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AIBU?

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Original poster

Car Write Off - Have to give up work?

187 replies

Wild123 · 26/11/2019 15:03

So some dick went into the back of my car nearly 3 months ago and has written off my car which is on finance.

It took me a couple of months of research to buy a car that was going to be reliable, economical, at a low risk of faults, cost effective and with low mileage (12070 at time of purchase).

I am no longer in a position to buy or re-finance another car and my daughters school is 2.4 miles from my house in the opposite direction of where I work. I currently do the school run in the morning and take my lunch break to collect her in the afternoons. I can't use public transport to get to school and back to work on time and i for sure can't afford the additional childcare to put in morning and after school club.

AIBU to feel like this is not fair? What the hell do I do now? I can't give up my full time job..

OP posts:
MissDew · 26/11/2019 16:38

I currently have a hire car and I'm stringing out the insurance settlement as much as possible (whilst still having to pay finance for a car a can't drive)

Stringing out the insurance settlement ? Did your insurers not pay the loan company directly ?

You said you used the £110 car finance on cc repayments since the insurers paid out to wipe out the car loan. Did I understand that correctly ?

Get a rebate on unused car insurance. Get a rebate on unused road tax. Would that be enough for a cheap run around or deposit on a car ?

(Please don't let this be a begging thread)

Original poster
Wild123 · 26/11/2019 16:40

@posterLooking4wards - the car is on finance and until the insurance settle the claim and pay them i am still liable for the monthly payments.

I'm dragging the claim out (with the help of the insurance company as they are sooo slow to respond) as i currently have a hire car but as soon as they come and collect my old car they will settle and i have to give the hire back then i'm left with nothing.

@nannybeach thats awful were you able to claim back anything? I'm soo stressed with it all. I've had such a shit year this year and this has just topped it all off.

OP posts:
LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 26/11/2019 16:40

OP...are you certain about the GAP insurance you have? I'm asking because if you've paid GAP insurance for the car and it was subsequently written off by another driver - and your insurance company is recovering the costs from them and not your GAP policy....

Then where does that leave all the payments that you've made for GAP? Your insurance company can't claim it twice.

Can you get some clarification from them as to what happens with those GAP payments that you've made?

I had GAP on my car and those are to cover the finance payments in the event that it was written off before being paid for. That is void now as my car is paid off but if it hadn't been - and had been written off by somebody with a recoverable insurance policy, I would have expected to be compensated.

I would get some clarification so you know where you are.

I'm sorry this has happened, you don't need the stress of this.

Ginnymweasley · 26/11/2019 16:40

I'm confused. The insurers should have paid off the value of your car to the finance company if he was deemed at fault. Is there still some finance to pay off? So if you owed 5000 at the time of the crash but the car was only valued at 4000 so you still owe 1000?? Is that right? I'm just struggling to understand who is paying what to who?

RedskyToNight · 26/11/2019 16:41

Do any of your colleagues live vaguely in the same direction as the school? Can you ask for them to lift share (and offer petrol money, which you would have had to find anyway)? And then walk to/from school?
Surely you are already paying for after school care if you have to be in the office 9-5 - is it really that expensive to extend it?

Fivetoomany · 26/11/2019 16:42

Op I had terrible credit with lots of defaults and a debt management plan in place. I got finance through premium plan, they even accept Iva and bankruptcy. They are good in that they look through your incomings and outgoings to make sure you can afford repayments. I have been with them for two years now and they have been great!
Worth a try for you. Good luckSmile

Original poster
Wild123 · 26/11/2019 16:43

@MissDew no i promise i'm not begging for anything just some advise i promise :-)

I'm just not letting the insurance company collect the car and until they have done that they won't pay the finance company.

You don't get a rebate on car insurance and the car is 0 tax.

OP posts:
MissDew · 26/11/2019 16:43

So the hire car is a courtesy car ? OK.

