What To Do
The best move is to contact us now on 07921 526087 but if you prefer, there are lots of things you can do yourself - here are some simple self help guides
Can’t Afford Minimum Payments?
If this applies to you, you should . . .
That’s the basic idea - but some of these steps can be complicated.
If you’re struggling with any of this, please get in touch with us or another free debt advice agency such as StepChange, Christians Against Poverty or PayPlan - or get in touch with Citizens Advice.
- Write down your income and expenditure as accurately as possible using the StepChange budget sheet here
- Work out what’s left (it might be negative)
- Think about how you could reduce expenditure and increase your income
- Join the Money Saving Expert Credit Club and get your free Credit Report with an update on your debts here
- Negotiate with your creditors (start with Rent, Council Tax, Gas, Electric, TV Licence)
- Offer small amounts to each creditor to start paying off your debts
That’s the basic idea - but some of these steps can be complicated.
If you’re struggling with any of this, please get in touch with us or another free debt advice agency such as StepChange, Christians Against Poverty or PayPlan - or get in touch with Citizens Advice.
Bailiffs
If you need to know more about how to deal with bailiffs see the details here
Court letters
The golden rule : don't ignore the letters! Answer them quickly or get someone to help you.
Ignoring them makes things much worse.
There is a lot of helpful information including details of forms that may be needed here
If you have a letter from the Magistrates Court and you don't know what to do click here
Ignoring them makes things much worse.
There is a lot of helpful information including details of forms that may be needed here
If you have a letter from the Magistrates Court and you don't know what to do click here
Parking Fines
The best thing to do is just pay these within 14 days: these debts can mushroom out of control if you ignore the ticket.
If you have genuinely believe that the ticket was wrongly issued, you should fill out the form in the letter, make a copy of it, and send it back within the time limits.
If it's out of time, you may be able to get permission to file a late witness statement form TE7 here and form TE9 here.
If you need information about appealing parking tickets issued on private land click here and for Council parking tickets here
If you have genuinely believe that the ticket was wrongly issued, you should fill out the form in the letter, make a copy of it, and send it back within the time limits.
If it's out of time, you may be able to get permission to file a late witness statement form TE7 here and form TE9 here.
If you need information about appealing parking tickets issued on private land click here and for Council parking tickets here
Simple Budgeting
Budgeting sounds scary . . . but it isn't really.
Budgeting puts you back in control of your life. For a useful budget planner page click here
If you need some ideas for maximising your income and minimising your expenditure click here
Budgeting puts you back in control of your life. For a useful budget planner page click here
If you need some ideas for maximising your income and minimising your expenditure click here
Other Sources of Advice
(The links below are all from organisations who don't charge. If you look at other debt advice organisations online, some are great, but be careful as some are companies pretending to offer free services.
Videos (may be slow to load)
Six really helpful short videos on a range of debt topics from the National Debtline here
(topics : bankcruptcy / court action / dealing with bailiffs / dealing with creditors / debt relief orders / credit reference agencies)
- Free online debt advice from StepChange here
- 10 ways to clear your debt from the National Debtline here
- A budget planner from The Debt Advice Foundation here
- A budget planner page from The Money Supermarket here
- A Payday loans Factsheet from the National Debtline here
- Harassment by creditors Factsheet from the National Debtline here
- How to spot a loan shark from the Money Advice Service here
Videos (may be slow to load)
Six really helpful short videos on a range of debt topics from the National Debtline here
(topics : bankcruptcy / court action / dealing with bailiffs / dealing with creditors / debt relief orders / credit reference agencies)
Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
