DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 11

neiljmuk

January2015 wrote: »

If the landlord kicks you out then I would think, if you have children, the council would have a responsibility to house you.

I do feel for you in this situation. I can only try to imagine what it must be like to not have the security of knowing you are secure in your home and you are at the whim of a landlord. It must be awful to feel you have no options.

Is there a reason the landlord wants you out? Is it worth talking to the landlord - do they have other properties that may be suitable for you. Failing that I would approach the council and housing associations in the area and see what support they can give. Some councils offer a scheme to support people into private rented accommodation. The council provides the deposit and guarantee against any damage caused during the tenancy, and any rent arrears it's worth asking if your local council offers anything like this and, if they do, to see if you could be accepted onto such a scheme. Here is a link to one council's scheme to give you an idea of what I mean.

Try and stay positive - we're all here for you. Not much help with finding accommodation, but we are a sounding board for you to moan at and to ask for ideas and/or comments on anything you come up with.

:beer:

Hi, thank you so much for the time taken in your reply and the support. This is the friendliest place on earth and I know my tone in my recent posts has been a little off.

I dug at the letting agent and found the landlord could have accepted at their discretion but evidently ignorant re why folk on DMPs are actually less risk than those in denial who'll pass all checks. Shame too as she told the letting agent we seemed so nice. At least ask how much I earn!! Still annoying to think it might have gone through if I'd have just lied on the DM question! Leave her to it tho. She can fanny about in her merc wi't name on the license plate getting more tenants who wreck the place...

Anyway rant aside (had to get that off my chest), place was a little small. Struck by the romance of how remote it was but to be fair the long goal was getting to that area in council accommodation which just by being such is more permanent and one can buy eventually. Depends where you live but the estates that are council are nice in that area. It's were we send kids to School / Nursery as better Schools than here in the city!

The long goal is on. Landlord who we perceived as being desperate to kick us out came to give us an updated tenancy agreement to help with the council housing app as our arrangement is quite informal, and they were cool, even saying and I quote 'if it takes 5 years, it takes 5 years' when I stressed the aim to move to council accommodation might take some time.

So, on balance, we should not have panicked about moving ASAP, seem to have some security as well. I still think if something goes proper titts with the house we'd be at risk and we probably won't keep renewing the agreement, but there is a feel that things are ok for the medium term and if he does give us the 8 weeks notice after we are on the council register we'll get sorted!

So, onwards..... Just need discipline with the DMP, savings, and if Sheffield United could start winning again :rotfl:

Keep going all. It's a rollercoster and my first real down / rock bottom period after 2 years in DMP'Ville.

:beer:

January2015

neiljmuk wrote: »

Hi, thank you so much for the time taken in your reply and the support. This is the friendliest place on earth and I know my tone in my recent posts has been a little off.

I dug at the letting agent and found the landlord could have accepted at their discretion but evidently ignorant re why folk on DMPs are actually less risk than those in denial who'll pass all checks. Shame too as she told the letting agent we seemed so nice. At least ask how much I earn!! Still annoying to think it might have gone through if I'd have just lied on the DM question! Leave her to it tho. She can fanny about in her merc wi't name on the license plate getting more tenants who wreck the place...

Anyway rant aside (had to get that off my chest), place was a little small. Struck by the romance of how remote it was but to be fair the long goal was getting to that area in council accommodation which just by being such is more permanent and one can buy eventually. Depends where you live but the estates that are council are nice in that area. It's were we send kids to School / Nursery as better Schools than here in the city!

The long goal is on. Landlord who we perceived as being desperate to kick us out came to give us an updated tenancy agreement to help with the council housing app as our arrangement is quite informal, and they were cool, even saying and I quote 'if it takes 5 years, it takes 5 years' when I stressed the aim to move to council accommodation might take some time.

So, on balance, we should not have panicked about moving ASAP, seem to have some security as well. I still think if something goes proper titts with the house we'd be at risk and we probably won't keep renewing the agreement, but there is a feel that things are ok for the medium term and if he does give us the 8 weeks notice after we are on the council register we'll get sorted!

So, onwards..... Just need discipline with the DMP, savings, and if Sheffield United could start winning again :rotfl:

Keep going all. It's a rollercoster and my first real down / rock bottom period after 2 years in DMP'Ville.

:beer:

Great news - I am so pleased for you that things have settled and you and your family are safely housed (at least for the foreseeable future).

There's been nothing wrong with the tone of your recent posts - you've just been stressed and you had every reason to be stressed. This is the place to come and rant where you know you will be understood. You weren't ranting at us (your virtual mates ), you were ranting at life, your situation etc. We all need a rant now and then.....just remember you've had your turn now ;);)

Polgara72

I posted a couple of weeks ago regarding Payplan and their insistence that my estranged husband and I split our DMP. Yes, hindsight is a wonderful thing and we should've kept our mouths shut (though when they want bank statements and payslips, that's a difficult pretence to maintain), but they are insisting the file is split along the lines of our personal liabilities - mine being double his as I had the better credit rating). They've agreed (after speaking to compliance) to keep the file joint for three months.

I requested a phonecall to discuss this further points and to make them aware of my mental health problems (severe and prolonged anxiety and depression) and to state the benefits to creditors of keeping file joint.

It was not a good phone call. After being talked over, I got upset/frustrated at not being listened to. And that far from the stated desire to 'alleviate my stress' by splitting the file, that it was actually exacerbating it enormously. 'I don't know of any other country that is so good to people in debt, or those who cannot work so are given benefits. The system cares, it really does', she said'. She informed me that there were 'other options' if I couldn't maintain payments. But that I should arrange with my husband for him to contribute to my DMP. She didn't seem to grasp that the monthly wait to see if I actually received that money would make things worse.

