Please help me!!

jubbielet

I dont know where to start!

Basically I'm in £3000 in debt and need to sort it out asap. I owe £2200 in an overdraft and £800 in council tax. I've really messed up as I've taken on a new job and my pay has gone haywire, so stupidly, when it came to the repayments of the big debts, I couldn't afford to pay the minimum payments! Now I'm getting nasty letters about bailiffs and I just want to pay it off, but due to my students days, I have a really rubbish credit history.

I thought I'd sorted myself out after uni and paid off my debts - my payments for all the rest of my bills are always spot on, but in the past couple of months I've really let things slip with these two debts and I'm really stressed out! ARGH! I've tried asking them for help or lowering the payment per month but to no avail the bank want £200 per month and my council are wanting £100 per month to pay it off - something I cant afford!

And to top it off - my pay didnt get paid in my bank account today and I have to wait another week for it!

What can I do! I can't even get a loan to pay it off for the time being, I've been selling things like crazy on ebay (am tempted to sell a kidney!) just to raise some funds but i'm slowly starting to drown in this mess.

I'm not a bad person but I feel like rubbish for letting everyone down.


Can anybody help me please!

I take home around £900 p.m
Rent:400
Bills: 150 (gas/water/electric/tv license/phone bill/car insurance
Food :70
Petrol (there is no public transport to where I work!!) : £70

Many thanks if any can!

shell_girl

Don't panic hun- plenty of good advice available on here. Has your Council Tax gone to court (ie have you been found guilty in your absence) or are they threatening you with court? Also, what is your agreed limit on your overdraft and how long have you been over this?

jubbielet

I havent got an overdraft - due to my silly student days I cant get one. I'm with the co-op at the mo, and I have the account that if you have 3 dd's bounce they close it - and ironically that account is tip top! Utillities are always paid on time!

Council Tax is at the stage where I have 14 days to pay or the bailiffs start to come in. The court letter was sent out but I didnt get it - when I contacted the council they said it had gone out, so god knows where that went, and they said as I'd missed the hearing it's too late. I'm really panicing - and nearly thought of taking a loan out with Welcome finance (even though I've not heard good things about them)

The council tax is my priority - its my smallest debt but the most urgent. And I havent got 80p let alone £800!!

Bean_Counter

jubbielet wrote: »

And to top it off - my pay didnt get paid in my bank account today and I have to wait another week for it!

Do you have a contract of employment that says you get paid, for example, on the last Friday of every month? If so, then your employer is breaking the terms of your contract.

However, rather than get heavy with them, just explain the situation and get them to get a payment to you today e.g. CHAPS (same day) transfer or a sub until you get paid. If they say that the CHAPS transfer is too expensive (the charge is only £24) then they tough, it's their mistake and hence they have to sort it out. If they say your pay has already been sent and will be in your bank next Friday and there is nothing they do, that is rubbish as there is still time to be able to recall it.

I don't know about your specific circumstances, but they are a half decent company then they should be doing to help you out.

While your at it, why not ask your employer for a loan to cover your council tax.

As a finance director I have done all of the above for employees on ocassion and would do so again if the circumstances warranted it.

corsagirl_2

Ok, contact them again now to see if they will make an arrangement with you to avoid bailiffs - if its just this years debt they may give you until end of financial year to pay, if you can't afford their terms then ask if they can send you an income and expenditure form for you to detail your finances, if they don't have one, then offer to send your own statement. You'll need to make a reasonable offer to them.

They can do an attachment to your earnings, which is on a sliding percentage scale, depending on what you earn. It would be a reasonable amount on your wages so they may consider/insist on this - if so you would avoid bailiff charges. Are you paid weekly or monthly? On net earnings over £900.00 per month but less than £1420 the % of deduction is 12%. all it would cost you is a further £1.00 as that is what your employer is entitled to take with each deduction they make.

Can also speak to your local CAB or contact National Debt Helpline.

jubbielet

Bean_Counter wrote: »

Do you have a contract of employment that says you get paid, for example, on the last Friday of every month? If so, then your employer is breaking the terms of your contract.

However, rather than get heavy with them, just explain the situation and get them to get a payment to you today e.g. CHAPS (same day) transfer or a sub until you get paid. If they say that the CHAPS transfer is too expensive (the charge is only £24) then they tough, it's their mistake and hence they have to sort it out. If they say your pay has already been sent and will be in your bank next Friday and there is nothing they do, that is rubbish as there is still time to be able to recall it.

I don't know about your specific circumstances, but they are a half decent company then they should be doing to help you out.

While your at it, why not ask your employer for a loan to cover your council tax.

As a finance director I have done all of the above for employees on ocassion and would do so again if the circumstances warranted it.

My pay was from my previous employer t mobile- I've just started a new job and it was my final wage, however they say they cant transfer the funds today!! ARGH!

As for asking my bosses for a loan - I've only been with the company 3 weeks and just couldnt do it!

Bean_Counter

jubbielet wrote: »

My pay was from my previous employer t mobile- I've just started a new job and it was my final wage, however they say they cant transfer the funds today!! ARGH!

As for asking my bosses for a loan - I've only been with the company 3 weeks and just couldnt do it!

Sorry about that - it was worth the thought.

jubbielet

Thank you though as they say it's the thought that counts!

OberonSH

Don't panic. Contact the council, explain the situation and let them know what you can afford to pay and when. Send in your budget if necessary.

When can work sort out your pay?

jubbielet

My pay will be sorted on Wed. I've sent the council a letter proposing a payment plan with my budget ( the person I need to speak to is never in his office - there's a shock!!) so hopefully that would be ok. I've sent it vis registered post - so there's no excuses!

After joining this site i've calmed down a lot and tried to be sensible regarding my situation - so thank you to everyone who's given me a bit of help!!

iolanthe07

Good luck with with the council letter, but I think the fundamentals of your situation are impossible. It seems as if must be paying out over half your income in rent and council tax, and this is not sustainable on such a small salary if you are to have any kind of social life at all. Can you get a second/evening job? Or perhaps look to share your accommodation or get somewhere with lower rent? Of course you're not a bad person, and you're not rubbish. You're the victim of unrealistically low pay.