Debt or push me over EDGE?

oxfordlad

Iam at my wits end. dont know where to turn or what else i can do.
every time there knock at the door my hart stops, it takes friends and family to have to txt me to let me know they are at the door.
Been to CAB debt managetment all tell me same thing, I have no spare money to offer anthing to my creditors!! have written to them all to explain till I am blue in the face but they just wont listen!

get back from town today find letter from POWER TO CONTACT saying they been instructed by thier client (carphone warehouse) to - VISIT MY ADDRESS TO COLLECT THE ABOVE DEBT!
AS i have made this action necessary as i have ignored all thier requsts to contact them! but thats not true have spoke on phone and sent letters!! but they just ignore my plea. should i wish to avoid the course of action i must contact them WITH IN 72 HRS. WHICH I DID TONIGHT and again all the guy would say was when do you get paid?? i explained i dont have enough money to pay! to be told "well your working so when do you get paid?" buy this time i lost it and slammed the phone down.
my menatl health is not good am all ready under ther doctor and i feel like what is the point???
its not all my fault i am in this mess as i have had few medical problems and had my working hours cut. when my bosses found out they were going to fire me but instead cut my hours to 36 a week!!! i i just dont get a minute to breath i dont see lights at end of any tunnle. just lots of pain upon pain upon pain, sorry i cant see through the tears any more.

Monthly Incomings:

My salary - £1,000.00

Housing Benefit - £2.50

Total - £1,002.50

Monthly Outgoings:

/Rent /water- £500 COUPLE WEEKS BEHIND
Council Tax - £120.00 2MONTHS IN ARREAS
Gas - £36
Electric - £44
TV License - £11.61
Sky £21.00
Phone - £35.00
Food - £140.00
Car /petrol/insurance - £120.00 (not car tax/repairs or mot)
house insurance £16.50
pet insurance £14.50
prescription/health cost. £15.00
clothing.haircut. £20.00

Total: £1,093.61
- £1,002.50
= -£91.11 short. AGAIN THIS MONTH


DEBT
HSC £20,000 INTEREST ADDED GOD KNOW HOW MUCH
BARCLYCARD £3,181.53 NO CHARGES ADDED
CAPITAL ONE £600 NO CHARGES ADDED
KAYS £237.47
jD WILLIAMS £171.08
CARPHONE WAREHOUSE £105.49
OVERDREAFT £1,300
ABEY CURRENT ACCOUNT £200+ CHARGES BEING ADDED

TOTAL £25,095.57P

RAS

Whoa whoa whoa.

They are not allowed to visit you without prior arrangment or without your agreement. They use these card to frighten you and they are succeeding. You do not have to speak to them on the phone.

Take a deep breath and then exhale slowly and keep doing that. Will be back with a second post in a few minutes.

Discount-Diva_3

As february and March are non council tax months you can use the next 2 months to catch up

Could you cancel your phone and sky until you are on your feet, I would look at these as luxuries but I understand with a lot of these things you are contracted for a number of months

Probably not much help as I'm not good at seeing where costs can be cut but I wish you good luck and we always seem to find a way

RAS

oxfordlad wrote: »

Monthly Incomings:

My salary - £1,000.00

Housing Benefit - £2.50

Total - £1,002.50

Monthly Outgoings:

/Rent /water- £500 COUPLE WEEKS BEHIND - this is priority
Council Tax - £120.00 2MONTHS IN ARREAS - also priority have you checked whether you are entitled to CTC, do you get single persons' reduction. If you have been paying over 10 months, then, the arrears will sort out by the end of the year, but ring them up and expalin the stuation.
Gas - £36 - this is quite high - check your account is not in credit
Electric - £44 ditto
TV License - £11.61
Sky £21.00 - really this needs to go
Phone - £35.00 - this is high - get over tho the phones forum and learn how to make cheap or free weekend and evening calls
Food - £140.00 - for how many?
Car /petrol/insurance - £120.00 (not car tax/repairs or mot) Can you split this into its components? Also list one 12th of the annual costs. Do you really really need a car?
house insurance £16.50 - is this contents? Check the comparison sites and use www.quidco.com for a cash back if you can get it cheaper
pet insurance £14.50 - dito
prescription/health cost. £15.00 - there are deals, is this one of them?
clothing.haircut. £20.00 - join www.freecycle.org and see if the local college offers free haircuts.

Total: £1,093.61
- £1,002.50
= -£91.11 short. AGAIN THIS MONTH


DEBT
HSC £20,000 INTEREST ADDED GOD KNOW HOW MUCH
BARCLYCARD £3,181.53 NO CHARGES ADDED
CAPITAL ONE £600 NO CHARGES ADDED
KAYS £237.47
jD WILLIAMS £171.08
CARPHONE WAREHOUSE £105.49
OVERDREAFT £1,300
ABEY CURRENT ACCOUNT £200+ CHARGES BEING ADDED

TOTAL £25,095.57P

Have you got a new bank account that is not associated with any of your creditors into which you can get your salary paid?

