Hi, 4 days ago I were detained for "an offence of theft". I left the store (a TKMAXX NOT in London) with a small object in my pocket. I'm a ********, I know, but I did it, I can't deny. 2 mans was outside and brought me inside a small room. They asked my ID (I'm not english, I'm from another country in EU), compiled any papers, and asked my address. I said them a wrong address (same street but another number). They didn't call the police. I have no excuses for what I did but I'm worried and I don't want to destroy my life in UK. So, I have any questions: 1) is better to go back and said them my right address? (police could find me reading my back account) 2) will they give my details to police? 3) could I have any problems to return in UK in the future? 4) could I have any problems with a job? 5) the value was £10, how much could be? if it isn't too much I could pay and close the case (so I punish myself for what I did) Thanks and sorry for my english

Hi, Today enforcment agents came to my home asking for a person that dosent live here for a year now. I made a mistake by letting them in. They said they had the right to take any goods to disharge the debt the person has. I explained to them that he dosent live here, show all my documents including tennancy contract, bills, etc. They still said they are going to take the goods and then i need to send the documents to the council to get my items back or i can pay the sum and they are going to leave. They send i can get refund from the council as soon as i provide the documents. I paid the 400 pound debt and they left. Is their action legall? Can they charge diffrent person for fine he dosent own? They took the money from my debit card. Thank you for any help or advice!

Council Tax, single person discount query. I am a single parent with three kids (now 20->27) and the two eldest (boys) left home some time ago. Earlier this year I realised that my daughter was spending more nights at her boyfriends house than mine. So I started to keep a record of what nights she spent at my house. On 9 March I wrote to Bolton Council saying she only spent 1 or 2 nights a week at my house & asked how they defined "living at". Quote from their reply: I replied: 29 April they replied: As you can see, I have already told them where she lives "most of the time"; the approx date she moved out and as much as I know about her new addresses. Also: 1) Young girls "share" clothing, so where her "belongings" are, I havent a clue. How am I supposed to know what is her's? Ditto what percentage of them are here, there or where? 2) Surely I have no right to ask anyone about who is registered for Council Tax at their address. 3) I have always given my daughter her privacy - TOTAL privacy! Surely there cannot possibly be any law stating that a father should search through his daughters clothing - that would be totally SICK! 4) Without (illegally) fitting her with a tracking device, I can't see how I could tell them exactly what night's she spends where. It seems to me that they are simply delaying awarding this discount, otherwise why ask questions already answered and why not post me this form when I first wrote to them? What should I do please? Thanks for reading.

Hi, I am writing on behalf of a friend of mime, who has a problematic issue regarding rent. In a nutshell, this is the story: My friend is unemployed and is living alone in a housing association flat ( has been for many years), and is receiving benefits...some for a health issue. She has her rent paid by the council....BUT, she has a friend from overseas who is living there also. The friend is NOT claiming any benefits, but did have a small income from a home based job until a few months ago. That has now stopped. The friend comes and goes over to Ireland every now and again, so is not a permanent resident in the one bed flat. However, the council (who knew about the job she had before), insist she has to pay towards the rent, or my friend will have her housing benefit cut by a large percentage. Now, my friend has told the council all the above and asked HOW she can pay or NEEDS to pay having no income at all and is just a friend visiting for periods. The council have asked for the bank statements of my friend's friend, and proof that she is no longer working at the home based job. Does the council have any right to ask for this? also, do they have any right to demand that a visitor (although a long term one, periodically) pays towards the rent WITHOUT HER HAVING AN INCOME?. The flat is a housing association property and not a council dwelling. Any advice would be gratefully received, as this is rather urgent. Many thanks in advance.

came across this re a related googly. please sign if interested. closes 30 march http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/67911 re http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/purley-cyclists-deaths-lead-parliamentary-8054571

