To think we need a better way to deal with debt

[Storm4star]

I just watched “killed by my debt” on iplayer. It was absolutely heartbreaking and I was in tears at the end. Interestingly, there was a mumsnet post in the programme. Basically it was about a guy, zero hours contract, chased by bailiffs etc. It was so sad and based on a true story. When people are killing themselves over debt, often relatively speaking quite minor sums of money, something is very very wrong. I really think the whole system needs a major overhaul and bailiffs should be outlawed in my opinion.

YANBU in that we need to rethink debt. (Or borrowing full stop)

But Bailiffs are a fact of life. If you had done a month's work for someone and not been paid I'm sure you'd want to get your money someway or another. (Or if they'd bought something from you and not paid, or lived in your property or borrowed a £1000 and not paid it back. Etc etc)

I do think bailiffs are too aggressive though. They have a very threatening manner and they do scare people. I don’t think that’s right.

But bailiffs only come into play after all other routes of recovering the debt have been exhausted. They need a warrant issued by a local court.
How would you recover money that is owed to you and you need for your own survival?

I would urge anyone with under £20,000 of debt, who doesn't own a home and doesn't have a lot left over at the end of the month to look into a debt relief order if their debt has become unmanageable, particularly if they feel they can't go on. This is a scheme that freezes your debts so you stop paying them - then writes them off after 1 year if your circumstances haven't improved. Yes your credit impact will be impacted but if you're at the stage of looking for a drastic solution it has probably been impacted anyway.

If this isn't you, but your debt is severe and having an impact on your quality of life, still give Stepchange a ring to talk about options. They may be able to help.

Well according to this programme (which apparently was based on solid research) things like traffic fines just go through a computerised court. No humans involved. And honestly, if someone owed me money but it was driving them to suicide then I’d rather lose the money than have them kill themselves. I guess for me the issue was that this guy offered a payment plan but the bailiffs refused it. He wasn’t trying to dodge payment, he just didn’t have the money all at once. I just think their practices need regulating a lot more,

This was particularly sad case , I started to watch it but found it quite upsetting and never finished it.

No, no-one should be driven to that point but, this case aside, so much debt is unnecessary. We are approaching Christmas and once again people will borrow to buy a load of stuff that isn't wanted or needed and pressure family to do the same. Come January and the heating bills come in and you start wishing you hadn't spent £££ on the kids' toys.

By the time it gets to bailiffs it's past the point of payment plans, there wouldn't been multiple opportunities for negotiation, payment plans and DROs by that point. It's very sad for that person and his family, but these things have to be addressed head on, I've worked with service users who just bin red letters and think it will all go away. Stepchange are fantastic but you need to access them before it gets to that stage.

I haven’t watched the program but I don’t think bailiffs should be outlawed. My grandmother is trying to get nearly £5K back from some low life who conned her out of her money and we are relying on bailiffs to get it back for her after a lengthy court process.

Having said that, I do think it’s incredibly sad for people to end up in that kind of situation.

I watched that a few months ago. It was very sad.

But he didn’t have to kill himself. He was a young guy. Worst case he could have gone through bankruptcy which isn’t actually that awful. Better than death anyway.

I agree people need to deal with it before it gets out of control but it isn’t that easy. Many years ago I was in that situation and I also couldn’t face opening any letters. Like many others I hoped it would just go away. It may not be the sensible way to deal with it but at that point you aren’t thinking sensibly, and you just get to a point where it overwhelms you. Although, I was never suicidal over it, I would never kill myself over money but it’s very sad that people do.

I haven’t watched the programme so can not comment on that.

I don’t think bailiffs should be outlawed. How do you expect people to recover their debts?

I have a tenant who has just stopped paying rent. Won’t communicate with me. Currently owes me £4K (which excludes costs). So while she lives in my house, that I pay for her to live in, she lives rent free.

Have issued a claim (at a cost of £70). She’s ignored it. She has had a CCJ issued, she ignored it. I’ve served an eviction notice (at a cost of £200), she’s ignored it. It goes through court in November (which will cost me £1,500) and after that it will probably take a further 4 months and bailiffs (cost tbc) to get her out. In rent arrears alone, she’ll owe probably around £12k.

How do you propose I get her out and I get my house back? I’m now struggling financially myself.