You only have to balance this until the end of term. I realise you still have to work, run errands etc i.e. live.

Have you looked into how much a very cheap rental car would cost ?

Last year I was hiring a rental car for £10 per day for just four days per week to get to work. I got a lift on one day. The car rental company took me from their offices home at the end of the week for free as that was the deal. They would also collect me and take me to their offices for free if I needed to.

NoSquirrels · 26/11/2019 16:45

I think you need to write out your income/outgoings and go from there. As a FT working single parent it doesn’t seem right that you aren’t eligible for any benefits but can’t afford wraparound childcare.

Original poster
Wild123 · 26/11/2019 16:47

The cost to repair the car £5450 the cost to settle the finance £5550 - insurance will pay £5950 less £345 excess (i can claim this back eventually)

OP posts:
melissasummerfield · 26/11/2019 16:48

There are car finance places for people who have poor credit ratings, you will just have to pay a higher interest rate.. just buy a cheap run around using one of these companies.

Nearlyadoctor · 26/11/2019 16:48

If you are not entitled to any benefits at all as a single mum with an 8.5 year old daughter - you must be on a pretty average full time salary or have a good maintenance payment.
You say your daughter wouldn’t want to change schools but children adapt very quickly and by the end of the first day she’d have a new best friend. Also going forward surely it would be nicer for her to live closer to her friends and you may then be able to share childcare etc with other more local parents.
I know it’s very unfair and not your fault at all, but have you also done a budget plan to see if there’s any expenses you could cut back on to save a bit more towards another car.

Original poster
Wild123 · 26/11/2019 16:49

@NoSquirrels i was getting some benefit top ups but then i had a small pay rise and they took them all away. My payrise after tax didn't cover what i lost.

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 26/11/2019 16:49

Have you asked round independent garages what they would charge for repair?

If you can get it repaired more cheaply yourself then you can do that?

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe2726 · 26/11/2019 16:49

But you have GAP cover? How can your insurance company be recovering the costs from the the other driver (who was at fault) and make you still liable for paying out under GAP?

Do you see what I mean? That's a double-bubble - for just one vehicle.

AloeVeraLynn · 26/11/2019 16:49

Is this not just a temporary situation though? Its difficult now but when the insurance have paid up you should be able to get a cheap run around. I'm not sure why you'd need to quit work. Long term it would much worse to have quit your job.

Nearlyadoctor · 26/11/2019 16:51

Of course you get a rebate on car insurance - I recently changed my car and cancelled one policy as another gave me a cheaper deal on the new one, there was an admin fee of £30 but I got the remaining 4 months refunded.

Todaythiscouldbe · 26/11/2019 16:51

Why is there no rebate on your car insurance? Because you have made a claim?

cabbageking · 26/11/2019 16:53

Car insurance won't give you a rebate as there is no unused part. The full cost is the cover price of which they allow you to pay in instalments.

Original poster
Wild123 · 26/11/2019 16:53

@Nearlyadoctor i am on an ok wage but half of that goes on rent and another 1/4 on bills etc. I put myself in debt leaving my daughters dad so paying that back is not taken into account with benefits. I'm just getting by with what i earn and paying minimum/token payments to pay off my debts.

I had a breakdown a few months back and did my financials and reduced payments as much as i could to be in the position i am now.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wild123 · 26/11/2019 16:55

@LyingWitchInTheWardrobe sorry no i did buy gap insurance but assume i won't need to claim on it as the insurance settlement covers the finance cost

OP posts:
NoSquirrels · 26/11/2019 16:55

Is your DD’s father paying maintenance? Get a claim opened if not.

irnbruxtra · 26/11/2019 16:55

@Wild123 you don't work as an office manager for a bank do you? The bank workers charity may be able to help you with a grant or a loan in these circumstances

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 26/11/2019 16:56

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RandomMess · 26/11/2019 16:57

Definitely speak to work they don't want you to leave or be off with stress.