financial hardship & severe mental Health-URGENT ADVICE NEEDED PLS

[frocklady]

Hello Everyone,

 

I hope this has gone in the right thread

Im really hoping for some great advice here, - Although i'm confident i will receive it,

 

Im writing on behalf of my sister. Here is some background information which will help picture our crisis.

 

My sister is 27, a qualified staff nurse, caring, loving and kind.She has fibromyalgia a chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder

When she first started nursing she was put on HDU

a high dependency ward, A highly stressful ward when first qualified. In time my sister became depressed and was put on anti-depressants, But also moved wards to somewhere she was happier.She was on these for 5 years, In between this she had a long term boyfriend, Whom she loved very much and was her one and only boyfriend so never knew any different.

 

He cheated on her 3 times She found out and left him, Then when she was at a low ebb he wore her down and begged for forgiveness, This went on for a year until she finally gave in. Whilst they had been apart he had found another girlfriend who became pregnant, My sister accepted the child and they were ok for around a year or so, Until she read through his emails and found out he had been messaging and meeting tran-sexuals. This obviously devastated her, she questioned his sexuality and couldnt understand what was wrong with her. She had to go for all the sexual health tests, saying thats she felt dirty and that no one would ever want a relationship with her again as he had passed herepes on to her.

 

In November 2014 she was signed off sick due to the fibromyalgia and trauma she had just suffered. She was put on Sertraline antidepressants. as well as this she was also take Amitriptyline, for pain( but is also used as an antidepressant)

Zopiclone as she had trouble sleeping, gabapentin a painkiller used for the nervous system, and Diazepam.

 

2 months ago she came out in an angry rash on her face, She went up to A and E with my mum, Whilst waiting to be seen she fainted, and banged her head that hard she was knocked unconcious.

 

Her mental state has since got gradually worse and we now have the crisis team coming out regular with a physiatrist who has now diagnosed her with hypomania, and was very close to being sectioned if it hadnt have been that my parents are both at home every day.

 

Her mood fluctuates between aggressive, emotinal and manic, She often wanders off without telling anyone and is a danger to herself, She is very confused and cannot be left alone. You cannot have a conversation with her because they are so random you cannot make head nor tail of them.

 

She is still off work now and it has been 7 months. She is too poorly to go back to work but The hospital are pushing and pushing and now has a final meeting on the 22nd june for a final outcome as to what it to happen, My parents have not told my sister this yet, but she wouldnt be well enough to attend this anyway.

Her sick pay has now reduced to £81 a week and she cannot afford to live. She has a large amount of outgoings that need to be paid for, She is still living at home with my parents but they are both self employed with very little income coming in to this house.

My parents outgoings are around £1,200 a month and my sisters the same.

 

Here are my sisters outgoings

Credit card with Barclaycard £160 a month-* Due at the end of June

Credit card with Halifax - £130 a month Overdue by 2 weeks

car finance payment £110 ( Due the next fortnight, Taken over 4 years with Black horse. 1 year owned.

Gap insurance for the car and service plans £60 due around the next fortnight

Phone bill 02 £40 month

RCN ( royal college of nursing payment ) £20 monthly Due in the next fortnight

Tesco bank Loan £300 Due in the next fortnight

Halifax bank Loan £300 Due in the next fortnight

Overdraft £1,200 Santander

 

So in a nutshell If you could help with the below questions i would be so grateful, As i really want to help my parents and sister but im not sure where to start.

 

1: What rights does my sister have with regards to her job as a nurse? Can the NHS sack her?

2: What can be done about the incurring payments due to be paid with credit cards, loans, finance etc can be done?

 

I really appreciate your time taking to read this and any help would be so gratefully received.

If i have missed any information out that would be needed please ask.

[Ford]

hi

re debts, difficult to say.

one option cld be to try get payments reduced/frozen, with interest frozen. you'll prob have to supply income and illness details before they'll consider.

another cld be to try get some written off due to long term illness.

or possibly bankruptcy/debt relief order if applicable.

have you spoken to the likes of citizens advice and national debtline, see what they suggest.

 

further input should be along shortly, bump for you

 

ps, there are guidelines re debts and mental health which all creditors should abide by. will try find and post up.

[frocklady]

Thank you so Much for your reply, It is much appreciated it really is, xx

[citizenB]

You need to write to all the creditors immediately. Advise of severe health problems and that assistance is being sorted from the National Debtline. Advise it is not possible to meet contractual payments - so if any of the payments are being made by direct debt, these should be cancelled immediately. The lenders should all give your Sister at least 30 days grace whilst she makes contact with National Debtline.

 

https://www.nationaldebtline.org/

 

You can also telephone on their free helpline.

 

 

 

Call us for free

debt advice on

0808 808 4000

 

Monday to Friday

9am to 9pm

Saturday 9.30am to 1pm

 

 

 

WE have draft letters in our CAG library that you can send - the one below asks the creditor to accept £1.00 token payments for a while whilst the "debtor" attempts to sort themselves out.

 

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?387358-Request-to-make-£1-token-payments-for-X-Months-**Correct-as-at-October-2013**

 

You will find that National Debtline will also have something similar - IMHO, either your Sister, or you on her behalf - she will have to give permission for you to do that, needs to speak to an advisor and they will find the best option for you.

 

You might have to keep up with her RCN payment as that will enable her to continue working if and when she is well enough.

 

You MUST set the ball rolling as soon as possible.

 

Then, you need to look and see if any of the accounts have Payment Protection Insurance (that might have been mis sold or at the very least be able to claim on). Are there any default/penalty charges ? These can be reclaimed.

[SabreSheep]

You may also want to test the enforceability of the debts and for reclaimables.

 

1) CCA request esp the credit cards and loans

2) IF there have been over limit charges and late payment fees on the credit cards you may want to see if its worth spending £10 each to get ALL the info by using a Subject Access Request. Also helpful if trying to see if there are any PPI on those debts too.

[Ford]

yes, forgot about seeing if there is any missold stuff to claim back etc.

also has any Irresponsible Lending taken place.

theres lots of info re 'debt and mental health'. googly that to see.

see also the FCA handbook