Need debt advice ASAP!

[Illusive_89]

Hi everyone,

 

 

 

Looking for some good advice as I'm in a stressful situation to say the least, it's taking it's toll on my health now, but I want to work through this and find a solution.

 

 

I'm currently not in employment, and living with my best friend. We've not long moved here, and I'm guessing through updating my details/driving licence etc, debt companies have found me.

 

My debts are mostly for catalogue companies like Shop Direct, JD Williams, Littlewoods etc. I also have a debt with Lending Stream.

These are mostly built up over the last few years, not recently.

 

 

I currently have a small amount given to me each month, and yesterday I have applied for JSA and hopefully within the next few weeks that will be starting, but not yet confirmed. Obviously if that goes ahead, most/all of the JSA will go to these debts.

I don't go out and spend money at all anymore, don't drink or smoke etc, so I'm always keeping living costs as low as possible.

 

I've been on the StepChange website which offered loads of help, and I used their debt remedy tool which gives you a personalised plan on where to go from here. The result was to start a debt management plan.

 

Can anyone recommend for my situation, if this would be a good idea? I'm contacting some of the debt companies (by email only, not phone) and trying to arrange low montly re-payments, but they're not getting back to me yet. It's also a push financially to be trying to offer them all around £15-£20 a month etc.

 

 

_____________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

 

The debt companies I'm currently dealing with on behalf of my catalogue debts are -

 

 

 

 

Lowell Portfolio I - Very and Littlewoods

 

 

Wescot - JD Williams

 

 

The overall debt for these 3 accounts is approximately £2,000

 

 

 

 

____________________________________________________________

 

 

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. What is the minimum you can pay to debt companies, if not employed? Would it be better to carry on contacting them by email myself and trying to arrange something, or setting up a debt plan free with StepChange?

 

 

 

 

Thankyou

Edited February 6, 2015 by Illusive_89

[citizenB]

How old are these debts and when did you last make payments to them?

 

Do you know if there are any default/penalty charges applied to the accounts.

 

Is there any Payment Protection Insurance attached to the accounts ?

 

You can self administer your own Debt Management plan where you will have more control. Or you can go with StepChange or PayPlan which are both free. Although I think if you have less than £100.00 disposable income they wont administer the plan for you.

 

What you do not want to do is to go with a fee charging DMP - we have seen a couple of these go into administration over the last couple of years taking a lot of debtors money down with them and leaving those most vulnerable in an even more stressful situation.

[letsgetitsorted]

1) Do Not Phone the DCAs only deal in writing.

2) write to those companies that have purchased you debts requesting a copy of the CCA, i did with Lowell over Littlewoods catalog they could not and removed the debt and amended credit file.

3) Do not get pressured to pay anything that you cannot afford to pay, if all you can afford is £1 a month then thats what you send them...but only if they have valid agreements.

4) i contacted step change and went through my debts...3 with payday loans and 1 with santander, went through income and expenditure and they found i could oly afford £1 per month for each. so might be worth contacting them...but remember you only want to pay for those with valid credit agreements.

 

5) how old is each debt.

 

I hope this helps for now, I am sure others will be around soon to help out, and advise where I have missed

[Stigman]

If your going to be on JSA & no other income then it's £1 per calender month to each enforceable debt - no exceptions!

 

As advised above, deal with everything in writing, do not telephone or if any DCA rings you do not go through DPA questions and hang up.

Never be afraid to answer your telephone, it's your phone, you pay for it.

 

Reclaim charges & any PPI, make sure all have a valid CCA request.

 

Don't be stressed, relax, you are in control at all times, the letters that you are receiving are designed to look scary but in-reality a breakdown of the letters includes the words, may, if, could etc. All meaningless.

 

Was asked above but can you say when you last paid anything on the above debts?

 

Stigman

[Illusive_89]

A big thankyou to all that have answered so far, it's GREATLY appreciated and very helpful at this difficult time

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll try to answer all the questions asked. As regards to when I last paid anything towards the debts -

 

 

Simply Be - last payment made: 11/02/14. Account was opened around 7 years ago approx.

 

 

Very.co.uk - last payment made: 28/06/14. Account was opened a few years ago approx.

 

 

Littlewoods - last payment made: 11/04/14. Account was opened 30/9/13

 

 

 

 

 

 

As regards mentioning the £1 a month payment, I thought this was possible but wasn't sure whether to go ahead as the debt companies might not accept that little? That literally would be the only option for me at the moment, or the DMP with StepChange.

As stated, I am definitely only going to keep in touch with them via letter and/or email, not telephone.

 

 

 

 

So is my first step to write to each of the debt companies, and request a copy of the CCA? If so, can anyone advise on everything I need to include in the letter, and/or a template for this letter?

 

 

 

 

Thank you ever so much for all your time!

x

[Stigman]

As regards mentioning the £1 a month payment, I thought this was possible but wasn't sure whether to go ahead as the debt companies might not accept that little?

 

So is my first step to write to each of the debt companies, and request a copy of the CCA? If so, can anyone advise on everything I need to include in the letter, and/or a template for this letter?

 

Ok, None of the Accounts are no where near Statute Barred Status so a CCA request it is then, send the CCA request to whoever is chasing you enclosing the £1 Postal Order (please note that the Post Office charge an extra 50p for the Postal Order).

They have 12 + 2 working days to respond (the +2 working days are to allow for postage), if and when you receive anything then please remove all of your personal identifying markers including barcodes, account numbers etc. and post up.

 

It does not matter what the DCA says, you are in control and you will tell the DCA how much they are getting, the £1 pcm is a fair offer because you are on Benefits & have a severely reduced income, but this will only need paying when they produce a valid CCA request.

The only reason the DCA rejects this is because whoever is put in charge of your account is on minimal wage with collection commission and enhancements and it is in their salary interest to reject and request more.

 

Have you all of the statements?

If not a SAR request to the Catalogue Companies, this costs £10 but you will get back all of the statements which will show the charges and any PPI that you can reclaim, do not use any Company, you can do it yourself for free, advise is here on how to do that if needed.

 

Stigman

Edited February 6, 2015 by Stigman
Wrote my name twice? Dunno why!

[citizenB]

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?387435-CCA-Request-Consumer-Credit-Act-1974-**Updated-January-2015**

 

Link to CCA request draft - you will need to enclose a £1.00 postal order for this (statutory fee). They have 12 working days + 2 in which to provide this.

 

For any other letters, use the green library link in my signature or at the top left hand side of the screen.