Hi everyone. I am new to the forum and pleased to be joining such a fabulous, supportive community! A quick question on this topic. On telephone advice from a person in Barnet Council's office, I recently applied for backdated single person's discount of 25% as the council told me that I was defaulted to two persons. I have been single at this property since 2005. I just received an e-mail saying: "We are unable to action your request. As ignorance is not a valid reason please confirm reasons to why you did not notify our office at the time?" Before I reply, I just wanted to sound out any advice on how to achieve a favourable outcome. In particular: What are any legal precedents for backdating and refusing to back-date? If the council had defaulted me to two person dwelling, then are they obliged to be able to name the two occupants? Why is "ignorance not an excuse"? Is there legal grounds for challenging this default position? Any advice on what I should mention or cite in my response? I am in pretty serious financial difficulties and this refund would go a long way to turning my circumstances and life around. I would appreciate any insight or tips. Thanks so much, Peter

Hi all, Does anyone have any ideas as to how this can be proved with the FOS? Adujactor has said it's a court matter.

I have been on single person child tax credits and working tax credit for 5 yrs plus. During June 2013 a friend moved into my home as he was in financial trouble and had moved out of his flat and was sleeping in his office. He was served bankruptcy sept 2013 he was very depressed slept in a separate bedroom and we were not having a physical relationship - low labido etc. He was discharged from bankruptcy during April 2014. During the following month 2 employees took delivery of a large amount of cannibis at his work place and he was under investigation from the police - more stress! Sept 2014 the police told him no case to answer as even though his address was used he was not party to it and was unaware of it. He was still sleeping in separate bedroom and still very stressed and no labido. It was always the intention that once he was back on his feet he would move out. However since Sept he has started feeling stronger and we have become closer and do things together but are still not having a physical relationship but are seen from the outside world as a couple. foolishly I telephoned Tax Credits in Jan and said he moved in Dec 19th 2014 and we were not a couple. I didnt realise it would kick start investigations and have recently received a letter requesting info to confirm only my name is on the bills and confirmation of his address prior to Dec 19th. Clearly I should have called them and told them he has lived here since June 2013 but only recently become a couple but as it is still not physical I was confused what to do. What is the best advice now please?

My father passed away on 21st December 2014 and his benefits stopped. Fair enough as the Housing Association flat was paid up until the end of the month. We managed to clear out the flat well before the end of the month and handed back the keys. We were then told that two weeks notice has to be given and that they want £212.52 less £100 as the flat was clean when handed over. We received the invoice this morning almost 2 months after the estate had been settled. I am not sure how my father is supposed to notify the Housing Association that he is going to die and to give them appropriate notice? They have a clause written into the tenancy agreement stating that in the event of death, two weeks notice should be given. I would have though this was an unfair clause in the contract? do they have the right and can they legally pursue us for the money although we did not sign the contract?

