Very Scary SOA - Please help

Misschelle_2

Hi, just bumping this one - wondered if anyone else had any ideas on my SOA??

Thanks

Cleosmum

Misschelle wrote: »

Everything with council tax was taken out of our hands when they applied for the attachment to earnings order - can I still negotiate a payment amount if it has gone this far?

Make an appointment and take in your SOA and explain that you cant manage as things are. The council had all my employers details but never went for attachment of earnings, so not sure if it would work the same. The bottom line is that you cant manage, you need to show them.

Digitalsgirl_Hubby

Hi
Just had a couple of questions for you (sorry if you have already answered them but its early hours of the morning lol)

Has your partner been taken to court for not paying the CSA as normally an attachment to earnings only happens after this

If he is not on the Birth Certificate why are you paying at all, as they cant just take money off you because the mother claims he is the father.

If the child is 16 why are you still paying, i was under the impression it stopped at 16?

My wife also receives CSA and says that the amount they can claim is only 15% of your partners earnings, so you should question this straight away.

(wish we got the same percentage of CSA as your having to pay, we would be laughing to the bank and back....No offence to you of course just dreaming)

Anyway big hugs from me and my wife

Tony & Isla

Superheavy

Hiya Miss Chelle,

Just thought I'd send my prayers your way...till I found this site and forum I never really realised how big the debt problem really is....and now I know much better than I did even a few months ago.

Not sure if this is of any help, but could you move in with anyone else for a while? If you can move your stuff out of the house, they'll give you a 6 month exemption on your CT.

Also, check out the Money Saving Old Style board for bringing food bills right down....I'm only a week in but so far I've spent £19, including cleaning supplies, and that should tide me over for over a fortnight, though I do only pay my own way when it comes to grub.

Good Luck hun, you stick about here and you'll get plenty of decent advice no doubt.

Serendipity_phoenix

Misschelle wrote: »

Incoming:
My student bursary: £531.00
My Part time job: £200.00 (variable, depending on the hours I do – maximum of £200)
Partners Salary: £1146.24
Total: £1877.24

Outgoings:
Child Support Agency: £485.92 (on attachment of earnings)
Council Tax Arrears: £160.00 (on attachment of earnings)
Rent Arrears: £150.00
Loan Payment: £180.00
Rent: £360.00
Electricity: £80.00 (prepayment meter – recently switched provider)
My Car Insurance: £25.32
Partners Car Insurance: £27.42
Petrol: £240.00 (have looked at public transport but it works out more expensive)
Heating (Coal): £20.00
Mobile Phones: £35.00 (on contract until Oct will then go to PAYG)
Internet: £9.99
Land Line Rental: £11.90 (use mobile for calls (all inclusive))
Food: No fixed amount, whatever’s left!!
Total: £1785.55
Leaving: £91.69 (but don’t forget I haven’t brought any food yet!)

Debts:
Child Support Agency: £7446.15
Rent Arrears: £469.49
Car Loan: £4162.00 (should be 132.10 per month, but not paid since November. They have given me until the 5th March to come up with the arrears)
Catalogue: £992.02
Moorcroft Debt Recovery (BT): £392.40
Severn Trent Water: £49.81
CCJ: £1200 (Start paying £10 per month from 28/2)
Debt Managers Ltd (Barclays): £964.57
Vets : £576.98
Council Tax Arrears: £1012.01
Provident Loan: £1800.00 (currently paying and up to date)
Total Debts: £19,065.43

Hi Misschelle:wave:

well done
scary isn't it!:undecided
also surprisingly joyful when you start to help yourself and pay things off! as i am finding:o

1st well done for keeping up your studies, i know how hard that is, when you are going through so much:T

The first thing that seems to jump out at me is the CSA
Are all the figures monthly?

for your hubby to be paying £400+ a month his earning should be around £30-40k a year, as the CSA work on a 15% rate

but saying that, with those arrears is it a case of him not paying for years (whatever the reason) and them catching up with him or his ex now claiming?

they only put an attachment of earnings on after he has been asked, but hasn't paid, and with the finance your in who could blame you for not wanting to pay!

now the child is 16 the payments should stop to mount up (it doesn't matter if he/she goes on to higher ed as that is child benefit that continues not CSA)
however the arrears will be there till paid

but he certainly should not be paying if not on the birth cert
unless he went through court to get parental rights, or was married to the mother at the time of birth and has stated he is the father

I would strongly advise you get a free half hour with a solicitor, about the birth cert issues

CAB for the amount and arrears if it is right that you have to pay

you need someone fighting your corner, and as i have found out if you are a minority case, just because your situation is about a "heated topic", a lot of people will judge very quickly and not bother to ask if you are the random 1% that is doing the right thing but still get poop on!:rolleyes2

Pets: I will not say get rid as i have pets too! and hate it when people say things like that!:rolleyes:
you have a lot of vets bills, have you got your pet/pets covered by insurance, this is something i would not do without, even though the budget is so tight, simply to avoid bills like these, look for one that covers the illness/condition for life/no matter what the age or cost of treatment, and one that pays the vet direct, instead of you having to pay the vet then insurance pay you, Argos is very good, believe it or not!

That car loan, is there any way you could sell/give back and get a little run around, as that is a lot of money, it doesn't have to be in bad condition, if you look at cars that have a FSH around a 1996 reg, they normally are £500 at most, and you would own out right.

petrol is a lot but then it is for us too, and we are in the same situation of needing a car, but petrol being 105 a litter:eek: here
same with mobiles

Scary_pale_ but sensible question, have you thought about bankruptcy?
as far as i can see, apart from council tax and CSA arrears (which i am not sure about) you would wipe out the following
Debts:
Rent Arrears: £469.49
Car Loan: £4162.00
Catalogue: £992.02
Moorcroft Debt Recovery (BT): £392.40
Severn Trent Water: £49.81
CCJ: £1200 (Start paying £10 per month from 28/2)
Debt Managers Ltd (Barclays): £964.57
Vets : £576.98
Provident Loan: £1800.00 (currently paying and up to date)

My mother in law went bankrupt last year, she had £50k:eek: of debt
and the repayments were leaving her in minus each month, before living expenses!

it isn't as bad as it seems to be honest, i went through the whole process with her, and i was surprised how it has changed.

If you can show that you are not the cause of your own debt (as in gambler, spend alcoholic, holiday mad people:p ) then your bankruptcy would only last a year, it would be a bit of a clean slate for you both

if not have you written to all the creditors including your SOA and asked them to accept £1 a month token payment, while you are going through this bad time? I know moorcroft do this as i wrote to them for my mother in law

I wish you luck, as i know what it is like to struggle;)