very old debts help please?!

[meerkatsandkookaburras]

i have some debts from when i was at uni and have not paid anything on them for about 8 years, so now one has tracked me down, were skint so do i have to pay being as its been so long?? i have a terrible credit rating anyway so cant see this damaging it more btu i dunno the rules on old debts. they are all store cards, mobile phones, credit cards etc, i was a careless student and dont even remember anymore who i owed money to then but know since 2003 i definately havent paid any of them probably before but im not sure!! am i best ignoring them and hoping they go away at least until we have some money or agreeing a very minimal payment!? were on benefits with a disabled child so even when my partner gets a new job until i can work whenever that may be were never going to be able to afford much to pay off any of them i dont know what to do for the best. any ideas anyone??

Get on the phone to- The national debtline-they are excellant in helping you sort this stuff out, will talk you through everything and send you loads of info too. the number is a freephone number and I can honestly say they are the best people to go to.

AFAIK, if they don't find you after 6 years, your debts are erased. this happened to my cousin, he just kept moving house.

Agree, phone debt helpline. They'll tell you how best to proceed. here

statute-barred debts

thanks thats brilliant ill give them a ring, next week and let you know what they say, last thing i needed was the letter today to come of a barclaycard from 2001!!
thanks

also here

If you wish to take this route, it seems you must not acknowledge that you owe the debt or make any payment or promise of payment

Yes, ignore them - after 6 years you are in the clear.

They will go on trying to hassle you, probably, they will have bought the debt cheap from the original creditor in the hope of getting any kind of return on it, but you don't have to pay so tear up any letters & hang up if they ring you.

(My daughter signed up with CCCS after getting into terrible debt while at uni, she still gets calls here from time to time but I can always tell because it's an automatic dialling system & there's nobody there when I first pick up so I just hit mute & put the handset down until they give up )

thanks woodchuck too, i thought 6 years meant something but wasnt sure, they have my last address on letter as one from 2001-2002 academic year so definately more than 6 yr ago - i move house all the time, nto through choice just coincidence so remember somehow when ive been where etc! will ring national debtline and ask about it all!!

oh the sample letter is good ill be sending that in on monday!! thanks so much mumsnet is great!!

Is that true you run up debts and just not pay and after six years it is wiped clean? Surely not!!

I thought they could demand it from wages/benefits etc?? When I was buying my first house with then bofriend he had an old debt which had to be paid before we could get the morgage ok'd and it was only a few hundred?

Are you certain that the letter is from barclaycard? We had this and it was from a company who purchase statute barred debt from barclays etc. They then try to pursue the money in a ruthless manner, often writing to anyone who has a similar name.

The debt they tried to pin on my husband was nothing to do with him. Luckily he is a fraud investigator so they did not get very far.

They can pursue you legallly within 6 years, and make a charge or get a ccj form the courts if needs be. Statute barred debts meet very specific criteria, you mustn't have acknowledged them (even part paid , agreed a payemnt plan and defaulted) for at least 6 years and are often much older ones,and can still affect your credit rating.

I have a friend that this happened to in exactly the same circumstances. The credit company wrote to her after 7 years.

Her DH who is an expert in debt wrote back to the company and told them it was statute barred and she was not acknowledging the debt as hers. They never chased her after that.

He told me that the worst thing people can do in these circumstances is actually accidentally acknowledge the debt in some way. He told me that these companies hope to get you to indavertently acknowledge the debt and then the clock starts again an dthey can chase you.

I do not know the law, so do not take my word for it, but he said to just ignore the letter and tear it up. I would ring the National Debt Helpline - do not answer the letter or phone the company at all in the meantime.