Relative debt of which I have tried to help with. Original debt £5012 when Cabot took over in 2004 with what I think is a flimsy Assignment, debt now at at £11,216. Cabot were paid each and every month at £25 up until last year when a SARS request was sent to them (not to be confused with a cca request which has never been requested of them) . They responded to the SARS, they were then sent a further letter asking if all that was contained in the SARS was all that they had and nothing more. They responded saying yes it was....Which then clearly demonstrated that Cabot are quite good at constructing documents as some of the letters from them enclosed in the SARS were not the letters sent by them of which the relative has the hard copies of. A request was made to Cabot to remove all interest payments added by them but they responded saying that they had reviewed the account and it was clear that there was a poor payment record with them and they referred to a letter they sent a few years earlier warning interest was to be added. They also stated that under the terms of the original agreement they were entitled to add interest...No agreement at that point had been sent and was not included in the SARS . We reminded them that no agreement between Cabot and my relative existed. At the same time as this we also pointed out that they'd actually sent letters agreeing to continue the payments being made and that no interest was being applied...In all in over and with 60 possible payments to cabot and just prior to SARS request 59 payments had been made, no gaps. No request has ever been made to Cabot for a copy of the original credit agreement but then on June 3rd 2011 they sent a copy of what they are saying is an original credit agreement, along with a copy of what looks like the CCA 1974 (card taken out in 96) and also the terms and condtions of the card... Upon a closer look at the alleged 'agreement' it gives the relatives details at the time (job/income) and what looks like their signature but it only says 'Priority Request Form Credit Agreement Regulated by the Consumer credit Act 1974 To the left of the details it says 'How to request your card . To accept our invitation please complete the Priorty Request Form Cabot also enclosed a letter headed Information under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and saying 'Further to your request please find all of the relevant information following your request for information under section 77-78 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. They also state a paragraph down that 'As we have now complied with your request for information we are able to enforce the credit agreement' Am I right to assume that this does not represent a credit agreement? The page where my relatives signature is has no relevant interest or terms/details etc. At the same time as this Cabot have also enclosed a statement of sorts re the debt since they took over (also contained in the SARS and updated ..on one hand they're saying they've now complied with a request for a cca (never made) but on the other hand they've continued adding interest..which if they considered the account to be in dispute since the the supposed CCA request then they shouldn't be adding interest? ? Go figure...we did point out in oprevious correspondence that no credit agreement request has ever been made to them...which they disregarded obviously. Throughout all of this Cabot were made aware in big bold writing that they person they're attempting to collect a debt from is considered 'vulnerable' and is both registered disabled and had a full time carer...Cabot wanted letters from Doctors but why should we given they quite obviously cannot be trusted with information (false letters in SARs to name but one anomaly) so no documentation from a doctor will be sent to them. There is a letter available from a doctor who wrote 2 years ago to somebody else on behalf of the relative which very clearly outlined his opinion on the vulnerability of the relative...we could have sent them that but I do not trust Cabot with that sort of information. They want to enforce the debt, I dont want to hasten any fires but so far it is my opinion they've acted wholly irresponsibly and possibly illegally where this debt is concerned.. I would SARS MBNA but I dont see what would be gained from it. What if anything should we write to Cabot? They dont seem able to do anything but issue random threats, add stupid amounts of interest to an account that we dont know if it's ever been given a default notice from MBNA and we dont know on what terms they add the interest and right now it appears they've fabricated other information on the account. Lastly, in the terms of the account they've just sent it gives the relatives address that is now....printed in a box....but this address is NOT the one on the Priority Request form and was only added to the account with Cabot 18 months ago...is this illegal for them to do as quite clearly the credit agreement they've sent (after the first prioroty request form) is not consistent with information at the time the agreement would have been taken out and is only a year since it's been added...if you understand that? This to me seems as if Cabot or fabricating agreements....or at least adding an address within it that didn't exist when the agreement was first made in the 90's (repeating myself I know) There is no name on the details added, just the address and the one added 18mths ago.....can they do this? is it legal relevant? or does it help further a claim against Cabot for deliberate meddling and sending out false documentation?

Hello there, This is my first post on this site and I'm on the hunt for some help please I have received many letters on and off from Lowell Portfolio about a debt to Shop Direct - a company who I have never bought from before. After ringing them up when I first started getting these letters, to sending a 'prove it' letter, nothing has helped. The information they sent me back shows someone with the same name and D.O.B birth as me but it isn't me! I did find a tag from Shop Direct on my Experian credit score which shows a different address, one I have never even lived close to. Experian removed this but still the letters are coming. I have in the past had fraudulent action on my bank account but got this sorted with the bank, I believe that maybe this is how the debt was run up. Please, any help would be massively appreciated, I want the letters to stop! Thanks

Talktalk phoned my father and told him his broadband contract needed renewing but told him that he was getting a free TV package as well. He got the reciver but he couldnt get it working so ignored it. However, they have charged him £172 for the "free" package and probably an increased monthly telephone/broadband charge as well. he has no paperwork to say what went on so i have obtained power of attorney to deal with them over this matter. Problem is, how do I get them to understand the authority i have so they desist from contacting my elderly parents and take me seriously. An email addy for the CEO would be a good start and then he can tell me where I send the legal papers and wont be able to avoid theconsquences of his own policies on forced selling of dud services.

