Struggling with debt? Ask a debt adviser a question

AshGem · 16 June 2017 at 7:49AM

Hi.

I got married last year and used credit cards to cover most of the costs. Trouble is 0% periods have now ran out and I'm being stung with the interest.

I've applied for balance transfer cards but have been rejected as I have credit score of less than 500 (noddle).

Would a loan be a better option? 3 credit cards (2 wedding, 1 personal) with total of £5000-£6000

Not home owner but expecting first child so keen to reduce the monthly outgoings and get saving!

Thanks

steve_shipo · 16 June 2017 at 10:39AM

I have a ccj , the debt is for credit card £380 , the debt collector has told me if I don't pay the money they will get a attachment of my state pension , I have offered £10 a month they have refused that . so can they get the attachment

Former_StepChange_Linsi · 16 June 2017 at 12:28PM

Hi Ash

Thanks for your post and welcome to the forum.

I’m sorry you’ve not been able to transfer the balances of your credit cards. Taking out a consolidation loan could be an option but you may not get the best interest rates. This could mean that you end up paying more in the long run. There’s more information about debt consolidation on our website.

There are other ways to manage debts that don’t involve using additional credit. We can help you find a suitable solution and help you work with your creditors, to try and get the interest frozen.

To look at your options you’ll need to put a budget together first. You can do this online using our free Debt Remedy tool, here’s the link.

After completing your budget you’ll be able to access your recommended solution and tailored advice online.

I hope this helps and congratulations on your pregnancy.

Linsi

AshGem wrote: »

Hi.

I got married last year and used credit cards to cover most of the costs. Trouble is 0% periods have now ran out and I'm being stung with the interest.

I've applied for balance transfer cards but have been rejected as I have credit score of less than 500 (noddle).

Would a loan be a better option? 3 credit cards (2 wedding, 1 personal) with total of £5000-£6000

Not home owner but expecting first child so keen to reduce the monthly outgoings and get saving!

Thanks

Former_StepChange_Linsi · 16 June 2017 at 12:56PM

Hi Steve

Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the forum.

If you have a CCJ and you’re not able to maintain the payments set by the court then a creditor can take further action.

One of these options is to apply for an attachment of earnings. However, an attachment can only be taken from ‘pay as you earn’ (PAYE) wages, statutory sick pay or occupational pension payments. An attachment cannot be taken from a state pension, so if this is your only income the court won’t approve an attachment of earnings.

If you haven’t done so already, you can use an N245 form to set up a repayment plan though the county court. This usually prevents the creditor from being able to use other forms of enforcement.

You can find a copy of this form here on our website with an explanation about how to use it. If you would like any help completing the form you can call us. Here are our contact details.

I hope this helps.

Linsi

steve_shipo wrote: »

I have a ccj , the debt is for credit card £380 , the debt collector has told me if I don't pay the money they will get a attachment of my state pension , I have offered £10 a month they have refused that . so can they get the attachment

Sarabee_2 · 21 June 2017 at 4:41PM

Hi,

I'm brand new and have been scouring the forum for ideas on what to do in my situation but to no avail so I'm hoping you can help!

I've recently accessed my credit record for the first time as I'm thinking of buying a house with my partner, and beyond a mobile phone, car insurance and an overdraft I've never really used much credit before.

Much to my dismay I've found that I have a bad credit report with two old defaults (2014) recorded which don't relate to credit I took out myself.

I've researched the names of the companies and it seems they are both debt collectors who buy debt. Both of the debts are relating to previous addreses I didn't live at and are recorded under an incorrect date of birth. I'm almost 100% sure it was debt run up by a previous boyfriend in my name as it's in the same area of the city he used to live in when we dated.

I don't want to dig up old history and report him to the police for fraud as he was a Very Very nasty piece of work who was violent and threatening to both me and my family when we split, but equally I need these off my record if I want to rebuild my score. I am alos hesitant to pay them as they are more than a months wages combined.

Any ideas of what I can do to have them removed would be greatly received.

Destabilising · 21 June 2017 at 5:02PM

A lot of credit report services do have a system where they can dispute things like this, if you have any queries about your credit report, you can go directly to the credit reference agencies and ask them to put you through to victim of fraud teams who would be able to help. I would recommend that you do this.

Sarabee_2 · 21 June 2017 at 5:06PM

Thanks for coming back, I should have added that I have disputed it with the credit reference agency but they have advised me they cannot remove it and I should contact the debtor.
But I don't have any details as I'm not being actively chased, I only have a debt name and the wrong date of birth/addresses on the credit report. When I called one of the debtors they said they would investigate, but nothing changed and I didn't receive any response. The other refused to speak with me as I didn't have an account number or reference.

