Ask a StepChange (formerly CCCS) counsellor a bankruptcy question

A question about : Ask a StepChange (formerly CCCS) counsellor a bankruptcy question

StepChange Debt Charity (formerly CCCS) has several counsellors answering questions in our forum.

There are three ways to contact them:

1 - To ask them a question please post it below and James, Mat or Rachel will post a reply here.

2 - If you would prefer to ask a question in private you can send a private message to StepChange Private Messages and one of the counsellors will get back to you.

3 - StepChange Debt Remedy is a free and confidential online debt advice tool. You can put a budget together at your pace, and you can also talk it over with an advisor through online chat.

This thread continues from the previous Ask a counsellor a question thread one

Best answers:

• I know someone that needs financial advice. Over the past few years her partner has convinced her to take out many loans and credit cards.
  2 loans; 10000 and 3000, at least 8% on each.
  2 credit cards; total 2500. 1800 on interest free.
  Store cards; 250
  She's a single mum now he's left her. The large loan is for a car that he has taken (all in her name), and since he paid a few hundred pounds deposit she can't report it stolen.
  She can't afford the repayments on all these agreements, pay rent and buy food for the child.
  Should she declare herself bankrupt? She has nothing of any value.
  Looks like he's gotten away with it.
• Thankyou. I'll pass this on and we'll get in touch with StepChange. I really hope there's something that can be done. She understands its her responsibility now but feels totally lost about how to climb out of this hole.
• As this thread is sort of quiet i dont feel too guilty about asking my (admittedly not vital) question.
  Why the name change? The name before stated clearly what the organisation did, the new name is based on somd different philosophy perhaps?
  Dont have to bust a gut to answer as i imagine this is a busy time of year but i am curious to know.
• Hello everyone,
  We've written a guide to help people who're filling out bankruptcy forms. We get a lot of queries asking for help on this subject, so thought it might be worth sharing here too.
  https://moneyaware.co.uk/template-let...kruptcy-forms/
  Thanks
  James
• I am seriously considering declaring myself bankrupt...
  I live in my own property (mortgaged in joint names with my estranged wife)
  There are charging orders on the house in the region of 30K
  The house would fetch maybe 80K if sold and there is in the region of 67K left to pay on the mortgage.
  I am also having a battle with SCM Solicitors at present over a car loan debt (which I don't deny owing and never have done)
  I filled in the financial analysis forms and could afford to pay them Ј50 per month (debt is 6.5K) ...
  The court have ordered I pay Ј150 per month and if I fail to do so they will deduct it directly from my wages...
  I've had 2 heart attacks (first one was 7yrs ago and the latest was in September 2012) and I don't much fancy my chances of surviving a 3rd....
  All the debts are down to finance taken out while I was still living with my wife and she is of the same mind as I that bankruptcy is the best option..
  Will I lose the house or will it have to be sold ?
  What is the best way of going about the process ?
  I honestly can't begin to list all the debts there are as they are so many....
  Yes.....I'm in a mess with only myself to blame but it's time it was sorted out....
  I'm not worried about credit ratings as mine stinks anyway....Even my bank wouldn't lend me 1.5K to have my boiler replaced and am currently going through my 3rd winter with no heating in the house what so ever....
  Thanks in advance....
  Steve.
• Hi,
  If I have a change of circumstances with an IPA, are my payments frozen until it is sorted out? I only ask because Moonbeever have just told me that they will continue as already agrred until any changes are sanctioned by the OR?
  thanks
• Hi
  I am desperate for some advice for the sake of my marriage!!
  My husband and i have been paying a Debt Management Plan with the CCCS now for just over 5 years and whilst we have managed to pay almost Ј9000 off our debts so far we still have a balance of about Ј30000 we also have a secured loan which isnt on the plan which is another Ј10000 outstanding.
  We have a mortgage on our house which stands at Ј70000 and the value of the house is about Ј80000.
  We just cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel im in a frenzy everytime i see the DMP statement come through. My husband cant seem to cope with it all anymore and my nerves are in tatters!!
  Would it be easier all round if we went bankrupt? Or can the debt be written off as we have paid quite a large amount back already? And if we did would we lose our house? (if we lost the house we really would have nothing left) We do also have 2 cars worth about Ј500 each - i work 40 miles away from home and my husband requires his to get to work every morning.
  We arent on fantastically high incomes (we are both on Ј13000)
  Can anyone help or give me some advice as the best step?
  Sarah
• Hi I'm currently trying to fill in the BR forms for myself and my husband. But i'm worried that if i fill something in wrong or put it in the wrong place, will they send us away on the day or even worse decline the BR?
  I'm not sure if i have filled them in correctly.
  It asks if he has sold , transferred etc a property in the last 5 years and i don't know what to put or if i should put anything. The house was reposssed in 2010 and there was a shortfall of 121,000!! But he didn't sell it or transfer it etc so should i fill that in?
  Do we have to put childrens young saver accounts and trust fund accounts on the forms?? There is only a matter of pennies in the young saver accounts but a few hundred in the trust funds. We don't pay in to them anymore.
  I assume they can't touch them, but the young saver accounts are with my bank!! Also my eldest (13) has his own account that our names are not on, will his account be ok? Again it is with my bank.
  Thanks in advance
• Thanks James for clarifying those things.
• Hi I am currently in an IVA but am no longer working my husband now works in another country. I am considering bankruptcy as a better option but am concerned they will come and take items from the house like computer TV games console I have 3 children and this would upset them. Please can someone advise thanks ... Also as my income is solely from benefits is it likely that they will make an iPo on my husbands income