DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part 4)

newlywed

ps. Rayday - think the tesco bulbs were about £3.99 each or something like that. I've only been looking in an effort to try and reduce elec costs as we have waaaaaay too many spot lights and dimmer switches Most of the bulbs we need cost over £10 per bulb (4 in the bathroom, 5 in the bedroom, 8 in the kitchen - get the idea ) so those bulbs were for the boys room and I noticed the price for future

Parsley_2

Got my statement from TSB credit card today and they've added charges and huge interest which is making the balance go up.

When I phoned last month they said they'd put a hold on the account so no more phone calls or charges until DMP looked at. Phone calls started earlier this week again and I refuse to speak to the people in India as I always get upset with them as I'm so frustrated over their inability to understand what I'm talking about. I don't know anything about their economy so how on earth do Lloyds expect them to be able to understand our problems and put the right notes on the record.

Time to send a letter I think but their backlog is over a month so it'll be ages before they action it. (I remember that others have said to send everything recorded so they can't claim they didn't get it so I will do that.)

Slightly depressed over it all but not surprised as I was kind of expecting it.

:rolleyes:

symesd

Hi everyone, hope you are all well today and the rain has stayed away too.

I have spent all day gathering together all the paperwork for CCCS, found everything, though I was organised til now. Done all our letters to creditors too (19 of them), all ready to go on Monday and have cancelled all standing orders & direct debits. I have contacted tax credits and child benefits to move to new bank account. Forms completed to get salary paid into new bank account too. It has taken me and husband all day to get everything together and ready.

It is a bit scary this, but when I have checked everything off and changed my budget around taking all the debts out and replacing with the 1 payment to DMP it looks so much better, and fits on 1 page - with 19 creditors on a page it kind of gets lost off the bottom of the screen.

Now I will have to pay 1 payment each month instead of juggling 19 and having to decide which one's not to pay that month.

Hopefully I will be able to sleep better now.

We have been talking, my husband & I, about how we can get DEBT FREE QUICKER, we are going to write to the Abbey to reclaim charges - we already have a claim pending, but they would not pay out due to court case - try again stating financial hardship hopefully get that back - Total to Claim £1048.

PPI claim too with Welcome Finance = £275.61 (3mths)

I am sure now I have my debts covered under DMP I can concentrate on the other money saving stuff on this site, who knows the 6 years 9 Mths DPM could be reduced with all the savings I can make elsewhere.

With me luck.

I have gone on a bit now, oh and I have got some short notice Overtime tonight which is paid at double time - 7 hours (9pm-4am) which means 14 hours actural extra pay. Every Little Helps!

sarriep

Hi there,
We are supposed to be preparing our letters this weekend too with the token payments. I still keep having mini panics about the whole situation but am looking forward to starting the debt free journey! I also feel quite glad that we won't be able to get credit for a long long time - I don't want any!!!

Does anyone know if the DMP needs to start straight away? The things that i have put in as a weekly budget (car tax/ mot/ etc) need to happen over the next 2/3 months so we won't have enough in the pot straight away to cover these (of course in the past I would just flash one of my cards AAAAAAHHHHH.
I could do with starting ours in November not October as CCCS advised with my initial enquiry. Could this be a problem? Would I still need to sent token payments next month too?
tHANKS

Rabbit-in-headlights

Hi Sarriep,

You should be ok to start your DMP in November, then you can use your surplus in October to get your budget kick-started. CCCS usually recommend token payments to be made each month until your DMP starts, so ideally you should pay them in October as well.

Good luck with it all

Rabbit

Angel_Cake_3

sarriep wrote: »

Hi there,
We are supposed to be preparing our letters this weekend too with the token payments. I still keep having mini panics about the whole situation but am looking forward to starting the debt free journey! I also feel quite glad that we won't be able to get credit for a long long time - I don't want any!!!

