Debt Advice

[ScottFitzgerald]

Good Evening

Wonder if anyone can point me in the correct dirrection.

3 years ago my mother suffer a near fatal stroke, this left her unable to walk, talk move the left hand side of her body, needless to say she can no longer work.

Now her old creditors have caught up with her and one for example a credit card company is chasing her to repay £10k what is the law on this and can anyone recomend anyone I can seek advise from.

Surely the Credit card companies etc would write of as she has no income and no chance to return to work,

Help please

[Buenchico]

Creditors won't simply stop pursuing debts simply because they know that the debtor has no income, simply because they will have no idea as to whether the debtor might have an alternative way of paying back the money (e.g. by selling property, by equity release, by cashing in a life-assurance policy or by taking a lump sum from their pensions). So they'll take quite a bit of convincing if you're hoping to get them to write-off the debt.

However my own experience of being chased by creditors is that they're not unreasonable if you keep them fully informed of your circumstances. Further, there's plenty of help available from a charity that exists solely to help people in debt, so I suggest that you get in touch with them:
http://www.stepchange.org/

[themas]

Alternative to Stepchange is to visit your local CAB for free advice.

I can't believe your mother has no income at all - surely she is receiving benefits? Whichever body you approach for help will need to know what her financial circumstances are - all her income & expenditure, any savings, any assets (house etc.) so it would be a good idea to put all this together before contacting anyone.

[boxtops]

Her card companies are quite entitled to chase the debt - did she stop paying at the time of her stroke?nyone notify them at the time?

She must have some income - how old is she?

[factor-fiction]

It's always better to make contact with credit card companies early and at least try to make the minimum repayments as soon as a customer gets into difficulty- far better than leaving it to the credit card company to catch up with you a few years later

[Buenchico]

>>>Alternative to Stepchange is to visit your local CAB for free advice

I've nothing against CABs but, when I asked to see a debt counsellor (because an awkward creditor wouldn't accept any special arrangement unless it was made via the CAB), they couldn't give me an appointment with one for 5 weeks. StepChange avoids the wait!

[Peter Pedant]

BC had a bad time with CAB

I usually recommend them as they know more about debts that I do !
I have found they give good advice ( Old Ben Brierly pub Moston Lane Manchester )