Stepchange and christmas

true81

Hi

I'm on a dmp with Stepchange and I have made 4 payments so far, I'm a bit late with this but I have five children and they are 16,13,10,8 and 3 that I would like to buy some presents for, would Stepchange accept a lower payment over the next few weeks so I can get a few small items for them?

Puzzcat

True81 wrote: »

Hi

I'm on a dmp with Stepchange and I have made 4 payments so far, I'm a bit late with this but I have five children and they are 16,13,10,8 and 3 that I would like to buy some presents for, would Stepchange accept a lower payment over the next few weeks so I can get a few small items for them?

It's really not down to stepchange as it is an informal arrangement. The problem you may have is upsetting your creditors. Can you maybe need some sort of repair/replacement goods like oven etc that you need the money for rather than Christmas? Just my thoughts.
Puzz.x

tomtontom

Puzzcat wrote: »

It's really not down to stepchange as it is an informal arrangement. The problem you may have is upsetting your creditors. Can you maybe need some sort of repair/replacement goods like oven etc that you need the money for rather than Christmas? Just my thoughts.
Puzz.x

You're suggesting the OP lies to her creditors? That is tantamount to fraud and not an example any parent should be setting to their children.

January2015

tomtontom wrote: »

You're suggesting the OP lies to her creditors? That is tantamount to fraud and not an example any parent should be setting to their children.

But her children wouldn't know, would they.

What they are learning from her, now, is that she doesn't use credit cards to live.

I suspect the amount she pays to her DMP is just a few hundred pounds at most, and she isn't proposing to make no payment, just a reduced payment. She's not proposing to 'go large' and spend loads on Christmas.

If it was me, I would have any emergency car repair crop up. Sorry but I'm being frank here. We haven't lied on our budget form and said we smoke, or have pets, or any of the other things that allow folk to retain extra money each month.

It's up to the OP whether she feels comfortable with herself with this approach though. Only she can decide.

I suspect SC get a lot of crisis / emergency repair phone calls around December

Puzzcat

tomtontom wrote: »

You're suggesting the OP lies to her creditors? That is tantamount to fraud and not an example any parent should be setting to their children.

And that's your thoughts, we are all allowed them.

Rebel_Cause

January2015 wrote: »

What they are learning from her, now, is that she doesn't use credit cards to live.

I lesson I learned myself after seeing my mother living on credit and then I thought to be someone, you had to be in debt and trusted by your creditors and banks when I flew the nest. I was in debt by tens of thousands of pounds in my 20s. I managed to get out of it on my own- throught paying them all off! However, my mother is still in debt to her eyeballs and expecting me to bail her out because she raised me on credit, thinking I am sort of insurance policy she can cash in on. I guess, she has yet to have her LBM too.

sourcrates

tomtontom wrote: »

You're suggesting the OP lies to her creditors? That is tantamount to fraud and not an example any parent should be setting to their children.

Oh please !!!

Seriously ? Fraud my bottom!!!!

It's a few Christmas presents, not a new Aston Martin !!

Back in the real world, I would lie, beg, steal or borrow, and have no qualms whatsoever, most parents have had, or will have, to face this situation at some point, what the kids don't know won't hurt them !!

Op, all you need to do is tell stepchange you can't make your payment this month, and will resume payments the following month, tell them your cooker has blown up, tell them anything, it doesn't matter, give your kids a good Christmas, never mind what anybody says !!!

Movingon5464

Obtaining money by deception is fraud. Delaying paying your debts back by reducing one months payment is not. I agree it is probably better to say you have had some sort of emergency to pay for rather than say you want to buy your children presents. Just do it and don't worry about it.

true81

Thanks for all of the replies, I will give them a ring, I pay 640 a month weekly 160 so a little more than only wanted to reduce it for a couple of weeks.

January2015

True81 wrote: »

Thanks for all of the replies, I will give them a ring, I pay 640 a month weekly 160 so a little more than only wanted to reduce it for a couple of weeks.

Go for it - and don't worry :beer:

January2015

January2015 wrote: »

Hi Mimi

Just a thought - last Christmas I didn't buy any Christmas 'extra' goodies (food/sweets/mince pies/puddings) until after Christmas Day.

I spent £44 and got several joints for the freezer, packets of biscuits, sweets etc. etc. So we still had Christmas goodies to the same over indulged quantity as before but spent about a quarter of what I would usually have spent.

Also, in years gone past, I made a pact with my kids (they were teenagers then) that 'christmas' day present opening would be on New Year's day. They knew we were struggling for money (hubby was unemployed that Christmas). They were brilliant about it, and we bought the pressies in the sales.

Hi

I posted the above quote on a different thread - but thought it might give you some ideas for how to cope with the cost of Christmas and kids

Whatever you do - I hope you have a wonderful, family Christmas