(Small) UK debt after leaving UK

yolanda33

Hi everyone!

I know this is a usual conversation and the consensus is often to just let it be but I’m in a slight different situation that what I’ve seen answered on here before.

I have left the UK after a decade there, I’m a French national, and I have outstanding debt on my MonzoFlex account. Out of the £5000 limit I owe £2700. I have used this Monzo account and Flex credit as my main bank account for years and always repaid on time. Unfortunately the job I planned on having moving back to France fell through and my last UK job pay was lower than expected. I still repaid last month’s repayment (1k) after I had already left the UK as I planned on repaying it completely.

Because of the fact I planned on repaying, I also used the card in Spain then in France where I will be staying for now. I am now in a situation where I can’t pay for the foreseeable future and this will end in a default etc, and reading the others threads it would be stupid for me to send everything I have left to pay another 800 and be left with nothing and still end up in default the next month.

I feel like the amount of debt (2700£) is low enough that it wouldn’t necessarily get aggressively pursued but because they could very easily trace me to France ( last purchases being made in France with said card ) I am thinking twice about actually ignoring it.

What are your thoughts?

Grumpelstiltskin

OK Even if you are traced to |France what do you think the creditor can do? It is not a criminal offence.

fatbelly

Debts to Uk banks and other credit providers are not usually pursued in other countries. If you return to the UK in the next 6 years you might get traced. Otherwise, no. You say that you can't pay for the foreseeable future so i don't see any other option other than to stop paying

yolanda33

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82114147#Comment_82114147

I suppose get it enforced in France aha because of The Hague convention agreements it seems easier in 2026 than it was before during full Brexit rules.

yolanda33

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82114164#Comment_82114164

I think my first thought was contact them and try to figure out a low payment plan but then thought if I’m in a situation where I can’t pay and end up trying to escape it now they’ll know where I am etc. I had seen most of the advice on here saying don’t tell them where you are and don’t get in contact with them with your foreign IP adress etc so I thought it might be too late to just ignore now.

Grumpelstiltskin

Look whilst ever you are out of the UK forget it, no one is even going to think about trying to enforce for the small amount you owe, if it was £27 millions then a different matter.

yolanda33

Thank you for your advice. Do you think I should let the bank know?

Grumpelstiltskin

That is up to you but if you do don't give them anything that will let them contact you.

RAS

Entirely up to you. I'd suggest that you get yourself sorted out financially and then make decisions.

Nothing is going to happen whilst you are France. It's possible if you return to the UK in the next 6 years. Although that means become settled with a permanent address, not a weekend visit.

sourcrates

Expected scenario if you default on this debt of £2.700.

Creditor will write to your last known UK address, they will also try to call you.

This will continue for some weeks, after that, they may pass the debt to a collection company, who will rinse and repeat the above, at some point the debt may be sold, and the new owner will again, rinse and repeat the above.

This will, again, continue for some months, eventually, as you won`t have responded, they may either, obtain a CCJ against you, which is only valid and enforceable in the UK, or they will put the account on the back burner, and continue to send letters every six months.

Being abroad, you won`t be aware of any of this, it will only appear on your UK credit report, and the debt will not be chased outside of UK borders, it just doesn't happen with consumer credit act debts, its simply not worth the money and effort involved in tracing you, then taking legal action in the country that you are residing in, and then enforcing that judgement in that country.

Your £2.700 debt will be sold for less than £100 quid, and the balance written off to tax, so why would a creditor spend potentially hundred's of £`s attempting to trace you abroad? it just does not happen for the reasons I have given.

No point telling the bank anything, it just serves to give the debt collectors an address so they can bombard you with collection letters, best advice is to say nothing, and do nothing.