Can't afford minimum payment -advice please?

[daysmustgetbetter]

I know I'm a idiot
When I moved into my house I had nothing
I got my appliances /sofa from littlewoods
I put them on buy now pay later but now I'm struggling.
I get £1,000 a month
£460 is rent £100 is gas /electric £90 council tax and I pay them £240
I'm left with £110 for food
It's killing me
I've asked if I can set up a payment plan they said no
I honestly don't know what to do
If I don't pay the full amount will they pass me to a debt collection agency ?

@daysmustgetbetter , listen, I'm sure of u give them a call they ll be able to help with the repayments. I promise it ll be ok, I rang my credit card company when work was a bit slow and they were great. , they ll help in any way they can.🤗

Look up the £10 per day threads and join websites like Prolific where you earn for completing surveys from home.

If your adult children contribute £25 a week each or would cover the debt repayment.

Just stop paying them

There is no such thing as debtors prison but of course this will screw up your credit score etc. is this important to you?

Contact them in writing, never call. Explain the situation , ask them to freeze the payments and offer them £10 a month.

You can also speak to debt advice lines to assist with this

Are your children able to contribute?

I definitely agree with ringing StepChange. They can help you get a handle on things.

This is terrible behaviour of Littlewoods and completely at odds with what the FCA expect of firms in relation to consumer duty and treatment of vulnerable customers. (Ie financially vulnerable). You may get help and some back up from citizens advice or one of the other organisations mentioned. If you have the strength for it, call and speak to Littlewoods and ask to speak to someone who deals with cases for financially vulnerable customers or where they are struggling due to cost of living, change in circumstances etc. The FCA have been clear in multiple communications to loan companies that they expect firms to help customers who are experiencing financial difficulties. It is entirely unacceptable that they will not help you come to an arrangement and simply keep adding interest

Another one that thinks your kids should be contributing. That is your real problem. They’re using gas/electric/water and do they buy their own food? My kids contribute £120 a week between the two of them.

I might be wrong but I think as long as you are paying something every month they can't go to a debt collector. Make a payment of even £10 right now and then go from there. Pay something every month. They will accept a payment plan you just need to get the right person on the telephone.

Your grown up children could split the little woods payment presuming they don't contribute in other ways

I fear they can if you renege on paying the minimum with no payment plan in place. Try Step-change to see if they can intervene on your behalf and freeze the balance. Also that interest is shocking. Do you have other debts? At 25 hours pw are you earning below nmw? Are adult dc working and paying towards the bills?

Do your grown up children contribute?

I would ask them again, they should be able to put you on a payment plan.
To the poster who said that people blame the government for their poverty that's the opposite to what this poster is doing.
I was in a similar situation and owed money to bright house for our beds. It really was the only way and I worked every hour I could around two small children. If they were with their dad I used to pick up extra night shifts just to clear my debt. id also ask your work for extra hours.
it wont be forever

You can negotiate a debt management plan yourself or go via an agency. Either way any interest from the amount you owe will be scrapped and you can negotiate an affordable monthly payment based on your incomings and outgoings. You won't be able to take any more credit for a few years after you've paid it off but it sounds like you can't really afford credit anyway if it means paying interest.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/debt-solutions/debt-management-plans/debt-management-plans-explained/debt-management-plans-what-you-need-to-know/

@daysmustgetbetter as long as you don't just bury your head.

You should contact, as pp's have mentioned,

Littlewoods Financial Difficulties Freephone 0800 092 9042

and

StepChange Debt Charity Freephone 0800 138 1111
www.stepchange.org/

This is what I was thinking. If they're over 18, surely they are working and should be paying you for rent, bills and food.

We keep asking you what your adult children pay towards their keep? Are you not answering because the answer is zilch?

Op, do your children work? I would be looking at them contributing towards board and rent if so which could help?

What income do your DC get? Do they contribute?

It's very odd that you don't get any other income on a low wage..

Can your children help you financially at all OP - even temporarily? You say they're over 18yo - do they have part time jobs and possibly give you a few ££ to help bridge the gap? Can you increase the hours in your current job? Also yes I agree with speaking to Citizens Advice or Step Change to see if they can spot where you might get additional help whilst you're trying to sort the job situation. 🌹

You need help to talk to them. They can arrange payment plans. If they've told you they don't, that's incorrect.
Contact the organisations pp have mentioned.

Even if you manage to somehow get someone to give you 240 this month that doesn't solve your problem. What will you do next month? And the month after that?

You need to get help to get them to agree a lower repayment.

Worst case scenario is they take it to court. Where you will show your income and prove you offered them what you can afford. The court will almost certainly agree with your repayment offer.

If your dc aren't working then they need to claim Job seekers. It's about £75 a week. So if they paid half of that to you it'd cover the debt. 3 adults can't live on a single part time jobs. It's not sustainable. They need to get some money coming in.

Speak to Stepchange, they are a debt advisory service who can speak to Littlewoods and agree a repayment plan that will work for you.
They are really kind and helpful

Sorry you are facing this op. You need to speak to Littlewoods financial difficulties department.

I don't think they will continue to add interest as they have already added the interest amount of £2500 as the account wasn't settled at the end of the buy now pay later. They do make it very clear when you agree to the buy now pay later, that the interest will be added if the original balance isn't settled.

They should agree a payment plan but will probably want you to supply a financial statement of incoming and outgoings. I wouldn't have thought that they would get a debt collector involved if there is a regular offer of payment being received.

Good luck op 💐

Sorry I'm at work and trying to respond the best I can
They work but are saving to go travelling in summer and I won't dip in to their savings.
They pay for their own food which I think is more than enough of a contribution
This debt is the only debt I have so I'm not sure how a debt management plan would work
From what I've read you need to have more than 1 debt ?
I have no credit cards etc
Up till now my credit rating seemed good (700s )

I think Stepchange can intervene even if only the one debt is ongoing. Otherwise make an appointment at Citizens Advice to assess your income and outgoings and check you are not entitled to assistance. Your dc may pay for food but you have additional expenses while they are living there.