Suicidal and stuck in debit

chalky1172

I will keep it short and sweet.

After my entire family died in a short period of time, I was left alone to live in the Council my family had lived in for fifty years. Instead of being offered a smaller dwelling by my Landlord’s, they decided to make my life hell, by subjecting me to such poor management, incompetence, and abuse, I suffered a nervous breakdown and my whole life fell apart.

Not being able to find work due to this and ill health, and not being able to claim for benefit, my credit card bills rose and rose. Despite trying to deal with all my creditors myself, my explanations and offers of repayment fell on deaf ears, and due to the unprofessionalism of some of them who verbally threatened me, and called me in the middle of the night, I became suicidal. By the time I sort help by visiting my local Citizen Advice Bureau, my debits were £ 26,500. Although the CAB negotiated repayment plans with most of my creditors, their out come was that I should declare myself bankrupt.

This was in 2001.

Since then I have tried all I can to make myself bankrupt, but I have not been able to afford the court fees. For approximately five years, I have been paying the majority of my creditors between £ 5.00 and £ 1.00 per calendar month as token payments, and they have frozen all interest and penalty charges. All the debit agencies and charities all continual to say that they cannot help me, and I need to make myself bankrupt.

I have now been left with no alternative but to leave my home due to continually abuse from my Landlords. I hopefully will move into my girlfriend’s home with our baby daughter, but the debit that I have carried for seven years hang still hang over me. My girlfriend does not know about my debits.

Despite regularly contacting my creditors with my Income and Expenditure, and pleading with them to make bankrupt, I feel that this debt will stay with me until I die. I get angry when I see people on the TV talking about how they made themselves bankrupt, because they had a gambling / drug / shopping habit, or have bought lots of hi-tech goods. I have never did any of these things and I’m stuck in a rut.

I currently owe my creditors just under £ 30,000. I have no assets, no savings, and no possessions that could be sold. My television, (broken) sofa, (broken) bed, (broken) washing machine, and (broken) fridge freezer, are all second hand.

I have, however, just found a job for the first time in two and half years since I became ill again after the effects of a gas leak found in my home (which I have been unable to get compensation for). This has left me worse off financially, as I have less ‘disposable cash’ than I had when I was on benefits due to the cost of rent, council tax, etc. Now that I am working, my creditors have again started to harass me for increased repayments.

Can anyone tell me:

• How I can make myself bankrupt without paying the huge court fees

• If I take my debt with me to my girlfriend’s home, will it effect her (i.e. bailiffs taking her possessions)

I just don’t know what to do anymore, and I now have a family to support. I’m not interested in my future ‘credit rating’ or that it ‘may affect my job’, I just want to start my life again.


Please help !!!!!!

tigtag02

:wave:

Hi chalky and welcome to MSE. I dont really have too much advice to offer in the bankrupty area but either someone will be along soon or you can post on the bankruptcy board.

I just wanted to say hello and promise you that all is not lost - there are ways out and we are here to support you.

Talk toyour g/f, you might just be pleasantly surprised at how understanding she is.

Well done with your new job ~ you could always post your SOA (see newbie sticky at top of board) to see if we can help with expenditures.

Welcome again
tigtag

backontheup

Hi Chalky

You are better off posting all this on the bankruptcy board.

its a shame that you had to give your job up as that could have been the quick way of getting the bankruptcy fees together. I think that is now the best thing that you could do to get out of this awful spiral of depression and fear.

See you over on the BR board (just copy and paste all your info into a new post on there)

Hotpoint_2

:hello:

I just want to give you a huge hug. You've come to the right place! I only posted here yesterday, and already I feel loads better about my debt.

In_Search_Of_Me

Just wanted to send a hug for you...I cant answer the question but as stated by OP you would be best to go over to the BR board as people there will understand. I would discuss this openly with your gf though....it's much harder knowing that someone has deceived you than deal with pretty much anything that someone can throw at you!! I can understand why you feel so desperate but money is not worth killing yourself over; you have people who love you & would be devsatated if you did but I can understand your desire to get away from it all as the pressure must be immense. There may be charities who can help you with the BR fee...

nevadagirl

Hi Chalky and welcome.