Hi We own a business and have a couple of staff, but have had some post in the name of someone not on our staff and not us. Our apprentice opened the post in error one day and we found debt demands from a catalogue company we contacted them and advised them of this. now the letters are starting again but don't know what to do and are not sure how it can affect our business or us. This is nothing to do with us really could do without the stress of it all as my wife has been ill and this is making things worse. Please can anyone help or suggest how to stop this. Much appreciated.

Good evening all. I would greatly appreciate any guidance on this as its stressing me out beyond words. My health is not fantastic at the moment and i am having to take numerous medications. In Sept 2005 i had some windows from Crystal windows. The man who came to do the financial forms etc asked if any one was on the mortgage with me, and i told him my Mother was, he took her details and address, saying it was his companies policy to do so. I made it quite clear to him that my Mother had nothing to do with the loan. She does not live with me, but somewhere else. The loan agreement went through and the windows were done. i received letters from Black Horse and they had my Mothers name on, i contacted them to be told the loan was in my Mother's name! I asked them how that was possible when i had signed and filled in the forms. they would not have it. i took all the paperwork i had to their local office, and they said they would sort it out. They never did and the office closed down. This was 8 years ago and the problem is still going on. I have been paying the loan from my bank, since then. Even though it is in my Mother's name. Recently i was hospitalised with a suspected Brain Tumour and was off work for 6 weeks and unable to pay this loan, they have sent a letter saying they will put a default on my Mothers credit report. She is elderly and very upset by all this. I have repeatedly contacted Black Horse, and both my Mother and i have sent in copies of our signatures and my paperwork. They sent me back paperwork for the loan that is quite different from my copies. they still insist my Mother took out the loan! I contacted Crystal Windows to see if they could help. I was told that the loan did go through in my name but was refused, then put through in my Mothers name! How can they do that! My Mother did not sign anything! It would seem the man who did the papers, afraid he would lose his commission, put the papers through in my Mother's name, and changed the initial in front of my signature to match her name. We share the same surname. I asked for contact details for the man that came but was told they had none for him as it was over 6 years ago. Black Horse want me to report it to the police but i have no name or details for this man. Also it is clear this man forged the forms, as Black Horse have copies of 2 direct debit mandates, one in my name, signed and filled in by me, and another with my Mother's name and filled in by someone else, not by my Mother, with my bank details. It is quite plain to see the writing is nothing like mine. This is becoming a nightmare, as the loan is mine, with my signature, but with my mother's name and my address. Can i go to court and have this cancelled as non executable as the details are all wrong? And would i have to do it as i signed for the loan, or my Mother as her name is on it? Many thanks.

Hi, I was caught on London bus on June .. for using rail pass issued for my friend .. later I got summon to appear on court this 30 , Sept .. 1. for using the pass issued for another person 71 b 2.contrary to section section 25(3) I'm a mom of 2 young children,trying for job and don't want to end up with a criminal record on my name I tried calling tfl in this numbers several times ..(02070279158,02030543595,02030543825,02030544374,02030545522) cant get them (I aimed to convince them by pleading guilty )..please help ..please help .. how can I avoid criminal record ? _Chida

Hi, Firstly I will explain my situation. I am a British national and am in a relationship with a Brazilian national. After much thinking about a way to be together in the UK, we have decided that the only way is to marry, and then for him to get a Family Visitor Visa, and from there apply for a Family of a Settled Person Visa. This will allow him to live and work in the UK as a normal citizen. We know that it is strictly illegal to work with a Family Visitor Visa. Here's where the confusion starts - when applying for the Family of a Settled Person Visa, he will have to provide evidence of a job in the UK and earnings of £18,000 or so each year. But all I keep thinking is, "How can he provide this if it's illegal for him to work here BEFORE he gets this Visa???" He is not allowed to work but yet he has to give evidence of work and earnings in order to get the Visa that will let him work. I am so confused right now. Completely illogical. Please can someone help? Thanks, Lauren

