Life After Cancer - addressing debt

EttaRH

I'm terrified to even work out how much I owe but I know I have to start somewhere and have come here to learn having just received a CCJ. I will be trying to take a small step each day.

Since 2014 and our family's discovery of BRCA1 inheritance, ovarian cancer has killed my sister (2020) and my mum (2022) and breast cancer got me (2020). I'm still waiting further surgery but the tumours have been removed and I am technically 'all clear' as far as they know. The past 10 years have been a nightmare with my sister dying 3 months after my diagnosis during COVID and while my chemotherapy was suspended due to pandemic. I grieve for her every day.

I've lost my well paid job because the Employee Assistance Program my workplace referred me to really messed with my head with their 'counselling', my mental state was not great - surgical menopause and not being allowed HRT haven't helped. Being asked if I had considered transitioning to become a man if I was too anxious to have reconstructive surgery was the final blow.

Having recently listened to a BBC File on 4 podcast I've realised EAPs have form for this so I am trying to put it behind me and have been doing a 6 week life coaching course on Life After Cancer which is (I hope) helping me move forward.

Today I have looked at the SOA link and realised I need to apply for my statutory credit report to start filling it in because I have no idea what I owe and to whom - it is that bad. I have moved around to care for my family and it's all such a mess. Of my own making (plenty of cancer survivors don't ignore everything and get on with their lives despite raging anxiety!)

So my small steps for today have been 

(a) posting here to initiate my journey
(b) Registering with StepChange (I opted for them not to pass on details of my physical disabilities and mental health with creditors for now)
(c) Applied for my Experience Statutory Credit Report.

I'm assuming to get the fullest picture I need to apply for reports from the other 2 agencies as well.

I don't have any credit cards.

And I do need to find the details of all five of the pension plans I have with previous jobs and work out what to do with them (consolidate?) and make sure my son is listed as beneficiary on all of them.

_Dolly_Rocker_

Wow what a lot to have been through for yourself and your family. 

Welcome and best of luck on your journey. 

fatbelly

You'll get good help on here.

I think, if you need to engage with creditors, then tell them about your health.

If it has been several years since you last contacted a creditor, or made a payment, then you might want tp consider leaving it alone.

However you must always respond to a court clam. More than that, you should respond to a formal letter before action - the sort that comes with a reply form and 30-day limit.

I wish you well in your journey

Brie

I was really worried about you until you said that you had enlisted the help of a debt advice agency.  NationalDebtline, Citizen's Advice and CMA also could help if you find that StepChange doesn't work well for you.  Which ever agency you are with hopefully you will find the support you need.  It's much easier when you have an expert guiding you through it all.  

Don't rule out letting creditors know about how ill you have been.  Many will be very sympathetic.  And consider getting a Mental Health and Debt form signed off by your doctor's surgery.  (free of charge as per guidelines from BMA).  Sending a copy of that to a creditor will make them take your situation seriously, potentially stopping any interest or fees, possibly writing off a portion or the whole of the debt.  

Have you checked if there's any industry help that you can tap in to.  Thinking about things like Unite union, Bank Workers Charity, SSAFA if there's a military connection etc.  

And as for the pensions - you could try Aviva's find and combine service, free and no obligation to actually use them to combine your pensions.  There's also the Pension tracing service.  And you might want to get your state pension forecast as well.

Pension tracing | Find lost and old pensions - Aviva

Find pension contact details - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Check your State Pension forecast - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

EttaRH

Thank you for some really helpful tips (and sympathy)!

Legal & General Pension found and accessed and bookmarked online and beneficiary updated so 4 more to go.

Floss

Also contact your local Maggie's or Macmillan team for help to unravel your financial situation and support to ensure you get all assistance you are entitled to.

Also, it is worth being honest about your health & employment position with your creditors - I had BC last year and Tesco & First Direct both wrote off my debts with NatWest "no longer collecting".