I was then told of how I needed to 'not spend so much time being depressed', to 'think positively', have a friend over for coffee, relax' as she has children and she knows the pressure. That I was lucky that I had friends close who could help as her friends/family were in Africa and so not close by.

I felt totally patronised. That she had a script and was sticking to it regardless. She wants a follow up call when she returns from holiday to ensure I'm okay. That was followed up by a text that read

'Hi Kerry, just to let you know that we care and for you to try and

have a good weekend. Pay plan'.

I don't know what to do next. I'm currently in a downward spiral again and could do without this.

Any advice gratefully received 😢

sourcrates

Hi Polgara,

Seems to me like your relationship with Payplan has come to an end also.
I think you are in need of a fresh start to your debt free life, write to payplan, and cancel your DMP.

Take some time out, have a think, save some money up, then consider going to stepchange, start a new DMP, just you, you can include your joint debts too, but you get to call the shots, not them.

I think that would do you a world of good, and put you back in control of things, which is how it should be.

Of course if you feel confident enough, its something you can take on yourself, now that really puts control back in your hands, going self managed is easy peazy, lots of people have done it, January been a prime example.

Have a good think about it, but i think you and payplan should part company as soon as possible.

motivated

Hi all

I have been AWOL for a while now and have finally woken up and taken the plunge to contact Step change. What will I need to do with regards to paperwork wage slips debt accounts and so on

Long story short excuses aside its all our own fault. Our debt currently stands at £ £70,000 ish :eek:
spread between Bank loans and Credits cards. There I said it

Please be gentle with me.

Anyway I have completed the online step change debt remedy tool thingy and I have a web number. I need to call them on Monday :eek: I'm very scared to say the least.

I have just applied for a new bank account and await their decision within 2 days they say.
I have managed to secure a repayment holiday on both bank loans until March so hopefully I can arrange my new bank account in the meantime as both loans are with my current bank. Is this ok?

I have asked credit cards via messaging if they could work with me to create a realistic regular monthly payment plan as I am in financial difficulties. Awaiting response

I am not trying to get out of paying what I owe I am so anxious and stressed all of the time thinking about money and praying I have enough every month to pay al of my bills.

Currently I have no arrears or CCJs but it wont last forever.

I suppose I am looking for a little reassurance that it will be ok and I wont have bailiffs banging my door down

Also If I have given the new bank account my old accounts details does this mean that all of my direct debits will go over as I wanted to stop the extortionate bank loan payments going every month until my DMP sets up.

I have looked at the snowball calculator but do not have enough now to cover minimum payments as well as any overpayments

A very confusing post I know and apologise I hope I haven't confused you all too much :A

sourcrates

motivated wrote: »

I have just applied for a new bank account and await their decision within 2 days they say.

I suppose I am looking for a little reassurance that it will be ok and I wont have bailiffs banging my door down

A very confusing post I know and apologise I hope I haven't confused you all too much :A

Hi motivated,

Welcome to the thread.

Ideally you need to open a new basic bank account, not another current account, normally with a bank with whom you have no debt.

These accounts are available to everyone, as there is no credit check, and no borrowing facility.

There is a long process involved before a bailiff can be involved in recovering a consumer credit act debt, and in practice it's very rare.

Lots of help and reassurance available on here.

Well done for taking the first steps.

[Deleted User]

motivated wrote: »

Hi all

Long story short excuses aside its all our own fault. Our debt currently stands at £ £70,000 ish :eek:
spread between Bank loans and Credits cards. There I said it

Please be gentle with me.

Welcome, motivated:hello:. Congratulations on taking that first (and what can seem scary) step into DMPland:T. Whatever you need to know please ask, there's always someone on here who has been there and is only too pleased to help someone else through it.

By the way, please don't beat yourself up about the level of your debt. Before I bit the bullet and sought help mine was just shy of £57000:eek: and that was accrued all on my own:o

Good luck:beer:

motivated

Thankyou so much sourcrates and carbootcrazy

I think the initial shock has set in and OH is having second thoughts about it all. He said "well we won't be able to use CCs ever again and we have to muck about with having wages paid to different account etc :mad: As if we are in a position to use CCs.

He made me second guess myself too for a while but I still think it's the best option for us.

We currently pay approx £1,600 a month just on loans and CCs :eek:

What worries me most are the loans from my bank and the process they will go through to get repayments. I'm thinking bailiffs at the door and the high court enforcement like on the TV. Is it as bad as I am imagining?

Sorry for being so naive and thankyou again for your advice .
M

sourcrates

motivated wrote: »

What worries me most are the loans from my bank and the process they will go through to get repayments. I'm thinking bailiffs at the door and the high court enforcement like on the TV. Is it as bad as I am imagining?

Sorry for being so naive and thankyou again for your advice .
M

No, your imagination is running away with you.

High court enforcement offices cannot and do not collect consumer credit debts.
All consumer credit debts are heard at county court level, never the high court.
So put that right out of your mind.

You need some reassuring words from one of our regulars, January, she had over 100k of debt, her DMP has been a doddle, I'm sure she'll be along soon, listen to what she tells you.

heavenlyharry01

Motivated

I'm a newbie too! But take the time to read back on the board. I've spent a lot of time reading various posts (even if they don't reflect my situation) to try and gather as much information as I can.

My husband and I have around £75k of debt. I had three jobs and we were basically using credit cards like cash, drowning in debt, paying minimum payments and when the credit cards increased or maxed limits we used them. (Which although I know we didn't have to spend I still think that's bad lending on the credit card companies. When people are paying minimum payments and then they increase the limits).
We are not paying anything towards them at the moment - nothing too scary has happened yet!