Not sure if there is a legal request/letter I can use to remove it?

Up_the_creek · 21 June 2017 at 10:44PM

Hi all,
I have been on my DMP for 15 months now and it is ticking along well, I have another 3 years to go. Unfortunately I have been faced with a massive car bill today and am not going to make my payment due next week.
Will stepchange allow me to miss a month or make a significantly reduced payment or will this terminate my agreement with them?
I really need my car for work but the bill is likely to be near £700 😩😱
Thanks in advance for any wise words

StepChange_Kirsty · 22 June 2017 at 4:35PM

Hi Sara,

Thanks for your post and welcome to the forum.

I understand your reluctance in reporting your ex-partner to the police based on what you’ve said.

The best thing would be to contact the creditors who’ve taken out the defaults for them to investigate the matter further. If they’ve previously said they would but haven’t, or refuse to speak to you, you can make a formal complaint. Most debt collections agencies will have a complaints process section on their websites which you can follow.

The creditor would then have 8 weeks to respond to your complaint. If you’re not happy with their response or they’ve not responded to you within that time, you can then refer the matter up to the Financial Ombudsman Service. This is an impartial organisation who can investigate your dispute further.

Unless the creditor informs the credit reference agencies (CRA’s) that the default is incorrect, it’s unlikely the CRA’s will agree to remove these. The alternative to having them removed is to request they enter a notice on your credit file know as a “notice of correction”. This is a statement of up to 200 words that can be added to explain the cause of the debt or to explain why you think the information is misleading. This can then be seen by the mortgage lender when they make their decision.

It is at the discretion of the CRA to enter the notice and you would need to contact all three main agencies: Experian, Equifax and Call Credit to do this.

The defaults themselves will automatically drop off your credit file after six years from the date of entry. However, until you have formally disputed the debts the creditor would still view you as the person liable and could take further action so it is best to resolve this with the creditor as soon as possible.

I hope this has been helpful.

All the best

Kirsty

Sarabee wrote: »

Hi,

I'm brand new and have been scouring the forum for ideas on what to do in my situation but to no avail so I'm hoping you can help!

I've recently accessed my credit record for the first time as I'm thinking of buying a house with my partner, and beyond a mobile phone, car insurance and an overdraft I've never really used much credit before.

Much to my dismay I've found that I have a bad credit report with two old defaults (2014) recorded which don't relate to credit I took out myself.

I've researched the names of the companies and it seems they are both debt collectors who buy debt. Both of the debts are relating to previous addreses I didn't live at and are recorded under an incorrect date of birth. I'm almost 100% sure it was debt run up by a previous boyfriend in my name as it's in the same area of the city he used to live in when we dated.

I don't want to dig up old history and report him to the police for fraud as he was a Very Very nasty piece of work who was violent and threatening to both me and my family when we split, but equally I need these off my record if I want to rebuild my score. I am alos hesitant to pay them as they are more than a months wages combined.

Any ideas of what I can do to have them removed would be greatly received.

Sarabee wrote: »

Thanks for coming back, I should have added that I have disputed it with the credit reference agency but they have advised me they cannot remove it and I should contact the debtor.
But I don't have any details as I'm not being actively chased, I only have a debt name and the wrong date of birth/addresses on the credit report. When I called one of the debtors they said they would investigate, but nothing changed and I didn't receive any response. The other refused to speak with me as I didn't have an account number or reference.

Not sure if there is a legal request/letter I can use to remove it?

StepChange_Kirsty · 22 June 2017 at 4:51PM

Hi there,

Thanks for your post.

Glad to hear your DMP has been working well but sorry to hear about the big car bill you’ve received.

Unexpected expenses are sadly are going to happen from time to time and it can be completely beyond your control. We can absolutely help and I can reassure you we’re not going to close your plan as a result.

Best thing to do is contact us so that we can help and advise you whilst you sort out your car bill, once that’s sorted we can get you back on track with your DMP.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

All the best

Kirsty

Up_the_creek wrote: »

Hi all,
I have been on my DMP for 15 months now and it is ticking along well, I have another 3 years to go. Unfortunately I have been faced with a massive car bill today and am not going to make my payment due next week.
Will stepchange allow me to miss a month or make a significantly reduced payment or will this terminate my agreement with them?
I really need my car for work but the bill is likely to be near £700 😩😱
Thanks in advance for any wise words

Struggling with debt? Ask a debt adviser a question

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