Gambling Debts
With the development of online apps and betting agencies, gambling has never been easier. For some people, a bit of fun gambling can spiral into a gambling debt problem.
Consumer Credit
Consumer credit has become increasingly popular, allowing individuals to take out personal debt to purchase goods and services. Examples of consumer debt include credit card, store card, and catalogue debt. All of these enable consumers to buy products immediately and then pay off the cost over time with interest.
Utility Arrears
Gas, water, and electricity are essential needs in our homes. They keep us warm, clean, and comfortable. However, tariff increases, moving house, and financial problems can cause some people to fall behind on paying their utility bills. This leads to utility arrears.
Mobile Phone Arrears
Here at DFH, we understand that mobile phones are not merely a luxury, but a necessity for daily life. However, sometimes your financial circumstances can change throughout your contract, meaning that it is no longer affordable for you.
Mortgage / Secured Loan Arrears
A mortgage is a type of secured loan that is taken out against an asset. This means that if you miss payments and your account falls into arrears, the lender is allowed to sell the asset to get their money back.
Court Debts and Fines
A County Court Judgement (CCJ) is a court order that a creditor may apply for if you fail to repay a debt. Not complying with the terms of this order can lead to creditors taking enforcement action.
Parking Fines
Many of us know the sickening feeling of walking up to your car after a long day and seeing a yellow ticket stuck to your window – not what we need! Sometimes we accidentally overstay in our parking spots and get faced with a hefty parking fine. Due to these often being unexpected it can be difficult to find the money to pay them on time.
Rent Arrears
You’ll be in rent arrears if you don’t keep up on your rent payments. Of course, dealing with arrears can be tough, but the sooner you take action the better. If you ignore your arrears, your financial situation is likely to get worse.
Business Debts
If you are struggling with business debt, please get in touch with our team for advice that is tailored to your circumstances. If we cannot include this debt into your Debt Management Plan, we can certainly point you in the right direction for support.
Joint Debts
Joint debts mean joint responsibility and liability for payments, and it’s for this reason that you should be cautious before agreeing to co-sign for a loan or sign up for joint credit.
Payday Loans
A payday loan is an amount of money loaned to somebody for a short period of time, designed to tide them over until payday, usually with very high interest. The average interest could be as high as 1,500%, compared with 22.8% APR for a typical credit card.
Student Loans
Student loans are usually paid directly from your wage in the same way as PAYE tax, and payments are based on your earnings so are not usually a problem. For some older student loan plans or if you are self- employed, you may need to arrange direct payment and this can sometimes lead to student loan arrears being accrued.
Loan Shark Debt
A loan shark is someone who illegally lends money as an unauthorised business. Due to the nature of the lending being illegal in the UK, this type of agreement is not legally binding for either party involved. They are best avoided due to the lack of protection they give you, and although you have no legal obligation to pay back this debt you may feel pressured to do so by the lenders recovery tactics. Any illegal money lending should be reported to the Illegal Money Lending Team.
Car Hire Purchase
Car Hire Purchase is one of the most common ways people buy a car. It is a type of secured loan attached to the ownership of the vehicle based on a fixed length of time. Once you have paid the total amount in regular payments and you’ve paid any ‘option to purchase’ fee that may be required, you will own the vehicle. This is a great opportunity for people to own a car that they wouldn’t have been able to afford outright.
Council Tax Debts
Council tax is a payment made from each household to their local council. This money is used to provide services in your community. Your council tax bill is a priority debt, so if you’re struggling to make your payments, you should get in touch with your local council as soon as you can, to ask for assistance in setting up a payment plan.
Benefit Overpayment Debt
Benefits overpayments are generally the result of the benefit provider making a mistake, or because you did not provide the correct information when you applied for the benefit.
Child Maintenance Debt
Child Maintenance is a payment a parent makes to ensure their child can have access to food, clothes, and other day-to-day necessities.
