DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 11

stormpassing

”You can respond if you wish but there's nothing to discuss. Catalogue companies are notorious on these boards for being a pain the rear end.

Personally if I was going to reply it'd be a one line email stating SC account reference and instructions that they should route all queries to them.

For "discuss" I would switch the phrase "pester to increase the available payment".

In the early days creditors are like a gang of kids all wanting a/several biscuit(s) from the tin. They'll all get a fair share of what's available in the biscuit tin but no amount of screaming, shouting, foot stamping, ultimatums or begging is going to increase the number of biscuits in the tin. Much like a gang of stroppy children they eventually shut up, realise there's no magical biscuits appearing from thin air and leave you alone.

At this point what is the worst they can do? They can't send you to the workhouse, they can't auction off your first born as payment, they can't "send the boys round with knuckle dusters and baseball bats" and they can't seize your cat as payment. (Hopefully you'll see these example are an attempt to make you smile in a time of terrible stress and upset but all those examples are as ridiculous as the consequences/threats they will describe to you).

In a couple of months it'll all be quiet, you'll be "happily" paying it off and probably posting something like this hoping to reassure some who is in your shoes now.

Kate x"

Haha Kate,
That didn't make me smile it made me lol. Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply it really makes a difference. Forgot to say that the email requested I call them and stated that I could not reply to the email so what you said makes sense. Think I'll leave it, I'm sure I'll receive a call from them in the next few days anyway.

Congrats on the new debt total, really inspiring. Hoping I'll be able to post similar one day. :T

Storm x

stormpassing

ps not got the hang of the quote thingy yet as you can tell

sourcrates

stormpassing wrote: »

Evening all,

Hoping someone can help me with a query. Received notification from StepChange yesterday to say they had contacted all creditors, DMP now up and running and first payment to be taken on Oct 1st. Just received an email from Littlewoods requesting that I contact them by telephone to discuss my account. Do I need to respond to this email or should I ignore as StepChange now in contact with creditors?

Confused,
Thanks in advance SP

It will be an automated email, from an unmonitored address.
As your account is, technically in arrears, they send random emails, texts, letters etc, to get you to contact them.

These will be sent regardless of any arrangement you may have agreed via stepchange.

Karen777

hi Kate_fixing_it sorry to hear you have been poorly - you have been missed and welcome back!

2spicy

you could also draft up a letter, quoting your DMP number and advise them that as you are not on a DMP, all correspondence relating to the DMP should be made to your managing company.

Boldhoof

Hi all,

Need some advice / support please. My partner has been told today that where she works had received a complaint about her and told her to leave and they will pay her to end of week. She has only had the job 3 months, and we were settled into our DMP of £318 a month. Just got off the phone with Step Change, went through a budget plan review, we are now down to £34 a month DMP to 5 creditors. Both feeling really low , we thought things had turned a corner. We are really worried the creditors will not be happy and take further action, has anyone else had to do this? We are hoping that employment can be found soon, Step Change have put it down as within 12 months.

Thanks

Growurown

Boldhoof wrote: »

Hi all,

Need some advice / support please. My partner has been told today that where she works had received a complaint about her and told her to leave and they will pay her to end of week. She has only had the job 3 months, and we were settled into our DMP of £318 a month. Just got off the phone with Step Change, went through a budget plan review, we are now down to £34 a month DMP to 5 creditors. Both feeling really low , we thought things had turned a corner. We are really worried the creditors will not be happy and take further action, has anyone else had to do this? We are hoping that employment can be found soon, Step Change have put it down as within 12 months.

Thanks

I very much doubt they will take any action. You are using SC and creditors are usually fine with what they say. Plus - what can they do? You can't pay money you don't have, so they will just have to accept the new figures, and hopefully your partner will get work soon. If any of them do give you grief come back for some help on how to deal with them. We have plenty of DMPers who know how to kick a$$:rotfl:

sourcrates

Boldhoof wrote: »

Hi all,

Need some advice / support please. My partner has been told today that where she works had received a complaint about her and told her to leave and they will pay her to end of week. She has only had the job 3 months, and we were settled into our DMP of £318 a month. Just got off the phone with Step Change, went through a budget plan review, we are now down to £34 a month DMP to 5 creditors. Both feeling really low , we thought things had turned a corner. We are really worried the creditors will not be happy and take further action, has anyone else had to do this? We are hoping that employment can be found soon, Step Change have put it down as within 12 months.

Thanks

The worst they could do would be to take you to court, and a court would not make you pay more than you could afford.
Therefore nothing to worry about !!!

2spicy

As has been said ... they cannot take away something you donot have. You have demonstrated that you take your debt seriously and were paying it back, so there is commitment for starters. The only thing that could happen if the creditors donot accept the change in circumstances is they could go the court route... but no self respecting judge would rule over and above what has already been proposed. (absolute worst case .. Bankruptcy ... but again, thats not a dead cert, thats absolute worst case .. in which case, your no worse off and the creditors loose their opportunity to recover any of the debt.

Personally, ( and I know its easy for me to say as im not in that situation ) .. Dont panic, dont worry, take each day as it comes. No point in making yourself ill with worry.

You may get calls from the creditors, but again, stick to your guns, "your on a DMP and negotiations regarding payment reductions due to exceptional circumstances are in the hands of your Debt Management Company (stepchange) "... give them the DMP number and politely end the call.

stormpassing

Boldhoof wrote: »

Hi all,

Need some advice / support please. My partner has been told today that where she works had received a complaint about her and told her to leave and they will pay her to end of week. She has only had the job 3 months, and we were settled into our DMP of £318 a month. Just got off the phone with Step Change, went through a budget plan review, we are now down to £34 a month DMP to 5 creditors. Both feeling really low , we thought things had turned a corner. We are really worried the creditors will not be happy and take further action, has anyone else had to do this? We are hoping that employment can be found soon, Step Change have put it down as within 12 months.

Thanks

Hi there,
Sorry I can't offer much in the way of advice but just wanted to offer some support. Can't imagine how you both must be feeling what a shock. Really hope your wife finds further employment soon.

At least you have contacted StepChange and adjusted the payments. Creditors can't get blood from a stone and I'm sure StepChange are used to dealing with similar situations. At the least lines of communication remain open. Hope you get some feedback quickly so you can stop worrying.

Sending best wishes,

SP x