If this question has been asked before, I couldn't find it.. Please can a knowledgeable person explain to me why NCD is connected to a combination of person AND vehicle ? Surely NCD is applicable to the person driving, cars don't have accidents on their own ! This topic has vexed me for a while and only when I stumbled on this forum did I think I might get a proper answer from someone in the industry. I'm primarily interested in the logic behind the thinking, I'm not interested in a flame war, the rules are the rules, but I really don't understand the logic. Thanks

Hi folks, new to the forum and need some advice please. History: I went into my bank to get an overdraft last year and was rejected as my account wasnt old enough and they suggested to wait a year and also open up a savings account to improve my chances. Which I did. So I went in a couple of weeks ago thinking id done everything to get an overdraft only to be told that they STILL couldnt offer me an overdraft. So I was advised to check my credit file to see why I wasnt being accepted seeing that my history with the bank is excellent and Ive made no searches and done nothing to warrant rejection from my own bank. I proceeded to check Experian and there was nothing there to show anything was wrong except that I had no credit agreements and my bank account was only a year old. So I then decided to check out Equifax and boom! On my previous address search theres a number of defaults for someone who has the same 1st name, different surname and same DOB. I literally couldnt believe my eyes! Theres nothing in the financial links, CIFA or anything else. Just in the credit agreement section under previous addresses. Obviously the score with Equifax was shocking. I also noticed a 'trace enquiry' for this guy for the same address. So i contacted Equifax and they advised me to submit a query, which I did and Im currently awaiting a response. Im convinced its the same with CallCredit as I failed the security questions, so awaiting the code they send you so I can find out. My credit is ruined and I just dont understand how this has happened. Im not even sure if its fraudulant activity as the surnames are different. Im totally confused and angry as Im wanting to purchase in the next year and a half and this has set me right back. So my questions are as follows: 1) How the hell did someone else get on my credit file? 2) Why would a debt collector give someone elses details to the credit agency and the agency accepting it? 3) What are the chances of these defaults being taken off? 4) If they do get wiped what are the chances of them coming back? 5) In the event these do not get taken off what is my next move? 6) If the info gets wiped how long do I have to wait before the score goes up to a reasonable level where I will have no issues in getting credit? Im sure Ill have more queries in the future but any answers, advice would be greatly appreciated. Im hoping these debt collectors see sense and realise theyve made a huge mistake. Thanks in advance.

a female friend is on a six month visitors visa from Ghana.she has been here in uk for the passed 2 years by re-newing visitors visas to put her british passport holding 2 year old child in pre school etc. The husband of ten years is a British passport holder and was born in U.K.but lives and works abroad. Now she is in the U.K on another 6 months visitors visa.can she switch to another visa allowing her more permanent stay?maybe by a family of a settled persons visa in this case would her 2 year old british passport holding child who she is here in U.K with qualify as the settled person??. The british husband may not qualify to get anything other than a visitors visa for her due to his £13k per annum wage restriction. any advise or input will be greatly appreciated.

