Lost (Scotland)

bilko89 · 3 February at 11:32AM

I'm just lost just now.

To give some background, I had a disagreement with my ex wife regarding child maintenance payments as I had both my daughters staying with me 4 and sometimes 5 overnights per week but paying £400/month. Long story short, she lied to CMS saying I only had them 2 nights per week, I refused to pay it and now I have a DEO of £540 for 6 months, then paying the same again for another 6 months via DD, after which, the CMS will stop adding their 20% on top.

As well as the above, I used a "tax reclaim company" when I worked nightshift a couple of years ago…..it seems in order to claim me money they say I was due, they signed me up for self assessment so when I got the letter in the post from HMRC, I notified them I don't need to Self Assess. I then received a notification saying I owe them £620 til the end of this tax year, then £720 next year….this was in January so I'm losing approx. an additional £200 on tax.

I'm repaying a loan I took out from my work @ £250/m which is due to be repaid in full in June. This was taken out to repay debts to my ex (I paid all debt off we had accumulated together in order to give her a fresh start, I regret this now…..£18.5K in total) this loan was for £3K.

I was also off work for 2 days last week so that was my take home pay in January…..

As you can see, I'm not paying anything towards my debts at the moment either….just stuck and thought about losing my car or going bankrupt. I live in Scotland and any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

[font=courier new][b]Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet[/b][b]

Household Information[/b]
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... (2) (kids stay between 3/4 nights per week
Number of cars owned.................... 0[b] (Car is on HP)

Monthly Income Details[/b]
Monthly income after tax................ 1458.45 - Will be roughly £1680 in Feb (no sick days) - £1820 in April (tax only £60 more next tax year) - £2072 from July when work loan paid off - £2240 from Jan 2027 when able to pay CM direct pay instead of to CMS who charge an additional 20%

Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 0[b]
Total monthly income.................... 1458.45[/b][b]

Monthly Expense Details[/b]
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 184.4
Rent.................................... 450 (includes arrears payment - Arrears - £1050)
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 173.33 (high as needs repaid in full in March and I've missed payments)
Electricity............................. 75
Gas..................................... 75
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 0
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 40
TV Licence.............................. 0
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 28
Groceries etc. ......................... 250
Clothing................................ 10
Petrol/diesel........................... 180
Road tax................................ 18
Car Insurance........................... 114
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 10
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 0
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 10
Entertainment........................... 13 (spotify)
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0[b]
Total monthly expenses.................. 1630.73[/b]
[b]

Assets[/b]
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0[b]
Total Assets............................ 0[/b]
[b]

Secured & HP Debts[/b]
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 0........(0)........0
Hire Purchase (HP) debt ...... 10326....(184.4)....22.9[b]
Total secured & HP debts...... 10326.....-.........- [/b]

[b]Unsecured Debts[/b]
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Starling Bank OD...............3546......0.........0
Natwest OD.....................190.......0.........0
Creditspring (ACI).............123.......0.........0
Vanquis .......................488.......0.........0
Lowell (3 Mobile)..............178.......0.........0
Lowell (3 mobile)..............397.......0.........0
Lowell (O2)....................913.......0.........0
Virgin Mobile..................220.......0.........0
Premium Credit (ins)...........145.......0.........0
Zable (credit).................50........50........0
JD Williams....................116.......40........0
British Gas....................725.......0.........0
EE.............................559.......0.........0
Lowell (O2)....................674.......0.........0
Salad Money....................350.......0.........0
Lending Stream.................188.......0.........0
Mr Lender......................520.......0.........0[b]
Total unsecured debts..........9382......90........- [/b]

[b]
Monthly Budget Summary[/b]
Total monthly income.................... 1,458.45
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,630.73
Available for debt repayments........... -172.28
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 90[b]
Amount short for making debt repayments. -262.28[/b]

[b]Personal Balance Sheet Summary[/b]
Total assets (things you own)........... 0
Total HP & Secured debt................. -10,326
Total Unsecured debt.................... -9,382[b]
Net Assets.............................. -19,708[/b]

[i]Created using the SOA calculator at www.LemonFool.co.uk.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using other browser.[/i][/font]

SparFuchs · 3 February at 12:23PM

Someone experienced will be along to help, but just a tiny thing: Ditch Spotify and download Brave (internet browser) on your phone. Then you can listen to YouTube music playlists just like Spotify but Brave block all YT ads (don't use the YT app, use the YT website on Brave). Even little savings like that help.

bilko89 · 3 February at 12:35PM

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81867979#Comment_81867979

Thanks for that…as a self confessed techie I'm embarrassed I didn't know about this! Cheers😊

ManyWays · 3 February at 12:57PM

The loan from your work, was through someone like Salary Finance?
Is the car essential?

Slinky · 3 February at 12:59PM

Mobile bill looks high, are you paying off a handset still?

bilko89 · 3 February at 3:12PM

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868038#Comment_81868038

It is yes, last payment will be June for the loan

The snob in me says yes but could i get to work on the bus….yes…..but it leaves me having to do something similar to get my girls over to stay with me as my ex doesn't drive….if it's a decision I need to make then I'm willing to give it up

bilko89 · 3 February at 3:13PM

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868041#Comment_81868041

£20 was for 2 sims that I got at the time of being with my ex….she doesn't use that sim so I'm stuck with both until the contract is up in July…..£20 is repayment on a handset I have yes….

in_need_of_direction · 3 February at 3:42PM

what age are your children? have you tried disputing what your wife has claimed by the provision of dates, etc? could this be corroborated?

bilko89 · 3 February at 3:55PM

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81868334#Comment_81868334

Hi, My kids are 11 and 15 (12 and 16 this July). When I called the CMS, after uploading spreadsheets with dates and times and screenshots of the life 360 app showing where the girls were, they say I need something legal, like a signed agreement drawn up by solicitors to prove it….I asked them why she didn't have to prove anything she claimed and they said that as she is the "primary caregiver" they use what they say as a base…..it's madness and I can see why many men…well I don't want to go there but it's terrible….

Following on from that I did visit a lawyer and they drafted a letter to her…we have since spoke to each other and she agreed to change it on CMS (letter must've scared her and she has since changed it) but as I missed a payment, they have put me onto Collect and pay instead of direct pay, meaning I need to pay 20% on top of my normal payment that doesn't even go to my girls…..She can change the payment method if she wishes but she has chosen not to.