Credit card debt but no card

[Cryingemoji]

Hi all

Currently paying off a large credit card debt but now separated from husband.

I'm only listed as an additional card holder, so am I equally liable for the debt?

Also when we began repaying the cards we cut them up & I have no details about the account. How can I find out who owes what?

Thank you.

Credit cards aren't joint. So the additional cardholder is not liable, the account holder is solely liable.

If you aren't the account holder, you won't be able to get any info about the account, except from your ex.

@LordEmsworth thanks for replying so quickly especially at this hour.

H has opened a new bank account for his wages & I feel like he's trying to distance himself from the debts on our joint account.

He said he will give me £1500 per month £1000 to cover 'his share' of the debts & £500 child maintenance. But it's niggling me, I can't help but think he's trying to con me into paying debts that's aren't mine.

If it's not in your name, he can't make you pay it. A judge will decide if they are marital debts when you divorce and sort a financial order. Until then, you are not liable for debt in his name

The above posters are correct. Credit cards can only be sole.

You can be an authorised user (additional card holder).

But the person who added you as an additional cardholder is liable for the debt. You cannot be chased to repay the debt.

Thank you both.

We've now had a look together at his credit report & everything is on his account & not on mine.

So now I'm wondering if I would be better off accepting the £1000 from him towards the debts each month or claiming universal credit to live on (if I'm receiving the £1500 from him I don't qualify for universal credit) and letting him deal with the debts.

So so confusing ....

I was on the other side when me and ExH divorced in that I was the named cardholder. All I can say is pay your part of the debt. ExH racked up a shit load of debt on the CC days before he left to live with OW and I got lumbered with £10K worth of his debt....he used to furnish his and OW's new home. Do the decent thing OP.

Thanks for replying

I'm sorry that that happened to you, it isn't fair at all.

I'm not trying to shirk any responsibility, I'm just considering my options. I don't have a job yet (busy applying) & so I can't pay the debts so I was curious to know who's name they were actually in.

We are talking and trying to remain amicable about everything. We have a dc to consider in all this.

Universal credit don't deduct money you get for child maintenance. That money is not ment for you, you are just the middle man and it belongs to your children. That is what they told me (both child maintenance and Universal Credit). Give them a call to confirm, things change all the time. All you need to do is answer honestly that you get child maintenance to Universal Credit.

For the loan part, your ex can pay the cards directly himself. I would advice you do the honorable thing.

Check your credit file any debts in your name will show up there.

So he wants to give you £1000 a month towards debts in his name and then you make the payment? Or are there other joint debts that are separate?

I agree with PP that you should do the honourable thing, BUT only if you both ran up the debt. If your ex primarily ran up the debts, then your conscious should be clear.

He is being naive if he thinks it best to give you money to pay off debts in his name. You could just not pay without any liability and he would be fucked.

Also, don't let 'being amicable' be code for 'being taken advantage of'. Been there, done that.

@Mazuslongtoenail yes that's exactly right.

@Floopani yes we did run up the debt jointly, so I get what your saying, but he has more of an ability to pay currently.

@Mountainclimber50 I've checked and all there is to my name is a credit card with around £250 on it. He has £15000 worth of debt showing on his.

Please don't get me wrong I am trying to do the right thing.

Why isn’t he just paying it himself?
Would payments from you towards the debt over several months look like you have responsibility or something?
Tell him to pay you the mainland for him to make the cc payments himself.

Ok I'm a bit confused. Why is he giving you £ to pay towards a card in his name? Admittedly it was many years ago but all repayments had to come from me as the card was in my name. My mum helped out but put £ in my bank account for me to forward on to the CC. As I said that was a long time ago and things could well have changed by now.
I'm wondering as your liability is only £250 could you not suggest that he knocks £50 off what he is offering to pay for 5 months and he uses that to pay off your share?

There is no reason for him to give you money and then for you to put it towards his debts. He should just pay directly.

You should apply for Universal credit and work out how much child maintenance he needs to pay.

When you know what your income will be then you can figure out how much if anything you can pay off the debts.
Start with the one in your own name.

So it is joint debt? Agree with pp do the honorable thing and take responsibility.
Thread is a good warning to people to never be the named card holder on a credit card!

Thanks for the replies it is a bit confusing, I'm confused too, trust me.

He's talking about me keeping our joint account & continuing to pay the debts from it because that's where they currently go out from.

He's already got himself a new account for his wages to go into.

When ex partner list his job we had to use credit cards to survive. Unfortunately they were all in my name . We separated and I have spent the last 4 years paying them off .

If you’ve separated, I would close down the joint account or get yourself removed. When XH and I split, we had to go into the branch to do that. If there’s only one debt/card in your name, stop paying those debts! He needs to take responsibility. It’s not your problem! (It’s not confusing really, he’s just trying to get you to be responsible for his own debts).
Apply for UC. Make sure any child benefit goes into your own bank account. Use the online calculator to see how much maintenance you’re entitled to. That needs to be separate from any other finances.

Then the solution becomes easier. Tell him you don't agree to the joint account remaining so you want your half -£250 and all payments he makes to you are to go in your sole account. Do not put anything more into the joint account from now on.

Pay off the £250 immediately then cancel the joint account. If he can show proof that you have paid the debt for months then he could claim the debt is yours. Solely.

Thanks for your reply.

That's a sobering thought, omg.

He should make his payment from his account directly to the debt, you shouldn't be his middle man and you shouldn't continue having a joint account wirh someone you're separated from. Muddies the water financially, could look like spousal suppot to UC which does count directly. Legally if you get anything paid into a joint account there's nothing to stop the other joint account holder from taking it out. You need to get your own separate account and get him to pay the child maintenance into that. Direct debits should be changed and the joint account closed.

@EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness Thank you for replying.

I knew something didn't sit right with what he was proposing. But it was dressed up as him being reasonable, for the best etc ..

Don't do this. Tell him to pay the debts from his new account, they are in his name. Open your own account and then you can close the joint account asap