Help Needed: Dealing with Debt Settlements and Uncooperative Creditors

Grumpelstiltskin

Agree with RAS do Payplan know you are living abroad?

gwynlas

Agree it is probably best to go self managed though Stepchange will distribute your payments proportionately to all creditors with an annual review. If you go self managed you will probably ne asked to complete SOA and details of each creditor. You will need to refuse and just tell them what you have worked out you can afford to pay them as that is all they are entitled to. If you choose to pay off one or two that is up to you if they offer a sufficient saving otherwise if no interest being added to debt you might as well place lump sum in savings.

Grumpelstiltskin

Gwynlas As the OP has now said they are living abroad our advice may be different, just waiting to find out if they intend moving back to the UK.

DjangoUnchained

absolutely agree, all DMPs including stepchange, dont work in your interest, they are for the benefit of the creditors. Cancel it immediately, request CCAs from them all, most likely they wont have them and you womt need to pay them anything. If they do supply CCAs then you negotiate on your terms.

Grumpelstiltskin

Django If you read back the OP is living abroad now we don't know if Payplan are aware.

DjangoUnchained

if he's living abroad then i would just stop paying and ignore them all, simples.  If the OP decides to return to uk then deal with it then, time would have passed and be harder to enforce

nublue1

RAS said:

Well, they can't take effective legal action if you live abroad. Do you intend returning?

I’m not sure, certainly not for the next 18 months but maybe a few years down the line.  

nublue1

Grumpelstiltskin said:

Agree with RAS do Payplan know you are living abroad?

Yes they do, they just advised that they wouldn’t adapt my plan until I had work if my partner will pay the payments and told me to let all of the creditors know my new address.  Bit nervous of that because I still have a Starling account which I use for a few bits and bobs - don’t want them to know I’m not in the Uk in case they close the account.

edited to say that Payplan don’t seem to be as efficient and on the ball as before - not responding to messages etc.

Grumpelstiltskin

Right cancel your Payplan payment now.
Just tell them you are reconsidering. Don't contact any of your creditors at the moment but the UK address they have, are any family members living there? Would you know if any post is sent there?

Don't speak to any of them on the phone if they have your valid number.

nublue1

Grumpelstiltskin said:

Right cancel your Payplan payment now.
Just tell them you are reconsidering. Don't contact any of your creditors at the moment but the UK address they have, are any family members living there? Would you know if any post is sent there?

Don't speak to any of them on the phone if they have your valid number.

Thanks.  No one is at that address now, but I have a redirection going to a postal service so I’ll see any letters.  I’m a bit scared of CCJs though just in case I do come back…