Beryl started to struggle financially following the death of her mother in 2004. Her debts were incurred helping family, and over time her credit card balances continued to grow. Although she tried to take advantage of balance transfers, it reached a point where the majority of her income was being used to make credit card repayments and then the cards were being used to maintain essential expenditure.
Beryl proposed an IVA to her creditors offering to pay £179 per month for 5 years. During the process, she was notified of a housing benefit overpayment due to an error by the council and this was also included in the arrangement. The creditors accepted a return of 54p/£, and the council stopped reclaiming the overpayment from Beryl’s benefit increasing her income.
Case Administrator James reflects “Beryl came to us with a situation like so many other people living with debt, she had been struggling for years making minimum repayments to her credit cards as the balances grew and grew with little hope of light at the end of the tunnel.”
It can be difficult to admit that you are having financial difficulty, especially when you are not missing payments. Beryl summoned up the courage to seek help and found The Debt Advisor’s details in the Yellow Pages.
Beryl comments, “Since the IVA has gone through, I now feel as if all the stress has gone out of the situation and apart from the repayments I feel as if the Debt has gone. From the beginning, I felt less stressed as I was guided & assured throughout. I feel now the debt is under control and not increasing anymore. I am no longer paying my creditors most of my income.
“I certainly would recommend the Debt Advisor. Debt is Debt but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence. There is a light at the end of the tunnel if you seek help. I just wish I had contacted the Debt Advisor sooner.”
