Debt becoming overwhelming? Can I pay this off or am I deluding myself?

Fireflyaway

Looking at you statement, your income is obviously very low. Is there a reason you can't work? Even without the debts you have very little to spare so increasing your income would be helpful. 
The bills seem ok with the exception of groceries. I think you could knock £100 off that. 
The other point is understanding why you got into debt. There is no point paying it off if the same latter repeats itself. I'd also suggest doing a written budget because you made some comments about not knowing the cost of some things. You might be overspending without really realising. None of this is meant to be judgemental or to belittle you. I was in the same situation a while back so it's just from experience that I'm making these suggestions. 
Regards a DMP. You can do that or manage it on your own. I've done both and for me the latter worked best. I just found there was more flexibility to change payments if needed and it was quicker communicating directly with creditors rather than via a third party. 

sourcrates

To clarify, Debt relief orders are not available in Scotland.

There are 3 routes to Bankrupcy, or sequestration in Scotland, depending on your circumstances.

You would be looking at the DRO equivilent, which is the MAP Bankrupcy (Minimal assets process) or there is the DAS/DPP route, similar to a debt management plan in England and Wales.

OP you are to all intents and purposes insolvent, so one of the above procedures would be my choice, ask about both.

National Debtline Scotland is a place for good, free, advice from someone with no agenda.

There are currently new rules covering MAP`s where your situation is anything to do with COVID-19, new reduced fee`s apply, and discharge is reduced to 6 months i believe.

m-holland

Hi folks, 
Theres been quite a few questions asked so I will try and cover them all.

• Most of the CC's have been BT's that I rolled over to other BT's. 
• I feel uneasy just going with the advice of a money advice service as last time I went to the council's money advice service for advice it was just "let it go to court". Which I dont feel was very helpful.
• I was holding off as I was wanting to clear all my debts without defaulting or anything like that. Basically pay off then close the high interest cards (Aqua, Vanquis etc.) leaving only the smaller ones with lower limits.
• I'm a full-time unpaid carer, so I dont get paid for the care I do but I receive a weekly Carers Allowance from the DWP of £67.25.
• It's a motability van so literally the only thing me and the person I care for have to pay for is the diesel.
• The two loans have just under two years left on them based on the original credit agreement

sammyjammy

m-holland said:

Hi folks, 
Theres been quite a few questions asked so I will try and cover them all.

• Most of the CC's have been BT's that I rolled over to other BT's. 
• I feel uneasy just going with the advice of a money advice service as last time I went to the council's money advice service for advice it was just "let it go to court". Which I dont feel was very helpful.
• I was holding off as I was wanting to clear all my debts without defaulting or anything like that. Basically pay off then close the high interest cards (Aqua, Vanquis etc.) leaving only the smaller ones with lower limits.
• I'm a full-time unpaid carer, so I dont get paid for the care I do but I receive a weekly Carers Allowance from the DWP of £67.25.
• It's a motability van so literally the only thing me and the person I care for have to pay for is the diesel.
• The two loans have just under two years left on them based on the original credit agreement

I admire your morals but seriously you've probably paid more than enough of that debt to keep the companies in profit!  If you are unlikely to have a decent rise in income anytime soon go down the route suggested by sourcrates, you deserve a break, you are living on minimal benefits.

Fatsdom

I'm going to cut to the chase and you won't like it.

You are bust and it'll only get worse it you don't take action. 

Take the advice of Stepchange. They are good people and they'll hold your hand and guide you every step of the way. One you've joined Stepchange you are no longer alone. 

Good luck on your journey. 

ChrisLV

My two cents is that it comes down to your income prospects. If there is realistic hope of your income going up significantly in the near future, I can see holding on. But if a substantial rise in income is unlikely, it looks like you're better off starting the recovery process now than going through a long, stressful attempt at keeping the payments going before finally reaching the point where you have no choice but to do what Stepchange are advising anyway.

ditty1234

@m-holland hi I am mainly noticing the high interests you are paying and how little some of your payments would do towards your balance. Looks a bit uphill to me. If you go and read the DMP mutual support thread there are lots of stories on there that might help you decide which type of option you want to go for. But when I stopped paying my debts over a year ago I went from trying to pay £700 a month incl about £300 interest to paying £125 in a DMP. The thing I forgot was to get all accounts defaulted before I started paying them again and also before you start paying you will need to build up an emergency fund, otherwise you will be in a very vulnerable situation. Hope you find the right solution. If you look back you have probably already paid the balances off except for the interest they have slapped on!

warby68

If your circumstances are unlikely to change much for the foreseeable future, then action to reduce or remove those awful interest rates should be taken. If you were in a DMP type arrangement you could actually. make progress with reducing your debt for an awful lot less per month, if your priority is to pay rather than having things written off. Remember a DMP is not unchanging. You can amend it or ditch it if things change or it doesn't work out - its an informal process. 
Clearly you aren't able to earn a regular income but your benefits look reasonable when you don't have housing costs to cover and for the expenses laid out - you could possibly pay £100 to your debts and just live a slightly easier life. I'm not saying you shouldn't consider the more formal processes but I suspect your hesitation is because you prefer to pay what you can.
Not meaning to pry either but a question to think about - are the bills and debts etc apportioned fairly between you and the person you live with. Obviously if you are subbing them or vice versa the answers might be a little different. The food bill looks high for one for example. Also is your 'overspending' over ie is the SoA a true one and the multiple debts the legacy from adjusting to changed circumstances  and not from recent overspending - its not to pry or to upset you as one poster seems to think. Its to make sure the root cause is sorted as that needs to be done before the solution can work.
Finally moving the defaults along and using what you would have paid to the debts to build an emergency fund BEFORE you commit to a plan is important. Some plans fail at the first go because people haven't prepared for the removal of credit and unexpected bills.
Good luck

MrGorsky

Maybe look to stop spending on expenses you can’t afford, such as mobile phone, internet, entertainment, clothes shopping , expensive groceries and haircuts. I’ve not paid for a haircut in years since being in debt ... maybe the person who lives with you could give you a trim? You’ll not be far off your repayments.

 Also look to boost income with matched betting, current account switches and eBay, I earned thousands from those.... particularly matched betting 

Emmia

MrGorsky said:

Maybe look to stop spending on expenses you can’t afford, such as mobile phone, internet, entertainment, clothes shopping and haircuts. I’ve not paid for a haircut in years since being in debt ... maybe the person who lives with you could give you a trim? You’ll not be far off your repayments.

 Also look to boost income with matched betting, current account switches and eBay, I earned thousands from those.... particularly matched betting 

Whilst I don't want to pour cold water on your suggestions, matched betting looks like a pretty risky strategy given the situation the OP is in.