Partner earning less than 8k but has debts of 18k - please help.

Domayne

Tell him to get an SIA badge and work a security night job. It's boring and usually long hours, But you generally don't have much to do, Then he can spend his time studying

lacoste1985_2

Domayne wrote: »

Tell him to get an SIA badge and work a security night job. It's boring and usually long hours, But you generally don't have much to do, Then he can spend his time studying

Hi Domayne - OH DID have an SIA badge until Nov last year, but found it difficult to get any work in once he got the badge. He applied for loads of jobs, FT, PT, relief but because he didnt have any experience in security many werent even interested in offering him an interview.

He also shelled out the full cost of the badge and the training which i think set him back about £500 - and was probably something he put on the CC all those years ago, in an attempt of getting some extra money in. We didnt bother renewing it when it ran out in Nov as renewal is £220. Realise some companies will pay for people's renewal but now he has other lines of work we didnt think it was worth looking into it any more.

lacoste1985_2

Does anyone know how long a DMP stays on someones file for? I read that it stays on for 6 years from the date of the LAST DMP payment. so if someone was on one for 3 years it wud be on their file for 9 years???

lessonlearned

I read this thread last night.

Lacoste I too am sorry you feel "got at" but I'm afraid I agree with all that's been said. Yours and your partners masterplans are unworkable and, I'm sorry to say it - doomed to failure. I'm afraid you could end up in an even bigger mess.

Sounds like your partner panicked and the OU course is simply a drowning man clutching at straws. He's messing about with dead end part time jobs when he has a very marketable skill. You are working two jobs to support you both. Very commendable, but where's your quality of life, where's your work life balance.

At the rate you are going you could easily burn out and get sick.....what then.

i think it's time for a rethink, and OU is not the answer right now.

My Late husband was a very well paid, very much in demand IT professional. I'm talking 6 figures. He did not have an IT degree. As others have pointed out you don't necessarily need one.

And even if he did, at 37 your partner would be competing with young hot shots. And I hate to say it but his career track record to date would do him no favours whatsoever.

He may well be hardworking in reality, as you say prepared to take low paid jobs and doing his whack around the house. Unfortunately that's not what any future employer will want from an IT graduate.

They will want to see creativity and flair, a good strong business brain, commercial acumen and entrepreneurial skills. The work he's doing doesn't demonstrate that.

His best bet is to put the OU on hold, go back into full time work and possibly a part time job as well, preferably using his skills as a personal trainer to build up a nice little sideline business.

Why slog for minimum wage when he could charge £15 to £20 per hour for private clients. Better still go for a group class.

He could hire a room somewhere one night week and fill it with 20 clients paying say £5 a session. He could probably fit in two 40 minute sessions with ease. Then one day over the weekend he could do an outside class, no outgoings, pure profit. My son goes to an outdoor fitness class twice a week. The guy who runs it does about 5 a week and is doing very nicely thank you.

Do this for a couple of years and pay down the debts and get a bit of an emergency fund. Then go to university full time, whilst maintaining the fitness business as a sideline.

It will actually be quicker in the long run than doing OU part time and he is likely to enjoy joy it more. OU is a long hard slog and it needs a certain kind of personality to cope with that because in many ways the students work in isolation.

If you continue on this path neither of you will have a very good quality of life and either he won't last the course, or you will burn out. Either way you are both putting a tremendous strain your relationship and it's just not necessary.

I think you need to step back and have a rethink.

And yes, I know nothing of DMPs but I know that both DMPs and bankruptcy can be a lifeline. It might be worth looking into.

One final thing. He's already 31 and I'm guessing no real pension provision. Even if he is successful in his course and manages to get a decent job straight after graduating, there's all that debt to clear. He going to be at least 40 before he can afford to start funding a pension. That's cutting it a bit fine.

I dont think either of you have really thought it through but it's not too Late. He's started the course now so I suggest he completes the first module so he can earn credits for it and then puts it on hold for now. There's nothing stopping him from learning a bit of IT stuff as and when.

Anyway IT is one of those disciplines where you simply have to keep up to date, a degree by itself is not enough. My OH took regular courses to keep up date, he never stopped learning.

Dont get upset by the comments on here. Everyone wants to help you. Remember the onlooker sees most of the game and from where we are sitting many of us can tell, that at the moment, neither you nor your partner can see wood for the trees. You are just too close to the problem.

You need to step back a little and re-evaluate your plans because they are not workable.

Debtslayer

your answers to the breakdown cover confirmed that the account fees on his bank account are not worth paying. Either tell current bank to put him on a normal account with no charges or look to change bank accounts (some will give you cash back for joining them)
Ref DMP. I have no experience of this, but yes I do believe its 6 years from when it finishes; therefore 9 in total
I would seriously consider this very carefully, as your boyfriends debts could be paid back if he makes suggested changes to expenses and hopefully gets another job/ better paid job.

Debtslayer

lessonlearned wrote: »

I read this thread last night.

