BDFSH x

sourcrates

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere wrote: »

Hi Sourcrates,

Thanks for your reply

The school we have chosen is not within our local authority. It is in a neighbouring authority. There is a school in our local authority but we put this as our second choice as it was nowhere near as good as the school we have been accepted into. I'm assuming because it is 'out of area' that this is the reason we are not eligible for transport funding. The letter from the SEN team clearly stated that we would not get any transport costs

We do claim DLA and have had this confirmed for him for the next few years.

We just want the best for him and this school ticks all the boxes - just a dilemma now as to how we get him there every day!! :think:

BDFSH x

In that case forget the debts for a while, save up a few quid and get a cheap run around as a second car, don't forget to budget for another lot of tax and insrance (you can pay both monthly now) if you didn't already know.
Never mind what stepchange say, although I'm sure they will understand, but your sons needs come first, creditors will have to wait for there pound of flesh, wether it's 6 months or a year, essentials first, debts last, good look with it !!!

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere

sourcrates wrote: »

In that case forget the debts for a while, save up a few quid and get a cheap run around as a second car, don't forget to budget for another lot of tax and insrance (you can pay both monthly now) if you didn't already know.
Never mind what stepchange say, although I'm sure they will understand, but your sons needs come first, creditors will have to wait for there pound of flesh, wether it's 6 months or a year, essentials first, debts last, good look with it !!!

Thanks so much Sourcrates

Going to shop round for a better mobile deal to save a few pounds and the money I pay for my bus fare will then be put towards tax/insurance/petrol. Definitely doing all of them monthly

Will make sure I account for it when I do my annual review with SC in July even if we haven't purchased the car by then as want to make sure the direct debit remains manageable.

Do you advise I ring SC and tell them I need to reduce payments for a few months? Do you think the creditors will be arsey?? Have done so well keeping them all on side, would hate to rock the boat too much

BDFSH x

Little_Miss_Sunshine

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Just after a bit of advice.

We currently have both of our children at primary school and my husband takes them both to school whilst I use the bus for work as we only have the one car.

Our son is due to start secondary school in September - he has autism and we have chosen and been accepted at a fabulous school with an autism resource provision Unfortunately as it is not the closest school to us providing support for special needs we are not entitled to any travel assistance.

The school is about 3 miles from my work and the primary school is completely in the other direction. The best solution would be to get a second car so that my husband would continue to take our daughter and I would drop my son off at his school then drive to work. We have looked into before and after school clubs for our daughter but have worked out that this would cost just over £200 per month :eek:

What would be everyone's advice? Do we contact SC to ask if we can go to token payment for a couple of months to save enough to get a cheap run-a-round? Could we get a car on finance with a company that accepts people with poor credit (not ideal and APRs extremely high) or has anyone got any other suggestions?

Any advice grateful

BDFSH x

I think its worth getting some advice on this. LA's will often refuse transport into neighbouring authorities but when pushed will agree. Most councils are well over budget when it comes to transport and are keen to cut costs. You will have a local SENDIASS - get their support - they are there for parents.
You might not be successful but its worth a try.
Good luck

sourcrates

BeingDebtFreeStartsHere wrote: »

Thanks so much Sourcrates

Going to shop round for a better mobile deal to save a few pounds and the money I pay for my bus fare will then be put towards tax/insurance/petrol. Definitely doing all of them monthly

Will make sure I account for it when I do my annual review with SC in July even if we haven't purchased the car by then as want to make sure the direct debit remains manageable.

Do you advise I ring SC and tell them I need to reduce payments for a few months? Do you think the creditors will be arsey?? Have done so well keeping them all on side, would hate to rock the boat too much

BDFSH x

Maybe reduce your payments to a £1 each a month for a while ?

I would write to Sc and your creditors telling them why you need to do this, I know it's nice to have all payments in place etc, and not rocking the boat, but sometimes things happen which you need to work around.

You need to look at priorities, and yours have just changed, so either they understand, or they don't, you have to do it anyway, preferably with approval, but if they don't approve, then that's just tough on them in my book.

You could re-start payments again when you have reached your goal, either with, or without the help of Sc.