I don't have any specific advice about the backruptcy process, however do you think it might be worth going back to the CAB? I know they were keen for you to go down the bankruptcy route last time you saw them, but as your circumstances have now changed quite a bit they might be able to give you some different advice. In either case they should be able to help you out with more letters to your creditors to explain your current situation and perhaps temporarily do something about the requests for increased payment.

Depending on what your SOA looks like (your new incomings and outgoings), it might be time to contact CCCS or PayPlan, which are free debt charities who negotiate with your creditors on your behalf. Also, have a look at www.entitledto.co.uk as you might not be getting all the benefits you and your girlfriend are entitled to.

I know it's difficult, but have a cuppa, take a deep breath, and keep checking back here for more advice. We will help you.

lindsaygalaxy

I dont know if this is correct, so someone please tell me if i am wrong, but if you want to become bankrupt, stop paying your debts, and for the next few months save any extra in your wages to pay the court fees. it will cause defaults ( if you dont already have them) phone calls/letters, but if your moving, just dont give them your new number, and write to them telling them that you want all corrospondence to be done now by letters.

When the OR looks at your income/expenditure they will look at the contribution you pay to your household.

Does your girlfriend recieve tax credits etc? As when you move in you will need to process a new joint claim, and although you will be working ( not sure if she does) you will be also entitled to workign tax credits depending on how much you earm, try the calculator.

As for ways to make the money, do you have any DIY or gardening skills? Could you get a few odd jobs painting a neighbours room or something? Or, you or your gf could do some babysitting ( pays much better now than it was when i done it 10 years ago), If your GF i going to be renewing any insurances in the next few months, get them done through Quidco so you get the cashback ( i just got £100 from my car insurance) and it was the cheapest i could find even before the £100.

If you post your SOA loads of people on here can help you.

I notice from your firts post you mention the increase costs. Are you recievign your 25% discount from your council tax for single occupency?I not go to the council let them know you didnt realise about it, and they should recalculate your bill.

There are circumstances wher eyou can get the £150 knocked off of the fees, as said above i f you post this on the Bankruptcy forum someone will be able to tell you if you are excluded.

Last thing, NEVER give up. You have your girldfriend and most importantly your daughter to be there for. Money is not everything, and yes we all need it to live, but things will be ok, and whenever you are down, know that the best gift you can ever give your daughter is you, and time with her will be more prescious than any amount of money can buy.

RosieMacDoo

Hi Chalky

There are companies out there who can give grants to help with the cost of Bankruptcy fees - I'd recommend giving CCCS a call - they'll be able to point you in the right direction....

otherwise just stop paying your creditors anything at all and just put the monry you have been paying them up to now to one side (plus any other pennies you can spare) until you have enough for the fee.... if you're on certain income-based benefits then you may be able to qualify for a reduction of around £160 in your bankruptcy fee too

hth and chin up

Rosie x

In_Search_Of_Me

otherwise just stop paying your creditors anything at all and just put the monry you have been paying them up to now to one side


,,,,,,
Not sure I wud recc payng noting - a tokek jesture of £1 demonstrates that you are trying but would rings CCCS for advice...please dont pay nthing at all or dont contact them; that when things get really bad! Huge sof you & hope you are ok?

immoral_angeluk

I definately agree with ther re calling the CCCS. My other concern is that you seem to have some form of depression, especially with the suicidal thoughts. My main advice would be to go see your GP as soon as possible for proper help.
To face your financial problems head on you're going to need to be mentally strong, and that's not just for your debts... but also for yourself your baby and your girlfriend because they need you more than you realise.

Sending massive hugs your way :grouphug:

liz105

dont get any joint financial products with your girlfriend, this way she wont be connected with you on your credit file and her credit rating will not be affected if you go bankrupt. A debt needs to have gone through the courts before a CCJ is issued and therefore bailiffs called in. If you have tried to make payments it may not get this far. again, post on the bankruptcy board for more detailed advice.