The cost of delivering Iain Duncan Smith’s troubled Universal Credit scheme is £225,000 for each person on it, it has been claimed The project has already cost the taxpayer £612million and has been dogged by delays and IT blunders. Mr Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, had promised one million people would be receiving their welfare payments under the scheme by April this year. But figures show only 2,720 claimants have been transferred onto the Universal Credit so far - a cost of £225,000 per person. The universal credit bundles together the six main benefits - jobseeker’s allowance, income support, employment and support allowance, working tax credit, child tax credit and housing benefit - into a single payment. In September 2103, Mr Duncan Smith told Parliament it would be delivered “on time and within budget”. But the roll-out has been delayed three times and is now only available under a small number of pilot schemes. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/iain-duncan-smiths-universal-credit-3115946#ixzz2u3Wj7V9B Universal Credit: Government's welfare reform ‘may be scrapped after next election’ The future of the Government’s major £2bn welfare reform was thrown into fresh doubt on Wednesday night after it emerged that just a handful of claimants have been enrolled into the new system. The Department for Work and Pensions disclosed that only 3,200 people had been signed up to receive Universal Credit – a fraction of the original target – at a cost of nearly £200,000 per person. The figure emerged amid claims the next government could be forced to pull the plug on Universal Credit, which has already been seriously delayed following IT problems. The new credit, which combines six working-age benefits and credits into a single payment, has been championed by Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary, as a way of ensuring the unemployed always have an incentive to find a job. Under his original timetable, 1 million people would be receiving the payment by April, rising to 1.7 million a year later. But the DWP admitted that only 3,200 had been enrolled for Universal Credit by the end of November, nearly all of them as part of a pilot scheme in four job centres in the North-West of England. The vast majority are young single jobseekers, the least complicated category of claimant. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/universal-credit-governments-welfare-reform-may-be-scrapped-after-next-election-9139458.html

Hi all, My (soon to be) brother in law, may have to soon start taking Barclays Bank (Charges etc) to court. My BIL works 9-5 (often later) as a Social worker. He does also not have the knowledge to pursue a case like this. Is it possible that I could handle the case for him? I mean a)Could I get him to sign a form of authority? Would this be acceptable to a court and Barclays? b)Could I engage Barclays in the pre-court protocol? c)What would I put on the court forms? d)Could I attend/represent him at hearings e)What would happen to the monies won? Thanks and Merry Christmas Harry

Hi guys, I am really in a difficult situation. Yesterday I saw a laptop on ebay and I decided to contact the seller for any acceptable offers. Being a student, I wanted a good deal. The seller said he would give me the laptop for 990 which was pretty good deal for laptop that would last me at least 5 years throughout my whole phd course. However I had to transfer the money into his bank account. I didn't have all 990 in my bank as I had some in paypal account. I transfered 500 to his bank account and remaining via paypal. But later the seller advised me that he was going to wait for the paypal payment to go into his bank account which takes 7 working days normally. This is not something I have ever encountered before. I usually make the payment via paypal and my items are sent straight away. I do not have the sellers address or any details as the ebay listing didn't contain them. I only have his mobile number, bank account No, paypal address and email address. Being a student and already living under tight circumstances. It took me 18 months to save that money for the laptop. I am really worried that what it is some sort of doggy guy. I have spoken to the seller over the phone and he seems very persistent sales guy who is really good at persuading others and putting the blame on others. Please can someone advice what I can do if something does go wrong? millions of thanks in advance

Hi, i recieved a letter from Collectica marked "Distress Warrant" for a speeding offence. However the person who committed the offence was the previous owner of this house. I contacted Collectica to tell them the person no longer lives here but they have asked me to "prove that" otherwise they will continue with sending Baliffs. They asked me to send them a copy of my Council Tax bill to prove who I am and that I live here. First question - am I obliged to respond to this? I see no reason why I have to prove to a Debt Collection Agency who I am and that I am the owner of the house. It should be up to them to prove I am not. Second quesiton - Can they, without warning, send Baliffs round to force entry into my house? They have been informed that the offender no longer owns the house but they refuse to accept that. I am scared they turn up and break in while I am out. Thanks for advice.

My shrink recommends I get some breathing space by getting my GP to write a letter confirming my poor mental health. As the GP doesn't want to engage brain, is there a common format I can present him with so I've a fighting chance of getting something out of him before I self-destruct! I've had a jolly good search up & down these most excellent forums, many references to such a letter but no actual template forthcoming. Foolishly I paid £5 to pilesadvice.co.uk for such a letter but they just take the money and then don't tell you how to get the letter and their payment service provider seems to think this is OK Thanks in advance for all replies, John

I am sure that this question will have been asked before but I can't find an answer. I am the Claimant in a County Court action. It is coming up to the trial date. What is the correct procedure and format of the claim? Is there a form? Thanks for your help in advance.