Pensioner in heavy debt - what action?

I would offer token payments of £5 per month to each creditor.
Are these very old debts?
Make sure is pension is paid into an account at a bank he doesn't owe money to before you do this.

o sorry one more thing I might add, when either you or someone else writes these letters I would add that you only would want communication via letter as I can imagine your dad would get very stressed if he suddenly got lots of calls about this debt

LL

No I think I had to go during the week, maybe if in the first instance you can call them as many give advice over the phone?

National Debline is good as they will send you out a pack which has all the templates for letters if he is not online?

Has he been keeping his bills up to date until now (robbing peter to pay paul) and is the first month he can't pay?

What I did, was do and Income and Expenditure sheet with National Debtline, then sent that with letters offering reduced payments. Each of them put me on a short term agreement (obv ruins your credit history but quite frankly I knew I had to do it), some froze interest and refunded charges. The impression I got they would rather accept something than nothing. I have to review it every 6 months or so.

However it would seem that your dad is really struggling (so unfair!) so not sure if you could together work out what he can pay? CCCS will also be able to go through all this with you.

There is lots of help out there, dont just think you have to muddle through on your own. I've been in tears to National Debtline and at the CAB office, but rather than getting judged I got great help and am coping.

Does he have a basic account? if not it may help to get him a basic account with co-op or Barclays to get his pension paid into and help him work out a budget, and with those accounts he can't go over drawn.

You need to pay make sure things like his council tax and utilities are up to date and that of course he had enough to mangage each month for food and clothing.

I hope this helps in someway - but there are some more people around who have much more knowledge than me that can advise some more.

Just keep asking as much as you need and we'll always try and help

LL

Hi that sounds like a really good starting point.

I know he will probably be a bit embarrassed but you need him to tell you the whole truth about what he owes so you can get it all sorted out

There is a statement of affairs caluculator on here which maybe of help?

http://www.makesenseofcards.co.uk/soacalc.html

you can with that also post on here when you have his figures to see if anyone can help out and see where he can cut down - and also will coment on what is allowed if you do decide that BR maybe the only route. (I know this is a nightmare for him as you have said he is old school)

I think the new bank account will be a way forward and also (maybe stating the obvious) but cut up any of those credit/debit cards from his old accounts.

I found the first month when I stopped paying, it gave me the money to sort things out - however just to warn you phone calls and letters did come rollling in - you just have to ignore them, and then once my arrangements were in place they have all stopped.

It sounds like you have got your head round this for him and I think you should be able to come up some reasonable solution for him so he can realax in his twilight years.

As I have said I'm not an expert and someone else may have some other advice to offer, I can only speak from my own situation.

LL