Does anyone know if the DMP needs to start straight away? The things that i have put in as a weekly budget (car tax/ mot/ etc) need to happen over the next 2/3 months so we won't have enough in the pot straight away to cover these (of course in the past I would just flash one of my cards AAAAAAHHHHH.
I could do with starting ours in November not October as CCCS advised with my initial enquiry. Could this be a problem? Would I still need to sent token payments next month too?
tHANKS

Hi sarriep, I first contacted Payplan around 5th May and was due to start 1st June.
Due to bits and pieces, I delayed this until July, in fact ended up paying the first payment around 10th july. I have been paying since then on 1st of each month.
You should be above to delay to November - just let them know
Hope that helps xx

milliejon

rayday2 wrote: »

milliejon - just seen your post about upping offers.

I did that with mine a few months ago and wished I hadn't! I was doubling my payments basically to most companies.

Lloyds who had agreed to old payments refused to agree to new ones, and yet continue to freeze interest but the statements only ask for the old payment.

Lloyds overdraft said yes that would be nice and yet now weekly send out offers to pay it off partial settlement for 50%

I have a debt with Capquest (which reading this forum we are supposed to hate!) when they took over the account they agreed to £2.08 and would review it in 2046 - this I liked! So I thought I won't wake the sleeping beast so I just upped the standing order and thought I would make out the letter got lost in the post, not heard a peep out of them!

I am so tempted next time to take that option again with them all! And play the card didn't you get my letter I sent out card like they do!

That sounds like a great idea Rayday. I'll have to think about that. I usually have to update each year because of my annual increase at work. I just can't believe that they've been so difficult about an increase!

I'm still contemplating whether to combine the payments to the three that have been taken off the DMP and pay the minimums from two and the rest on the highest percentage one.

I only have about 18 months left until I'm clear (if things go to plan) and I'm getting really excited but at the same time a bit sloppy with watching the pennies. Got to keep on track.

FieryBlondeScot

i have been with CCCS since Aug 05 and apart from a few reviews where my payments got upped :rolleyes: all was well.

however have been thinking for ages about offering a full and final. have around £3500 left and would love to give it and cccs the elbow lol

now.... my contract at work ends in a couple of weeks and i was offered a 6months extension which i refused (another story) so basically i will be unemployed in 2 weeks... the only advantage being that it may put me in a better position when offering FandF as my gran hs already said she will give me £1000 to pay them off :beer: (nowhere near 3500 i know but fingers crossed)

one of my creditors is the student loan co, ho havepreviously said they dont accept full and final settlements as it is government money, so when i am working out my payment ratios, do i include them, or do i just make offers to the other creditors?

also will they ask to see proof of unemployment or bank statements or anything like that? and how long does it all take from start to finish?

any advice appreciated:T

sarriep

Thanks Rabbit and Angel! I had hoped that was the case. I do really just want to get started but not having cards to fall back on each month means we really need to think carefully about how we are going to budget! I've stocked up on kids uniforms and bought them coats that are just a little bit too big!
Also, do CCCS advise on what is acceptable amounts to budget for? I'm not sure what to put for things like clothes, Christmas, birthdays, emergency fund, hairdressers. I really have NO idea how much we spend on groceries each month which I know is wrong. I don't want to underbudget either. We both drive about 15 miles each day to and from work so petrol/ car expenses are high. Sometimes we need childcare but not all of the time. The children have school dinners but packed lunches would be cheaper... Can they still have their after school/ extra activities too? So many questions I know, but you helpful lot are sure to be able to give me some advice!
Thanks
AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!

Rabbit-in-headlights

Hi Sarriep,

If you complete the CCCS online debt remedy (you can run it through and save it without "accepting" it, just to give you an idea of the information they want). If you enter an amount which is higher than they recommend, a message pops up to tell you what they think is reasonable. You can over-ride and enter what you want, but this at least gives you an idea of what's likely to be questioned, and what the DMP payment amount would be based on your inputs.

It will also make your phone appt. smoother as you will have the info ready and in front of you, on screen.:D

Rabbit