Lacoste I too am sorry you feel "got at" but I'm afraid I agree with all that's been said. Yours and your partners masterplans are unworkable and, I'm sorry to say it - doomed to failure. I'm afraid you could end up in an even bigger mess.

Sounds like your partner panicked and the OU course is simply a drowning man clutching at straws. He's messing about with dead end part time jobs when he has a very marketable skill. You are working two jobs to support you both. Very commendable, but where's your quality of life, where's your work life balance.

At the rate you are going you could easily burn out and get sick.....what then.

i think it's time for a rethink, and OU is not the answer right now.

My Late husband was a very well paid, very much in demand IT professional. I'm talking 6 figures. He did not have an IT degree. As others have pointed out you don't necessarily need one.

And even if he did, at 37 your partner would be competing with young hot shots. And I hate to say it but his career track record to date would do him no favours whatsoever.

He may well be hardworking in reality, as you say prepared to take low paid jobs and doing his whack around the house. Unfortunately that's not what any future employer will want from an IT graduate.

They will want to see creativity and flair, a good strong business brain, commercial acumen and entrepreneurial skills. The work he's doing doesn't demonstrate that.

His best bet is to put the OU on hold, go back into full time work and possibly a part time job as well, preferably using his skills as a personal trainer to build up a nice little sideline business.

Why slog for minimum wage when he could charge £15 to £20 per hour for private clients. Better still go for a group class.

He could hire a room somewhere one night week and fill it with 20 clients paying say £5 a session. He could probably fit in two 40 minute sessions with ease. Then one day over the weekend he could do an outside class, no outgoings, pure profit. My son goes to an outdoor fitness class twice a week. The guy who runs it does about 5 a week and is doing very nicely thank you.

Do this for a couple of years and pay down the debts and get a bit of an emergency fund. Then go to university full time, whilst maintaining the fitness business as a sideline.

It will actually be quicker in the long run than doing OU part time and he is likely to enjoy joy it more. OU is a long hard slog and it needs a certain kind of personality to cope with that because in many ways the students work in isolation.

If you continue on this path neither of you will have a very good quality of life and either he won't last the course, or you will burn out. Either way you are both putting a tremendous strain your relationship and it's just not necessary.

I think you need to step back and have a rethink.

And yes, I know nothing of DMPs but I know that both DMPs and bankruptcy can be a lifeline. It might be worth looking into.

One final thing. He's already 31 and I'm guessing no real pension provision. Even if he is successful in his course and manages to get a decent job straight after graduating, there's all that debt to clear. He going to be at least 40 before he can afford to start funding a pension. That's cutting it a bit fine.

I dont think either of you have really thought it through but it's not too Late. He's started the course now so I suggest he completes the first module so he can earn credits for it and then puts it on hold for now. There's nothing stopping him from learning a bit of IT stuff as and when.

Anyway IT is one of those disciplines where you simply have to keep up to date, a degree by itself is not enough. My OH took regular courses to keep up date, he never stopped learning.

Dont get upset by the comments on here. Everyone wants to help you. Remember the onlooker sees most of the game and from where we are sitting many of us can tell, that at the moment, neither you nor your partner can see wood for the trees. You are just too close to the problem.

You need to step back a little and re-evaluate your plans because they are not workable.

Brilliant post. Very well written

Karonher

This should answer the question

http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/questions/credit-and-debt/credit-and-debt-2.html

Domayne

lacoste1985 wrote: »

Hi Domayne - OH DID have an SIA badge until Nov last year, but found it difficult to get any work in once he got the badge. He applied for loads of jobs, FT, PT, relief but because he didnt have any experience in security many werent even interested in offering him an interview.

He also shelled out the full cost of the badge and the training which i think set him back about £500 - and was probably something he put on the CC all those years ago, in an attempt of getting some extra money in. We didnt bother renewing it when it ran out in Nov as renewal is £220. Realise some companies will pay for people's renewal but now he has other lines of work we didnt think it was worth looking into it any more.

Ah ok. I always assumed it was one of the easiest industries to get into because I've been doing it for 12 years now and my first security job...I didn't even have to apply, I was just asked if I wanted to do it after they abolished the job I was doing (reception) But back then you didn't need a license either.
After that I've worked on a few different sites, Been at my current one for 5 years in May and I'm constantly being sent people to train that have had no previous experience so it's odd he found nothing in the 3 years his license expired

fatbelly

lacoste1985 wrote: »

Does anyone know how long a DMP stays on someones file for? I read that it stays on for 6 years from the date of the LAST DMP payment. so if someone was on one for 3 years it wud be on their file for 9 years???

Each individual entry will probably be defaulted - the entry stays until 6 years after either the default date or the settled/satisfied date, whichever is sooner.

Problems do occur when a creditor does NOT issue a default but instead just marks 'arrangement to pay'.

MrsShazbat

I don't have much to offer, but our breakdown cover with Greenflag is £16 p.m. (£192 p.a.) for both our cars (8 and 16 years old), with full cover including home-start, roadside and recovery.