Help stopping alcoholic family member using credit cards

A question about : Help stopping alcoholic family member using credit cards

Hi, any help appreciated.

I have an alcoholic family member who is using credit cards to access funds to purchase alcohol.

We keep cutting up the cards but he keeps applying for new ones.

We can't just close the accounts as he has built up a debt that needs to be repaid.

He says if we agree a payment plan with the credit card companies they will immediately put him on credit blacklist and he needs credit for a mortgage application.

What is the best way for us to prevent him having any future access to credit cards, and set up a plan to pay off the debt without affecting his credit rating?

Any help much appreciated, it's a very difficult situation.

Thank you

Best answers:

• You can't stop him/her.
  Eventually they will be unable to repay and their credit files will be trashed so lenders will not issue new cards.
  THEN you will start to have problem because alcoholics/drug users will steal OTHER people's cards to feed their addiction.
  Try to make sure that all cards in your household are secure and change passwords on internet devices so that someone else cannot use them.
• Stuff the mortgage.
  He needs to hit rock bottom before his behaviour will change.
  You've tried. But he hasn't.
  Let him spend. Sooner or later he'll default. Then he might begin to see his addiction has consequences.
  Sorry.
• Is he getting help for the addiction ?
• he needs professional help with his alcoholism : he doesn't need financial help to buy more.
  Why encourage him to get a mortgage knowing he will default?
• How cooperative is the family member? Does he know he can't keep applying for new credit, but can't help himself - because that way he can buy more booze?
  I wonder if you can "force" him to miss a couple of payments. This might be enough to stop him getting new credit. At the same time, the odd missed payment won't trash the record for years.
  There is a danger he might then go to pay day lenders, illegal sources or steal from his family as pointed out.
• He is an adult and can do as he likes within the law. Stop interfering with his cards and his life.
• Unfortunately there is no mechanism in place that can help you to save this person from themselves. As an adult they have the right to drive their entire life into the ground until they've lost everything, all possessions, all hope, all purpose and all reasons to go on.... and all you can do is watch.
• Have we been had here?
  No response - first post????
• Thank-you for all your help and advice re alcoholism, however I was really trying to find out if you cancel your cards and set up a payment plan if you then get blacklisted?
• 'Blacklisting' is a myth.
  A payment plan gets reported to CRAs and adversely affects credit history even if you follow it and don't miss any payments.