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Main site > Forums > Essential Money > Bankruptcy & Living With It > Ashamed to be back again
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      PippaGirl
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    • PippaGirl
    • By PippaGirl 12th Sep 17, 7:34 PM
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      What's this?

    PippaGirl
    Ashamed to be back again
    • #1
    • 12th Sep 17, 7:34 PM
    Ashamed to be back again 12th Sep 17 at 7:34 PM
    I'm ashamed to have to come back here again. I went bankrupt in May 2012 and was discharged January 2013. All that debt was through no fault of my own, having left a DV relationship with little more than the clothes on my back I moved into a small empty flat. I had no idea I was entitled to benefits except child benefit so having had a nervous breakdown gained debts and hid under the duvet crying.

    This time I have to take responsibility for it, I made a stupid decision. The garden had been 6ft-10ft brambles since I moved to this LA property and the wooden fences surrounding it had collapsed. So after 6 years of having nowhere for children to play or hang the washing out I stupidly paid for replacement fencing and the brambles to be cut, all on a credit card of 39.9% for which I thought I'd manage the repayments and more and would pay it off quickly. Things went from bad to worse and in trying to keep up repayments other debt appeared, I couldn't afford to eat etc and I've finally phoned stepchange for advice. The only feasible option is bankruptcy again. Stepchange say that as I've been bankrupt less than 6 years ago I will be treated in a harsher way, be bankrupt for longer, have a payment plan in place for 3-6 years and be constantly monitored.

    I'm still just as ill. Been detained under the Mental health act twice in the last 2 years, I'm living on income related employment support allowance and PIP and that's very unlikely to change. I feel so low I'm fighting off 'way out' thoughts but I've got to try and take this one day at a time. I'm paying my 4 creditors £1 a month as the stepchange calculator says I have £5 a month spare however they said that the insolvency service are unlikely to allow me the allowances I've got on their form. That's help with my disability and specialist food for my eating disorder.

    Apparently I have to open an account with the insolvency service and start paying installments and when I've paid £680 I can file for bankruptcy. That could actually take me ages. So I'm here for the long haul, paying £1 a month to 4 companies and saving in dribbles for the bankruptcy. I'm unsure how my mental health will hold up if the 4 companies don't agree that figure, give the debt to debt agencies or threaten court action. I am in pieces right now. And this time it's all my fault.
    "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." Dalai Lama

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      StopIt
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    • StopIt
    • By StopIt 21st Sep 17, 11:03 AM
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      What's this?

    StopIt
    “
    OP is also a single person paying rent on a three bedroomed house. At some point these excessive spending is going to come up, whether you think her income doesn't cover her outgoings or not. It doesn't, because she is choosing for them to not cover it.


    She may qualify for a DRO (unlikely, but, whatever you say. I'm not going to get into a qualification comparison contest...) but will be in the same situation shortly, with no access to credit, unable to pay her rent or her costs for her disability.


    Its not a mini lecture, its not surrounding in cotton wool. Telling people paying for a house to big for their needs, excessive pet costs(for the amount of pets the cost is high) and medical costs which may or may not be covered by her PIP in full, is cloud cuckoo land and not helping anyone.


    Honestly on this assessment how could anyone fail to get a DRO? Just move into a larger house than you need *instant* reduction in your excess income...
    Originally posted by marliepanda ”

    A DRO only works if you have less than £50 a month spare excluding debt payments.


    It isn't for anyone with a negative surplus also. If the OP was losing £x a month after her PIP also, she would be declined. The PIP complicates matters but because it doesn't count as income, any expenses that it also covers can be balanced to it. So long as after that balancing is complete then there is less than £50, but not a negative surplus, a DRO is fine.


    You cannot use a DRO to balance a situation where you are insolvent before debt payments.

    Sorry!

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      VeryInTheRed
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    • By VeryInTheRed 24th Sep 17, 2:28 PM
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      What's this?

    VeryInTheRed
    I am no expert PippaGirl but I can't see any possible reason why you cannot be approved for a DRO!

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      luvchocolate
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    • By luvchocolate 24th Sep 17, 2:54 PM
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      What's this?

    luvchocolate
    I am not surprised that due to the negative posts Pippa girl has not been back.
    Hopefully she will follow the good advice she has received from National debt line and our own Debt Doctor

    This board was always one of the most imformative ones but sadly recently there have been a few posters with not enough knowledge of the subject.

    I for one received excellent advice here 5/6 years ago and will continue to help where I can, If I have not enough knowledge I try to offer moral support at least.

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      PippaGirl
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    • PippaGirl
    • By PippaGirl 2nd Oct 17, 3:30 PM
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      What's this?

    PippaGirl
    Only popping back briefly. The 3 bed house doesn't have 2 space bedrooms. I have a daughter who is in her final year at uni who is home on days off and holidays, stays in her own room and I feed her when she's here. The 5ft by 6ft bedroom I currently use as a therapy room but my son and his partner are on the verge of splitting up in which case he may well return to it. Again, I am justifying to total strangers who know nothing about me.

    My rent is lower than my brother's 2 bed house (HA) and is smaller than his square foot wise too. I doubt my spare bedroom 5ft by 6ft currently a therapy room costs much to heat. The other room is my daughters and is not spare.
    "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." Dalai Lama

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      StopIt
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    • StopIt
    • By StopIt 2nd Oct 17, 3:42 PM
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      What's this?

    StopIt
    “
    Only popping back briefly. The 3 bed house doesn't have 2 space bedrooms. I have a daughter who is in her final year at uni who is home on days off and holidays, stays in her own room and I feed her when she's here. The 5ft by 6ft bedroom I currently use as a therapy room but my son and his partner are on the verge of splitting up in which case he may well return to it. Again, I am justifying to total strangers who know nothing about me.

    My rent is lower than my brother's 2 bed house (HA) and is smaller than his square foot wise too. I doubt my spare bedroom 5ft by 6ft currently a therapy room costs much to heat. The other room is my daughters and is not spare.
    Originally posted by PippaGirl ”

    I know it's hard to do, but you don't need to justify yourself to anyone, so ignore anyone else.


    You asked for help and advice regarding a DRO, not to be judged on your life.


    I hope that you've been able to get the support you need, and if you have any questions regarding the DRO process or anything else, there's plenty of people here willing to help, not cast judgements from their keyboards.

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