There are some ways of increasing your income a bit, like survey sites, pay for clicks, mystery shopping.

In the short-term, you need to write to all the creditors, tell them you have been very poorly, are taking advice and that they are not allowed to phone you or to visit you and send them £1 per month.

The priority is to stabilise your health. If you can do that, you may be able to sort these debts out later. If your health is permanently impaired, are you entitled to DLA. And you need to know your rights under the Disability Discrimination Act.

In_Search_Of_Me

Just to say welcome and as someone suggested on the other thread get in touch with CCCS r one of the free agencies - at the end of the day if you havent got money they cant have it! Ask people to correspond in writing only. Can you get your council tax over 12 moths instead of 10 - would even it out a bit & as others suggested you could see if you could get cheaper gas & elec possibly and thats worth investgating. Do you have anything you could flog on ebay or at car boot? Any room for extra work or higher paid job? Mainly hang in there - most of us understand how dire it is to be in debt and are all supporting each other on the long & bumpy road ahead - you're not alone in this Do you have family or friends you can confide in? Would it be possible to mve home for a bit - that would take 500 of rent a month to knock of debt...just a thought...:)

monkey22_2

Hi Oxfordlad,

I posted a message on your other thread.

Anyhow, I was just sending you a hug and telling you not panic - you'll get loads of advice and support on here.

You should call CCCS or Payplan ASAP for professional advice on your situation - they're really helpful and will put your mind at rest.

Regarding Carphone Warehouse, tell them to "**** off" and that you only want them to contact you by letter.
Remember, they can't have what you haven't got, so they can whistle;)

monkey22_2

Great minds think alike eh, InSearchofMe?

You can type faster than me though!

chocolatechipcookies

The thing I don't get is the housing benefit. £2.50 a month, that's an odd number... And how do you get anything when you're on a grand a month?

RAS

Hi

here is the letter to send to the lovely people who are phoning you, or threatening to call.

Edit you the bits in red as you wish.


Date

Your name
Your address

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Account Number

I am writing to express my serious concerns regarding the telephone calls that I have received from your company. i have explained previously, I have recently been unwell.

I demand that these phone calls stop immediately. I am familiar with the terms of Section 40 of the Administration of Justice Act 1970, and the Protection from Harassment Act 1970 and I believe your harassment places you in breach of these acts. In particular, your behaviour is hindering my recovery from ill-health.

If you continue to call, you will also be in breach of the Wireless Telegraphy Act (1949) and, as such, I will report you to both Trading Standards and The Office of Fair Trading.

Take further note that continued telephone calls after the receipt of a request not to call may constitute a criminal offence under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003.

You will be deemed to have been served notice of my request and I will deem it served by FULL DATE, I am advising you that any calls received after this date will be recorded with the intention of them being used as evidence.

Furthermore, I am aware of the OFT Guidelines and my legal rights regarding door step debt collection.

I am now formally requesting that all further correspondence be made in writing only.
Yours faithfully,


Your name.


And just to clarify - the door step collector has no more rights than the paper boy, if he ever turns up.

mhe

Some things spring to mind
rENT IS HALF YOUR SALARY - COULD YOU FIND SOMEWHERE CHEAPER OR TAKE IN A LODGER?
sKY AND PHONE NEED TO GO FOR NOW
FOOD BILL IS QUITE HIGH IF ITS JUST YOU - IM SPENDING 200 FOR 5 OF US

oxfordlad

Thanks very much for your support. regaurds council tax, am getting single persons discount, but was told i dont qaulify for any council tax benifet. i fell behind back in november, after break up of my relationship. , so they adjusted my account for single person, which in return balanced out what i owed, so they recalulated my bill which ment i only had to make payments for jan feb and march.
My rent went up to £1000 in arreas so i stoped paying the creditors and payed my rent instead so have all most caught up with that,i get 2 free weeks in march so that will bring it down more.
Gas and Electric i think is high my self as i am the only one in the house hold, heating is on a timer and most of my time i turn it down low also use gas to heat hot water and to cook with.have had so much trouble in the past swapping over companys puts me off trying(but will look into it).
my phone is with talktalk and also includes a talk talk mobile number (Not contract).
food is for just me and my dog.
Car is mostly used for work and shopping. usualy spend £80 per month on peterol,the rest is insurance.and breakdowncover.
housing benifit is weekly sorry not monthly job to know whats what most of the time...thanks for all your help and support i will go through all your points and see what i can do. just wish creditors would listen to customers, sending me letters like that scares me to death.