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braken2000 wrote: »

So do I. I am dreading it tbh. Just now trying to work out if it is better to try and get a default and take the hit for 6 months as I have heard AP markers last longer. Causing mega anxiety now .

From comments made on here and our own experiences with my mother-in-law back in the day then most creditors will default. It's Barclaycard that are the monkeys for the AP markers which can go on indefinitely. That said, I did challenge them over my mother-in-law and ended up with a FOS complaint which was upheld so she got a backdated default rather than further years of AP markers (she had 4 years worth with no end in sight). Her credit was utterly trashed anyway so one more default made no difference!

Bite the bullet and pick up the phone. I think you'll feel better after doing so.

beanielou

What is an AP marker?

beanielou

Googled it.

braken2000

Thank you everyone for your support. I can not put into words how much I value the advice given. I feel lighter just talking about it.

I have done the online StepChange budget thing and I need to call them. I just need to gear myself up for it.

I have emailed the loan company (a credit union) and explained the situation and asked for their advice to see if anything can be done and will get onto O2.

The car insurance is the cheapest I could get it. I spent three days looking and calling around and it is the lowest it will go unfortunately.

I have also spoken to family who are currently looking to see if they have a lower APR option which will reduce the Credit Cards somewhat. I find it so frustrating that I pay every month, usually a tiny bit more than the minimum payment but do not get the chance to lower my APR. But that is the nature of the beast I guess.

Also going to try and flog a couple of things on eBay, might not get much, but will hopefully get something.

theoretica

Be warned about family members taking out loans for you, if you do later need to get a dmp or default you are not allowed to prioritise what you owe them, so their credit score is at risk too. Generally a risky idea.

braken2000

Certainly something think about theoretica . Nothing has come of it yet, but will certainly be interesting to see if anything does. As a temporary measure until November it might be worth it. But time will tell .

beanielou

Can I also add that families and loans do not agree.
Been there on both sides and not a good idea,

TBagpuss

Are the prescriptions for you both or mostly for one of you? A pre-payment certificate is £29.10 for 3 months, so could save you a bit. (if you both need regular prescriptions then it may still be worth getting one each, but work out the sums firsts. Also, if you need regular repeat prescriptions you could ask your GP when the they can amend the prescription so you don't have to fill it so frequently (e.g. a prescription for one inhaler / a one month supply of tablets will cost £8.60, but if your GP writes the prescription for 2 inhalers, or for a 2 month supply of tablets, it will still only cost £8.60 as it counts as one prescription item not 2)

Could you cut down on your grocery bill? I don't think yours is excessive, but you might be able to shave a bit off.
Jack Monroe has lots of recipes on their website, which may help https://cookingonabootstrap.com/category/recipes-food/

Another possibility might be to look into any local and/or course specific grants or funding, as you are a student. There are quite a lot of small charities / trusts around which offer help to students who meet particular criteria, often based on where you live (or were born) but some based on your occupation, area of study, or even the background or occupation of your aprtner or parents.
https://www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk/blog/educational-grants-students-trusts-and-charities. Turn2Us also has a section where you can search for funding.
There may be occupation-specific trusts or benevolent funds which might be able to help with the debts, too.

Also ask at your college / university - they may have specific aid available.

braken2000

Thanks tbagpuss

I have a couple of prescriptions a month so am currently on the 12 month PPC. Although have now got the form to fill in and see if I can get it even cheaper, so fingers cross on that. Had not thought about asking for a bigger refill, as opposed to "every month" which is a pain. Might ask for that just for convenience if nothing else .

There is unfortunately no funding available for me in terms of grants etc. It is not a sector that attracts many at all, and due to having previous student loan I am classed as "self funding" which is why I am in this mess.

braken2000

Just spoke to StepChange now. Not as bad as I thought tbh. A lot of suggestions but I think a Token Payment Plan is the best option. It gives us a bit of breathing space and is more temporary than the other solutions (bankruptcy for example was mentioned). So now to look into the token payment a little bit more and see what it is like I guess.